November 2020 was the month where local theatre productions made their comebacks with Teatru Manoel being in full swing. I watched From Rona With Love, written by Marta Vella and directed by Petra Sant, and let me tell you, I experienced a lot of emotions – in the best way possible, of course.

From Rona With Love depicts the shift in eight peoples’ lives due to the pandemic, with stories that are hilarious and sexy but also ones that are quite dismal. Moreover, it portrays the change in relationships and routine that I’m sure all of us experienced during the lockdown.

The casting and writing was brilliant. Other than being entertaining and relatable, I especially appreciated the political comments that were made, such as when Emma says that she is not a slut for enjoying casual sex, and I also loved the representation of LGBTQ characters and even mental health in the play.

I feel so honoured to have had the opportunity to have watched this production, as although it centred around COVID-19, funnily enough it made me forget about what is going on in the world for an hour and just enjoy the experience. Other than that, even though it made me emotional at certain times, it also made me ugly-laugh several times throughout, which is exactly what we need during these dark times. It also felt wonderful to be back at the theatre rather than watching something on screen, despite the new norm we had to get used to.
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