Commedia for Elders

Directed by: André Pink with Didi Hopkins Designed by: Caroline Jones

A Community production working with a professional team

The Cockpit Fri 11 & Sat 12 May 2018 – 7.30pm

Commedia dell'Arte as it has never been seen before. A group of 60yrs+ residents of the Church Street Ward and adjacent areas (Marylebone, NW8) playfully explored these old Italian timeless characters: the miser, the lovers, the coward, the greedy... and brought them back to life for a unique performance.

The group worked for 12 weeks with Artistic Director André Pink from Dende Collective and Commedia specialist Didi Hopkins (contributor to the National Theatre hit One Man, Two Guvnors) using masks, movement and improvisation presenting their own satirical stories.

Commedia dell'Arte is an Italian theatre form from the 16th century that lasted for approximately 250 years.

Dell'Atre was born on the streets of Italy and eventually became popular throughout Europe. Using masks and immortalised characters such as Arlecchino, Columbina and Pantalone, influenced the theatre of its time and beyond, making fun of social types and issues of that period.

The shows were partly improvised and reflected issues that concerned the participants, portraying characters inspired by the original types of Commedia dell'Arte that related to their world and Church Street Ward.

It's funded by Westminster City Council, in association with the Church Street Futures Group. We engage with the local community in arts and cultural activities as part of the Church Street regeneration programme.