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Tonight Matthew I'll be ... your director
30/ 6/2006
MEDITERRANEAN passion, love and laughter come to the Royal
Exchange this week. The theatre ends its current season with a new
production of Carlo Goldoni's classic Italian comedy Mirandolina,
directed by rising star Jonathan Munby.
Mirandolina is the beautiful, independent and feisty daughter of an
innkeeper, who inherits her father's business and is immediately
surrounded by adoring men.
Bored with the attention from a penniless Marquess, a coarse count
and sex-starved servant, she decides to show them who is boss by
convincing a fourth guest - self-confessed misogynist Ripafratta -
to fall in love with her by using all the considerable skills at
her disposal.
Sharp and witty, the production stars Raquel Cassidy (Teachers and
Festival) as Mirandolina and former Stars In Their Eyes TV
presenter Matthew Kelly as Ripafratta.
"It's about the battle of the sexes but I also see it as an early
feminist piece as Mirandolina explores her independence and
struggles to find her own voice in a male-dominated world," said
Jonathan Munby, whose recent directing credits include Tartuffe
(The Watermill), The Canterbury Tales (RSC), The Comedy of Errors
(Sheffield Crucible) and The Anniversary.
"It was written by Goldoni in 1753 and Mirandolina would have been
extremely shocking and almost absurd at that time because she
breaks the social conventions so much.
"But it's also relevant today as sometimes there isn't much
difference in Goldoni's world and our world's view of women."
The comedy has been translated and partially rewritten by Ranjit
Bolt, with singing and dance numbers blended in.
The new version will be set in 1930s Italy, with a set designed by
Mike Britton.
"It is unusual that it is set in the 30s," said Jonathan.
"To be honest it's not performed all that often and people usually
take it back to its original setting, Italy in the 1750s. But when
I read it I felt it could benefit from a different setting, as
modern as possible.
"The 1930s are a really interesting period in Italy's history with
the rise of fascism and the economic depression between the wars.
That political and economic landscape, especially the
male-dominated fascist regime, makes Mirandolina's struggle all the
more potent."
The full cast includes Cassidy and Kelly, with Gwendoline Christie,
Nia Gwyne, Ian Bartholomew, Nicholas Boulton, Alan McMahon and
Michael Condron.
It is the Royal Exchange debut for Urmston-born Kelly, 56, has been
on our screens since the late 70s, originally as an actor but later
becoming a TV presenter.
He's perhaps best known for hosting sound-a-like talent contest
Stars In Their Eyes for 11 years until March, 2004, but has also
presented Game For A Laugh and You Bet!
Kelly, ITV's first children's presenter, studied drama at
Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre, where he joined a theatre
group with Julie Walters and Pete Postlethwaite. He made his stage
debut at the Pavilion Theatre in Rhyl, then at the Everyman Theatre
in Liverpool in the early Seventies.
Jonathan says: "The cast for Mirandolina is fantastic. We have
Raquel as Mirandolina and Matthew Kelly as Ripafratta.
"This is Matthew's debut at the Royal Exchange but he's been in
countless other productions at other theatres over the years.
"He actually began his career as an actor, before becoming a TV
presenter."
The production is filled with laughter, singing and dancing, and
will be the prefect summer treat; combining concealed identities
with hidden love and expert flirting.
"It is a comedy and for me the best comedy is about a very real
situation, that's where it begins.
"So with Fawlty Towers, another comedy set in an inn, you know
exactly Basil's situation and his stresses and struggles.
"You have a fixed situation that is stretched until it becomes
funnier and funnier."
Katherine Taylor is choreographer, Lisa-Lee Leslie is the musician,
and there's lighting by Oliver Fenwick, sound by Steve Brown and
music by Dominic Haslam.
"The Thirties is also interesting in terms of music," said
Jonathan.
"Through Ranjit Bolt's new translation we wanted to introduce music
and dance.
" In Goldoni's original there are lots of places where the
characters are left alone on stage for soliloquies, and those are
the moments when it will break into song.
"It's in the tradition of (the films) Delicatessen or Amélie,
breaking from reality at certain points.
"Ranjit had written a version years and years ago, but he started
again from scratch for this version with the concept of setting it
within a stronger historical context.
"It's already a fantastic play but Goldoni wrote it in a hurry.
We've had longer, so we've been able to add more depth to some of
the characters.
"So Ranjit has completely re-written some scenes. Lots of Goldoni's
humour still works, but we're not 18th century Italian noblemen, so
some of it is lost on us."
"We also feel it will be more contentious than people think. It
raises questions about the battle of the sexes that are still
relevant, and couples who come to see it might find they have some
heated conversations on their way home."
Mirandolina is at The Royal Exchange Theatre from Wednesday, July
5, until August 5. Performances are at various times.
Tickets are priced between £7.50 and £26, with concessions
available, and tickets for under-25s on Happy Mondays are £3.50. An
after-show discussion will take place on Thursday, August 3, after
the 7.30pm show.
Call the box office on 0161 8339833 or box.office@
royalexchange.co.uk.
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