FIRST INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

38 programmers from 13 different countries and 80 artists from 10 countries have been involved in the first Mysteries & Drolls International showcase from 12th to 14th July in Certaldo (IT): it was a great success! The showcase gave to the programmers the opportunity to meet artists directly in a cooperation context: artist from all over Europe had the opportunity to show their performance in the M&D Festival and explain their work in the field of popular theatre during 3-days of specific afternoon meetings at the Boccaccio House Museum. On the other side, partecipating programmers are committed to book some show for next edition of their festival. In short, professional showcase brought together artists and programmers to make connections between each others e to develope a new performing arts network in order to rediscover the roots of theatre trough the urban performences and the buffoons. In the three days just passed, shows in a medieval framework, comedy and music, itinerant animations, tableaux vivants, dramaturgy by sacred derivation took place in the squares of the beautiful Tuscan village, giving new life to one of the most important Italian Street Festival (Mercantia). The three M&D productions (“Everyman” by Tempus Fugit DE, “El Gran Teatro del Mundo” by Maracaibo ES and “Stanislaw & Boleslaw” by Teatr-A PL) debuted in their “studio version”, gathering the interest of the operators and participating creatives, constituting an enormous stimulus for the contemporary production.
On Saturday 13th July, an international symposium dedicated to the relationship between rite and theatre was held at the Boccaccio Museum. Experts from all the countries represented in the project partnership (Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and England) presented their research, and new scientific bases for the re-launch of a theatre that goes back to combining cultured and popular production, have been laid.
Next appointment with the second M&D showcase, May 2020 in Belfast!