On 13 May, a very important actor took his final bow. Goldoni’s Harlequin, servant to two masters, known in Italy as simply Arlecchino, has seen Ferruccio Soleri in the leading role since 1959. Now, aged 88, he has taken off his chequered costume and black leather commedia dell’arte mask for the last time. Goldoni’s play is called simply Servitore di due padroni (Servant to … [Read more...]
Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo dies in Milan at 90
The Nobel Prize winning writer, actor, painter, composer and director died this morning in Milan at the age of 90. He was born on 24 March 1926 in San Giano, a small town on Lago Maggiore in Lombardy in the north of Italy. Performing and writing until a few weeks ago, even with a new television programme in Italy, he lived an extraordinarily full and creative life. He said … [Read more...]
David Ashley and the secrets of a pantomime dame
I am a three-bun wig, brown-booted, very large, maternal bosom sort of a gal. David Ashley is talking about his pantomime alter ego which has inhabited him over the Christmas period for 12 seasons. David’s successful West End career and occasional teaching saw a change of emphasis as he hit his forties with teaching taking over – ArtsEd, London College of Music and The … [Read more...]
Meryl Streep to play Maria Callas in HBO’s film of McNally’s Master Class
Meryl Streep will play Maria Callas in a filmed version of Terrence McNally’s play Master Class. New York Post's Page Six reported that HBO would start filming in January of 2015. Mike Nichols - who directed Streep in Silkwood, Postcards from the Edge and Angels in America - will team up again with the Oscar-laden actress for this project. Chameleonic Streep has already … [Read more...]
Milan celebrates one of its most-loved actresses as she turns 80
Giulia Lazzarini, one of Giorgio Strehler's favourite actress, and for decades a constant presence on the stage of Milan's famed Piccolo Teatro, is 80 and, rightly, it was at the Piccolo Teatro that her birthday was celebrated this week. Looking ten-years younger, she is continuing to work on stage, and will play the mother in Nanni Moretti's next film Mia Madre (My Mother). … [Read more...]