About This Show
A short opera first performed in 1892 based on a Harlequin comedy. ‘Clowns’ – fun, laughter, entertainment, mirth. But offstage? In Leoncavallo’s 1892 drama of jealousy and revenge the boundaries between the imaginary world of theatre and the real passions of a troupe of travelling players are broken down with violent results. Canio exacts revenge on his unfaithful wife Nedda and her lover Silvio in the unexpected climax of a play, while their audience realize only gradually the horror unfolding before them. It is an opera of emotional indulgence, from the joyful birdsong that inspires Nedda’s ‘Stridono lass?’ to ‘Vesti la giubba’, Canio’s famous heartrending outburst of self-pity.
Pagliacci. Ruggero Leoncavallo’s greatest opera. Based on a real life murder case. This thrilling and gritty opera boasts one of the greatest tenor arias of all time and a story to surpass any modern day soap opera. Irrational Theatre returns to the Kings Head Theatre with this freshly adapted and accessible production; Salvador Dali meets The Tiger Lilies with a lesbian twist. As we follow the lives of a troupe of strolling actors, real life crosses into the imaginary until their jealousies, obsession and illicit passions mirror the evening’s performance with tragic effect. Sung in Italian.