Fraternal Compagnia’s ‘Masquerade Mask’ is a wonderfully fun and fresh dive into the world of the Commedia dell’Arte. The trio of Luca Comastri, Edinburgh-based Gabriel Bird, and Fraternal Compagnia co-founder Tania Passarini put on a bravura performance.
The show’s framing story is cute, Gabriel playing the company’s director sans company thanks to Brexit complications. All he has left is Pizza and Pasta – Comastri and Passarini – and a treasure trove of costuming.
Their clownish negotiations, speckled with slapstick and exaggerated expressions have something of the Marx Brothers about them, or maybe Abbot and Costello. These palpable connections to comedians of later centuries are inevitable such is the enduring influence of the Comm
Done poorly, such tomfoolery can grate on an audience, but rest easy: the laughter flows before a single mask is donned.
“Fraternal Compagnia’s ‘Masquerade Mask’ is a wonderfully fun and fresh dive into the world of the Commedia dell’Arte.”
When the first of the centuries-old characters come out to play, it’s easy to why. The pair of ‘Zanni’ characters (peasants) brought to life by Passarino and Comastri really only have one joke: fleas. Performed almost entirely in Italian they must rely on physicality and expressive delivery to sell a boisterous song of a mutually assured scratching hell. Vibrantly absurd, the dance of these ancestral clowns is a joy, and sets a merry tone for a whistlestop tour through the major ‘hits’ of the Commedia.
If anything ‘Masquerade Mask’ could use a little more tragedy to balance it’s good-hearted merriment, but it’s a lot to pack into 50 minutes.
In every vignette the quality of execution is sharp whilst leaving just enough room for improvised chaos. A negotiation between a Scrooge-esque Pantalone and Death wanders into Three Stooges territory with chuckle-worthy effect. A battle of impossibly vain, red faced captains brings Laurel and Hardy to mind, whilst a somewhat gruesome run in with Macbeth’s witches summons a triumphant turn from Passarino as all three Weird Sisters.
Snippets of english dialogue are more than enough to keep the audience in the know, whilst trusting them to intuit the Italian majority. Given the transformations of motion and even the shape of mouth beneath the grotesque masks, it’s easy to say the least.
The masks and costume changes are evocative, and the linking story of the company in crisis is highly genial. A final encounter with a very funny Arlecchino (That’s Harlequin to you), made a small girl in the front row laugh so much that anyone else’s opinion hardly mattered.
Ultimately ‘Masquerade Mask’ is a warm and entertaining love letter to the Commedia. In the 50 minutes, much of life’s silliness has been staged with grotesque effect, skewering our vanities and lampooning the powerful. It offers a lovely introduction to the Commedia dell’Arte for the novice, and a welcome reunion for everyone else.
Show Details
Venue: C ARTS | C venues | C aquila – temple
Dates: Jul 31 Aug 1-11, 13-18, 20-25
Showtimes: 11:30
Running Time: 50 minutes
Age Recommendation: 3+
Price: From £9 (concessions available)
Accessibility
The performance space, ‘temple’, is not wheelchair accessible.
The venue, ‘C ARTS | C venues | C aquila’, has provided the following accessibility information: ‘Level access to ground floor foyer, leading to level access to box office, bar and toilets. Stair-lift with folding chair to upper floors. Unadapted WCs on ground floor. On-street blue badge parking bay outside 14 Johnston Terrace. Limited access to some parts of venue site, No wheelchair accessible toilet, No reserved accessible parking, On street blue badge parking, Assistance dogs welcome in all areas. Restricted wheelchair access. Level access to ground floor foyer, box office, bar. Seated stair-lift to upper floors (requires transfer from wheelchair). Unadapted WCs on ground floor. On-street blue badge parking bay outside 14 Johnston Terrace. Assistance animals welcome. Assistance animals welcome. Assistance available – advance notice appreciated. For assisted bookings and to request assistance in advance phone 0131 581 5552’.
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