Salvu Mallia was born at home in Valletta in Old Mint Street on 11th June 1952. He attended Pilar Primary School, run by Franciscan nuns, where he was rather popular giving shows to his classmates during break times. It was at this time that he did the Christmas child's sermon. Some time later he was chosen to go to the Vatican with the Maltese altar boys, where they stayed for a month serving mass at St. Peter's Basilica.
At 12 years old, Salvu joined the Malta School of Arts, where he studied under Joe Borg, Harry Alden and Esprit Barthet. He had his first one man exhibition in 1982 at Galleria Fejnici.
This was followed by another two at Auberge De Provence (Museum of Archeology) in 1985 and 1994, and in between another one in Adenau in Germany. Salvu has also participated in various important collectives, even abroad, and organised a serious of collective exhibitions called 'Il-?gajta'.
At 18 years old, Salvu joined the theatre group 'Teatru Henri Dogg', run by Mario Vella (today the Governor of the Central Bank), which introduced him to experimental theatre and street theatre. These were fantastic and formative years in this field, with many rehearsals in public gardens like Lower Barrakka (they had no money for rehearsal rooms) and performing in the streets. This is when Salvu fell in love with this type of theatre.
Salvu has acted for many long years with different companies such as Atturi, MADC and Maleth, many times in main roles, mostly in Maltese. He also took part in singing roles, for example in the operetta 'Bajdera'.
His latest acting role was last season at the Manoel Theatre, where he played the role of a disgraced gay judge. He has directed many plays to critical acclaim, including works by Brecht, Shakespeare, Gogol and Goethe. He is also a playwright, having written two plays to date.
Entering the world of TV purely by chance, Salvu Mallia has scripted and produced a number of award-winning TV shows, including 'Delitti Maltin', 'Il-Pesta', 'Angli' and 'Delitti F'Malta'.
He is the author and director of 'Knights Spectacular', a musical spectacle about the Great Siege, and produced 'Strait Street - Tales from a Red Light District'. As a TV presenter, Salvu has hosted 'Madwarna!', along with 'Is-Sajf-mas-Salvu' and 'I?d'immamentripero' - both with Take2 Entertainment.
Salvu also has a professional background in ediitng and graphic artistry, and even ran a haberdashery shop in Merchants Street in Valletta for ten years.
Today, Salvu is a pensioner enjoyng his new home in the company of his favourite friends, Lautrec and Frida. His future plans include taking up painting again, but theatre and television are still a big temptation!
