THE ITALIANS IN ENGLAND Comes to Edinburgh

The Italians in England will come to Edinburgh Fringe as part of Commedia dell' Arte at the Fringe. Performances run 2 - 24 August 2024 (not 11 & 18).

The Italians in England is set in 1572. Queen Elizabeth I is on the throne and insists that her Master of Revels bring the Italian players to London to perform before her. Shakespeare and the professional London stage are some years away but in Italy a new theatrical phenomenon is exploding: Commedia dell' Arte. This combination of mask, comedy, amusing plots and improvisation - not to mention actresses on stage for the first time - is taking Europe by storm. A young lover attempts to consummate his love for the wife of jealous husband, Pantalone. Servants and masters seek love too. Raw passion and reality collide in this bucolic setting in the countryside outside Venice.

With 10 performers, leather masks, exquisite costumes and live music, The Italians in England brings to life the Golden Age of Commedia dell' Arte with an adaptation of an original canovaccio by Flaminio Scala - Il Vecchio Geloso. Performed by a professional cast of Italian and international actors in English, the show was first produced in 2023 during a festival to raise funds for a video archive dedicated to Eugenio Allegri, a well-known Arlecchino from the TAG Compagnia di Teatro, Venice, who had just died.

The Italians in England is written and directed by Rupert Raison, who trained at Lecoq and studied Italian literature at Bristol University. He is founding artistic director of Action Theatre (Italy), one of Italy's leading English Teaching Theatre companies. Action Theatre (Italy) specialises in masks, puppets, physical theatre and comedy and has performed to over one million students across Italy, presenting over 1000 shows every year.

Rupert will be presenting an inspirational and informative talk on Commedia and Half Mask at Symposium Hall @ theSpaceUK at 11am on 18th August, addressing the latest research into Commedia dell' Arte.

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