ZAVA Productions and Lorenzo Mannelli and Park Theatre Present HIDE AND SEEK

ZAVA Productions in association with Lorenzo Mannelli and Park Theatre presents Hide and Seek. A teenage boy disappears to a secluded cave to escape social discrimination and bullying in an award-winning Italian drama, written by Tobia Rossi and translated and directed by Carlotta Brentan

Exploring homophobia and bullying, self-discovery and acceptance, the award-winning Italian drama starts with a teenage boy faced with the contagious prejudice of a small Italian town. Gio has never felt accepted by his parents, teachers or peers, but when he runs away, his hiding place in a secluded cave is discovered by classmate Mirko. As social media frenzy builds around his mysterious disappearance, and Mirko becomes Gio's only link to the outside world, their journey shines a light on the power of social media, exploring how discriminatory voices can deeply impact young minds. Hide and Seek highlights how being yourself is still a risky proposition in our society when it comes to sexual orientation and independent thought. 

Director and translator Carlotta Brentan said, “Hide and Seek is a savage and - unfortunately - incredibly topical rollercoaster of a play. Its teenage protagonists, Gio and Mirko, challenge each other to examine the prejudice, careless cruelty and homophobia that persist unchecked in their small Italian village, and which are all too universal to this day. Tobia Rossi's light touch, the humour and paradoxical innocence of his characters, seduce us into opening our hearts to these heavy subjects. While the action takes place entirely within a dark, secluded cave, the questions Hide and Seek asks are far-reaching and necessary; the time to have these conversations is now.”

Tobia Rossi is one of Italy's foremost playwrights. Hide and Seek won the 2019 Mario Fratti Award at In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY. The worldwide premiere of the English translation was presented in May 2022 at The Tank, NYC. This production transfers from VAULT Festival 2023 where it was first performed in front of a British audience. 

ZAVA Productions is a UK theatre production company founded in 2022. They champion emerging writers and specialise in developing and producing original plays and musicals that reflect and question the society we live in. They are particularly interested in supporting inspiring works focusing on female voice and minority, ethnicity and gender discrimination, giving audiences the chance for a new awareness and perspective. They are dedicated to promoting Italian playwriters and composers to create a cultural exchange aiming to support and share stories that reflect universal experiences and enrich connections between Italian and international cultures.

Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In ten years, it has enjoyed eight West End transfers (including Rose starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, 14 national tours, six Olivier Award nominations, has won multiple OffWestEnd Offie Awards and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage.

To post a comment, you must register and login.