Theatre

A cast change at every performance in the globe- trotting tragi-comedy

_, 1.

Mel inq moments

How can you have a one-man show for two people? We flew to Montreal to find out more about ICARO. \.'.<>':i:;' Mark Fisher

hen it comex to chat-up tcchniqucx. text

can xurpaxx Daniele l-‘in/i l’axca. 'l'he

S\\ixx actor and director hax been performing hix onerman xho\\. lam). around the \\or|d for more than a decade. llc'x done it in It) countriex and xi\ languagex. and \\ax a\\arded the l’remio l-lorencio l‘or hext foreign performance in l’rugua} in I‘M-l. .v\ctuall_\. it'x xomething more than a one—man xhou hecauxe each night the charming man of Italian dexcent chooxcx a member

of the audience to .join him on xtagc for a fantax} of

freedom. flight and excapc.

llc makex a point ol~ xelecting non-

and ttl\\;l}x \oluntcerx. ne\ er

but one night in .\1e\ico in l‘)‘)»l. lie iti;ttl\el‘tetltl_\ elitixe title oi the countryx leading actrcxxex. He didn't lind out \\ho xhe \\;lx until after the xho\\. \xhcreupon he xet ahout xeeing her perform. the No of them are no“ married and xhe lleredia ix part of hix compan}. 'l'heatre Sunil.

'l'hc cll‘cct of [turn ix not al\\a_\x xo life—changing although there ix a theatre conipati} in lira/il \xhoxe memberx \\ ere all choxen h} l’axca on xuccexxi\e nightx. ltx name ix .\'au dc lcarox. meaning ‘hoat ol Icarux'.

I meet l’axca in Montreal. “here he ix directing the latext xhou h} ('irtitie liloi/e. llix lirxt one “ith the cotnpan}. .Vwmu/t'. ix no“ pla}ing at l.oiidon\ liarhican. 'l‘he circux connection ix not a coincidence l’axcal dcxcrihex himxcll ax a clown. though perhapx a more .xuhtle incarnation than the Bill} Smart fall guy familiar to Britixh audiencex. 'Shakexpeare ix a reference for me.' he .xa_\'.x. imprexsiyely fluent in hix t'irxt linglixh-language interyiew "I‘here i.x a type of actor in Shakexpeare who ix a .xpecialixt in clowning. In Switzerland

actorx

\ ictimx

l)olorcx

62 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE ;'

‘TO MAKE GNOCCHI THE SAME YOU HAVE TO CHANGE IT EVERY

Sumil \xax founded 20 )earx ago and \\e \\ ere nc\er imitcd to cloun l‘exti\alx hecauxe \\c are not clounx. \\e are actorx. lr. learn in the l‘irxt ten minutex tou undcrxtand that i am a c|o\\ n hccauxc I knoxx that lil'c’x difficult. the xtor_\ gocx \er} quickl) into tragedy

Although he xetx it in a hoxpital. l’axcal \\l'ole lt'tll'tl during a xhort xpell in prixon ax a conxcicntioux ohiector rel'uxing to do national xer\icc. 'l'he c\perience docx not appear to ha\c damaged him. but it did engage him with an idea about freedom. [mm ix about a long term tl\}ltllll patient \\ho ioinx lllx neu room—mate tpla_\ed h} the member of the audience) in a pathetic attempt Ill llec ll‘tilil lllllexx and pain. "the idea ix to he in a hoxpital \\ ith a peron that he doexn‘t know. he xa}x. “there are t\\o hedx: one ix the actor and one ix _\ou. | pla_\ it litll' tilll} title xpcctator. 'l‘hc l'il'xl time )ou xec It'uru )iiti think it ix improx ixed. hut it ix the xame.’

llou can that he‘.’ ‘.\l} grandma \\ ax a \er} good cook.' he xa}x h} \\;i_\ of an analog}. ‘She made gnocchi and it uax aluznx the xanie. She xaid to make it the xame )ou had to change it e\er} time. So an actor hax to do e\'er_\'thing the xame. hut alxo to change xometliing.'

lx hix theatre Political'.’ '.\'o. I‘m interexted in the xccrct part of our xoul. \Vhen )otl leaxc our theatre )titi haxe onl} t\\o choiccx: )titi can go to the right and the [out] xquare or to the lelt and the lake. I want them to go to the left. When _\ou xee .xomething that llltl\'e\ _\ou inxide. _\ou go alone to the lake to he reflectix'e.‘

Assembly Rooms, 226 2428, 2-24 Aug (not 4, 11, 18), 3.15pm, 5:10-5:12 (£9-£10).

31 NOTTS CARLTON

51* can! Mark Whiter is no stranger to crime. He was a professional thief for many years before turning his craft into art. So while you're out watching comedy and theatre, listening to music and dancing the night away, here are some top tips from the man himself on how to keep your humble garret safe and sound. Plus, his favourite stories from the world of felons.

0 Try and think like a thief. If you lost your keys how would you get into your home? If you find it easy then make it harder.

O I used to make a fortune out of people’s sheds and garages. Most people forget the cost of power tools, bikes and the like. Don’t think that they won’t steal them, because they will. A little padlock never stopped anyone for long. Buy a good look, fit external lights and make it difficult to get round the back.

0 Don‘t leave your ladders unlocked Outside in the garden as you might as well leave a note that reads: ‘Rob me please.‘ Lock them up to something sturdy. Make it difficult for them.

0 I know a lad who used to make a fortune mugging drunks. He waited outside pubs and picked people off with relative ease. Enjoy yourself by all means but try not to walk home alone. Get a taxi, it’s cheaper than losing your wallet.

I If all else fails, buy a massrve rottweiler and feed it nothing but red meat. It's a known fact that all burglars are allergic to dogs.

TOP FIVE THICKEST THIEVES O A pensioner found a burglar with his testicles impaled on a broken window in her bathroom

0 Four Belgian burglars forced their victim to make them some chips after he woke up while they were raiding his house.

0 A Minnesota bank robber who locked the keys in his getaway car asked around for a coat hanger to open it.

0 A one-legged robber who left his artificial limb behind at the scene of a crime.

0 Three would-be rustlers were arrested by Italian police after officers spotted a pony's head poking out of their car window.