Welcome to Slingshot. Slingshot Theatre are known otherwise as Slingshot, and are a Commedia dell'Arte, yes a Commedia theatre company, using Commedia techniques and the history of Commedia dell'Arte to create contemporary theatre, using commedia dell'Arte. Run by Christopher Hawes and Sarah Mardel, we run Commedia dell'Arte workshops and Commedia dell'Arte Laboratories for Actors. We love Commedia and are experts in this field. Come and join in to Slingshot theatre, that name again is Slingshot. Often people ask why Commedia and Commedia dell'Arte aren't used anymore, and we say its because Commedia and Commedia dell'Arte are not understood by anyone in the UK so they are scared to teach it. Slingshot offer teaching and solutions to this gap. Slingshot is a new theatre organisation, welcoming Commedia actors and Commedia dell'Arte directors into its Slingshot hub of Slingshot fun. Run by Christopher Hawes & Sarah Mardel, yes that's Christopher Hawes and Sarah Mardel, Slingshot creates wonderful new and yet old Commedia and Commedia dell'Arte. Theatre.
March 20th - 26th
Christopher spent another week with Antonio Fava in Geneva for a workshop in Tragedia dell'Arte, with a mind to build a Tragedia workshop as part of Slingshot's teaching repertoire.
In 16th Century Italy, each Commedia troupe would tour with 10 plays for 10 days of performance in each location. That repertoire of 10 consisted of 7 comedies, involving all the well known comic Commedia characters. The remaining 3 were dedicated to tragedy. However, these tragedies were not the static, psychological, internal struggles we have become used to in 21st Century England, they were just as physical, large and dynamic as the comedies: they had to be to entertain their audience. Today's polite British audience who passively sit in silent darkness is a very modern phenomenon in theatre history. Renaissance theatricals understood that although only some would understand their text, all would understand their actions.
'Tragedia dell'Arte' is term coined by Antonio Fava, to describe the mixed presence of both Commedia and tragedy in this exciting art form. One of the main features of tragedia is the 'special effects', continuing the Commedia style of making what is real spectacular, enlargening the truth to its theatrical limit.
International Commedia dell'Arte Master Antonio Fava gave a rare 2-day UK workshop in London this April, produced by Slingshot.
Antonio's teaching represents a lifetime`s work, which has seen him emerge as Commedia dell'Arte's leading practitioner. His performances & teaching are renowned worldwide, and his annual Commedia Stage & School of Comic Acting, held in Reggio Emilia, Italy, are now in their 25th year. His Commedia masks are considered by many to be the greatest in the world and his practical & historical research into the Commedia has produced several publications, most recently: The Comic Mask.
We plan to make the London 'stage' an annual event and we have already agreed to bring Antonio back in the Easter holidays 2011, for a longer 5-day workshop, allowing participants to leave feeling they have really absorbed the work rather than just tasting it. The week will culminate with a small performance, giving opportunity to see the work through from technique & study to performance. Details will follow in due course.
Actor, Director, Teacher, Mask-Maker, Writer, Composer and master of many languages, all the participants revelled in this truly rare chance to catch a slice of a great artist's expertise.
This two-day workshop in Commedia dell’Arte covered the four fixed types: Zanni (Servants), Innamorati (Lovers), Il Capitano (The Captain) & Il Magnifico (The Old Man).
Taught through instruction and improvisation, Antonio brings to life what has been buried in mystery and error, and brings rebirth to an art form which modern theatre has abandoned through lack of understanding.
