Pinocchio

Fabrizio Arcuri brings a re-writing of one of the most famous fairy tales in the western world to the stage, unmasking its plot. The precise and incisive language in Joël Pommerat’s writing makes this into topical tale, clear-sighted and irony. The piece is performed by the actors Luca Altavilla, Valerio Amoruso, Matteo Angius, Gabriele Benedetti, Elena Callegari, Irene Canali, Rita Maffei, Aida Talliente and with Sandro Plaino. Scenery Luigina Tusini.

Joël Pommerat is one of the most fascinating French authors of recent years. As well as writing, he also directs his works, bringing together disenchanted poetics and political readings in his imagery and creations. Fabrizio Arcuri brings a re-writing of two of the most famous fairy tales in the western world to the stage, Pinocchio and Cenerentola unmasking their plots. The precise and incisive language in Pommerat’s writing makes these into topical tales, clear-sighted and irony. Contatto hosts these two CSS productions for their premiere in Italy. The fairy tales will alternate for the first five days, and on the evening  of the 24th and 25th there will be double performance of both fairy tales.

Pommerat highlights the dynamics between parents and children with humour and wit. He considers the sense of guilt, inadequacy and competition, jealousy and possession, highlighting the signs of power embedded in family relationships and love. Furthermore, especially in Cenerentola, he tackles the awkward presence of death in our lives, a ghost that fills our dreams and at times determines our actions. Through this he tackles our inability to face death, the impossibility in the mind of someone who has not lived long to confront an end that is always too close, which is true for adults too. Fairies can be of little help, and the passing of time is not much use either. Humanity must deal with its own demise, and perhaps only with this can a new beginning can be found. Pinocchio, brings with it a rich philosophical and cultural content, and attacks the meaning of what is true or false, moral or immoral, the power balance that constitute loving relationships with others and before that, with ourselves, and finally, the sense of what is human and where humanity resides. Thus, Pommerat finds a way to tell us stories we already know, placing mechanisms we experience every day at their centre, creating images that relate to us, photographs where we can recognize ourselves. We find ourselves there, and yet we are just far enough outside to be able to see and laugh at ourselves.
Fabrizio Arcuri