THE ITALIANS Comes to Belvoir Next Month

Produced by Malocchio Productions, Bontom, and 25a THE ITALIANS is a hilarious new comedy by Danny Ball, having its premiere at Belvoir's Downstairs Theatre on 26 October 2022. This uproariously funny and original Italo-Australian comedy covers all things Italiano: nonna's sugo, domineering parents, the immigrant story and Anthony Albanese.

THE ITALIANS is the story of Joe, a millennial Italian-Australian who gets caught up in the passions and politics of ethnic family traditions, the underbelly of Sydney's Italian mafia, the dodgy dealings of Sicilian property developers and the proper way to cook lasagne.

When Joe's estranged cousin Luca arrives on his doorstep asking to borrow forty grand, an impromptu road trip from Leichhardt to Liverpool begins, as Joe helps Luca pay back his debts. Along the way they make all the usual stops: a quick hit of vodka and ketamine at Lidcombe's Russian Social Club, followed by a minor detour via the Catholic Club at Liverpool, until they find themselves on a deserted patch of the M5 waiting to meet the man they now owe forty grand. Joe plans to do all of this, and still find time to propose to his full-blooded Italian boyfriend Sal, a superior Italian speaker, and love of Joe's life. As they speed towards the heart of Western Sydney, Joe, Luca and Sal are confronted with the places, histories and myths of their ethnic heritage.

Written by Danny Ball (Cleansed - Old Fitz, Totally, Completely Fine - Stan), THE ITALIANS is a project that has its roots in a 2020 post-lockdown workshop: "My aim was to continue the tradition of Italian-Australian storytelling in this country by examining our contemporary experiences. Our languages, traditions and stories are starting to disappear through the process of assimilation. I feel a great urgency in telling our stories to a contemporary audience that redefines what it means to be Italian-Australian." Ball's first foray into playwriting has been a wild success and he's corralled some of Australia's greatest Italian actors, including Tony Poli (The Shifting Heart) and Emma O'Sullivan (Grand Horizons).

Directed by Riley Spadaro (Unruly Tourists - NZ Opera, Australian Open - bub) THE ITALIANS is a play that confronts class and queer identity within the millennial Italo-Australian experience: "The Italians is a wild, fever dream celebration of Italian-Australians that asks the question: If Italians have assimilated into Anglo-Australian culture, who cares?!."

With a cast of eight playing over eighteen Italian characters - including The Madonna, Lady Gaga and Anthony Albanese - THE ITALIANS is sure to be one of the most outrageously funny shows of 2022.

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