THE STORY: The liar of the title is one Lelio, a young Venetian of good family who returns home after a long absence and is immediately embroiled in a series of hilarious escapades. Lelio's problem is that he seems unable to speak the truth when a
In the year of the bicentenary of the death of Carlo Goldoni, one of Italy’s most brilliant dramatists, two of his greatest comedies are brought to life in Ranjit Bolt’s vibrant translations. The Venetian Twins is a classic tale of mistaken identity and the ensuing confusion. The play was given its premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Company in a production directed by Michael Bogdanov which enjoyed huge success in Stratford and London. Mirandolina is one of Goldoni’s best known works and this translation was produced at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh.
A lively new adaptation of Carlo Goldoni's II Servitore de due Pardoni (1745) faithful to the spirit if not always to the letter of this famous and enduring farce, still frequently performed nearly 250 years after it was written as a vehicle for the great Arlecchino, Antonio Sacchi, who acted under the name Truffaldino.
Carlo Goldoni (1707 – 1793) was one of the most prolific and versatile playwrights of his century, even though most of his vast output deals with life confined to a few square miles of Northern Italy. This new edition contains two comedies about women surviving precariously in a man's world, but each taking a distinctly different approach to her problems. Mirandolina believes open dealing is essential; Valentina wants to have her cake and eat it, and uses intrigue to further her interests. Both are eager to win some kind of equality in a world in which they have no equality, only certain advantages, and almost come to grief. But these are worldly comedies and Goldoni does not deny us the satisfaction of seeing the women triumph.
Carlo Goldoni was Italy's greatest playwright of the eighteenth century and wrote at least one hundred and fifty plays, although only a handful; of these have been performed since his time. Working for theatres in both Venice and Paris, he took much of his inspiration from 'commedia dell'arte'. This collection focuses on Goldoni's more serious side and includes the plays Don Juan, Friends and Lovers and The Battlefield. The first published English-language edition of Goldoni’s worldly vision of the Don Juan legend, in verse, alongside translations of the naturalistic Friends and Lovers and The Battlefield, all of which were first seen at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow.
THE STORY: A cross between traditional Italian commedia and postmodern vaudeville, this new version of Goldoni's classic pits the madcap servant Truffaldino against masters, mistresses, lovers, lawyers and twenty-seven plates of meatballs. Imagine
True to Goldoni's mixture of comic wit and farce, the plot is a breathtakingly fast succession of twists and turns which only unravel in the final lines with a surprise ending. Two friends are in love with the same young woman. Neither wants to place their friendship in jeopardy. How can love triumph without breaking off their friendship? Goldoni explores the conflicts brought about when Florindo has to choose between Lelio, his best friend, and Rosaura, his friend's fiancée. Added to this conundrum are the issues of whether Ottavio, the old miser, will provide a dowry and the mature Beatrice's unashamed incessant pursuit of Florindo. The play is set in Bologna in Lelio's house. Florindo is a guest along with his faithful manservant. From the opening of the play, Florindo seeks to return home to Venice in order not to damage his friend's relationship. However, his departure is obstructed by his hosts, leading to one complication after another. From the beginning, the plot is intense and fast-moving with inversions fed into the action in quick succession. This creates suspense which continues throughout the play as potential marriage partners are switched back and forth until the very ending when the audience finally discovers what the main characters' destiny will be. Will love or friendship prevail? The Venetian element is brought into this play through Florindo and his manservant, both Venetians. Apart from these two characters, all the others are portrayed as self-seeking, selfish and sly - whether servants or masters. The tension is kept at a constantly high level by the struggles between the characters. These struggles are not just brought about through love and friendship but are also generational and social. Furthermore, there is the added complication in the contrast of the characters' ideas of reality as they deceive one another. This creates dramatic irony and humour as the audience know more than any of the characters on stage.
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