General information about the Commedia Festival

NEWS RELEASE

World’s Favourite Comedy Set to Get

Brisbane Laughing Over 3 Days in

Inaugural Festival

For Further Information: Kerry McDuling, PR Consultant

Tel: 07 3279 1214 or 0410 578 194

The Australasian Commedia dell'Arte Festival 2010, celebrating the traditional Italian theatrical comedy form, Commedia Dell Arte, is set to entertain and delight both the young and old over three days at the end of this month, through a variety of performances and workshops.

According to the Festival’s Director, Tony Kishawi, the highlight of the Festival is sure to be the World Premiere Gala performance by Commedia dell'Arte maestro, Antonio Fava, who will be performing his “Pulcinellata Nera” - Black Comedy alla Pulcinella GALA WORLD PREMIERE, a Little Opera in words; lazzi and music in the style of the Neapolitan Commedia dellʼArte at the Woodward Theatre, QUT Kelvin Grove Campus, on Sunday 30 May.

“I studied at Antonio’s school, the International School of Comic Acting, and he inspired me to explore the form of Commedia and share it with audiences around Australia. He graciously accepted our invitation to perform at the first of hopefully many more annual Australian Commedia dell'Arte festivals, and is treating an Australian audience to a world premiere, which will be performed in both Italian and English.”

The Australasian Commedia dell'Arte Festival 2010 is forming part of Italian week 2010, and Mr Kishawi feels that this is the ideal setting for the Festival.

“Commedia dell'Arte ("comedy of the profession") is actually an ancient Italian tradition. It is a professional form of theatre that began in Italy in the mid-16th century and was characterised by masked characters,” he explained.

“What I love about Commedia is that it takes characters we recognise in our community, and then inflates them in an outrageously humorous way.”

Mr Kishawi, the Director of Lightwire Theatre Productions, a company specialising in educational teaching resources, production development and touring workshops and performances, said that most people have encountered Commedia Dell'Arte in some form or another.

“Pantomime, which flourished in the 18th century, owes its genesis to the character types of the Commedia, particularly Harlequin, together with slapstick. The Punch and Judy puppet shows, popular to this day in England, owe their basis to the Pulcinella mask.”

According to Mr Kishawi, most high schools across Australia are covering Commedia dell'Arte as a drama unit, and John Bell’s Servant of Two Masters performance was an example of the art form.

“The Festival offers some excellent opportunities to discover different forms and styles that Commedia Dell'Arte takes, including an improvised and spontaneous version, Commedia without masks, and of course, the most traditional of the art form, performed by two Italian performers from The Commedia Academy in Western Australia!”

Commedia performers from around Australia will be sharing their creations during the Festival, including Carmencita Palermo from Tasmania, The Commedia Academy of Australia from Western Australia, Corinna di Niro from South Australia, Gerard Boland from the Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, and Robin Davidson from the ACT.

For those over the age of 16 who are inspired by the performances to have some of their own fun and learn more, a number of workshops exploring the performer’s experience and perspective from behind the mask have been arranged over the three days.

DETAILS:
When: Friday 28 May – Sunday 30 May 2010
Where: Woodward Theatre, QUT Kelvin Grove Campus
Performances:

• Friday 28 May, “Commedia per te” (Commedia for you): A bag of Commedia treats for you, including "Glue". (this could be a short but sweet snapshot of the trials and tribulations of married life, a comment on how modern society stifles our creative juices, a condemnation of monogamy, or just ten minutes of funny stuff), "Commedia Viva" (introducing the delightful and entertaining Commedia Dell'Arte traditional characters), and "a poco a poco” ...little by little (a group of drama students drawn from a group of year 11 students from St. Augustine's College to produce 20 minutes of Commedia mayhem and madness).

• Saturday 29 May, “Festa Commedia”:Commedia at its best, and most shocking, including "La Signora presents iSize" (Corinna Di Niro makes fun of the modern day corporate woman by incorporating burlesque and dance), "The Black Nonnas" (Maria and Antonietta are on the lookout for husbands, pasta or vino. They enjoy mangling traditional Italian songs about death, tragedy and donkeys) and "Women’s Breath" (Be entertained by the different faces of the feminine mask, a joyful journey that will take you through Asia, the Middle East and South America).

• Sunday 30 May, “Pulcinellata Nera” - Black Comedy alla Pulcinella GALA WORLD PREMIERE. A VIP night that is sure to be the highlight of the Festival! All the way from Italy, world renowned Antonio Fava performs a Little Opera in words; lazzi and music in the style of the Neapolitan Commedia

To book your tickets, visit www.italianweek.com.au/events.html

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