The first 'Musical of the Italians in London' comes to the stage of London's Britten Theatre

The first 'Musical of the Italians in London' comes to the stage of London's Britten Theatre

May 20, 2022Carmine Borriello

The story is about an expat family that has to make a difficult decision, amid misunderstandings between parents and children, questioning the concept of home, belonging and identity 

A project that started more than a year ago - realised for, with and by the Italian-British community in London - thanks also to several free workshops involving more than 45 bilingual children and teenagers and virtual meetings attended by parents and grandparents, Il Musical degli italiani a Londra aims to give voice to the families and different generations of Italians in London.

In the words of the Musical's producer, Eleonora Giovannardi: 'To tell the story of Italians in London we have chosen the path of the community project: our Musical is a collective product, which brings together ideas, experiences and emotions of all those who have participated in the project in various ways. From the very first meetings, the plot began to take shape around a series of well-defined themes: the concept of home, of belonging, of identity; fears, doubts, obstacles; family, community." 

A story made of irony and lightness, emphasising the concept of cultural diversity. Not by chance, in fact, the musical will be bilingual (Italian and English).

A show suitable therefore for the family that wants to spend pleasant hours of pure light-heartedness and reflection at the same time.

The cast

In addition to two professional actors, the cast will also be composed of 50 ordinary people who took part in the community perfomance call last November: 30 children and young people aged 9 to 21 and 20 adults, who have been rehearsing since January, coordinated by Anna Landi, Luke Saydon and Annarita Mazzilli, respectively director, composer and choreographer of the Musical.

"When we started thinking about the idea of a Musical about us Italians in London, we immediately imagined a bilingual show. Yet seeing it come to life during the rehearsals, hearing children, teenagers and adults switch from one language to another between words and music is a great emotion. It is our reality: two languages, two cultures, an identity in the making and the concept of home to be built and enriched one day after another,' Anna Landi explained.

Support for the project from Italian organisations and companies in the UK

As one can imagine, this project immediately attracted interest and support from Italian companies operating in the UK. 

"We are extremely proud to be able to count on the support of the main organisations and institutions involved in the promotion of the Italian language and culture in the UK. - adds Eleonora Giovannardi - The Consulate General of Italy in London, the Italian Cultural Institute in London, The Italian Bookshop, COMITES Londra, Il Circolo, UK Confederation, Complitaly and SIAL.school have immediately believed in the project. We look forward to being at the theatre on 16 July together with all the Italians in London who want to attend the show'.

He concludes: 'Without the contribution of our sponsors The Way Home - La Strada di Casa would simply have remained a dream. We are immensely grateful to the companies that contributed to the production costs of the Musical, as well as to all the people who participated in the crowdfunding campaign that has just ended'.

The Italians in London Musical therefore also represents an important opportunity for Italian companies that are active in the UK and have decided to sponsor the project.

A non-profit project, the Musical's sponsors include: Focchi S.r.l., D.A.P. UK, Italian Gourmet, Filippo Berio UK, Sacla UK, VL Facade, Cocola Italian Hairdresser London, Notaio Italiano in England and Wales - Italian Notary in England and Wales, Measured Engineering, Humanistic Therapy Practise - HOMA London, Jayhern Eng, LSI Stone, Patronato ITAL UIL. 

 

Tickets for the show are on sale at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-way-home-la-strada-di-casa-tickets-329678987727

For more information: https://musicalitalianilondra.wordpress.com

Contact details:
Eleonora Giovannardi - Cell: 07477591964
Email: musicalitalianilondra@gmail.com

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