Harlequin goes to the Moon

I’ve started working on next summer’s play and the twelve characters have all now entered the world relatively unscathed. I’ve opted to go back to a traditional commedia dell’arte storyline set in Florence in the 15th C and one problem for me was avoiding what are known as the ‘stock characters’ who already exist. For me the naming of characters is the essence of their birth; it's what makes them unique, gives them a history and defines what they do. The story is what these particular individuals do.

So although I have a rough storyline I can't really develop it in any way until the characters have names, which they now have. Neither do I like taking characters off the shelf; they have to be unique to my story. Because commedia dell'arte uses archetypes (that is a character embodies the essence of a broad type of human being - like in a cartoon such as Bart Simpson, an archetypal American kid but at the same time a unique individual), I have to have the archetypes I need for my story - so coming up with appropriate names was really significant this time.

Because Harlequin is so well know I wanted to use that name, but he will be my Harlequin and embody the things I need from him.  Likewise with Colombina. She has always been my favourite Commedia character, so I feel she is mine anyway. One of the lovers is called Silvio, which has been used in the tradition, but he will nevertheless be my innamorato (or young male lover)! All the rest are uniquely named and already making their presences felt on the stage in my head! So look out for Il Magnifico Fondo, the miserable and mean old Florentine banker and the poverty stricken astronomer, Il Dottore Pazzo, the love struck Catalina, the moon gazing stable boy Peppe and the rampant Il Capitano Grandecazzo!  Watch out, also, for Pazzo’s moon ship that Harlequin steals in order to fly away with Peppe and set up his own government on the moon! And, of course, while I call them ‘my characters’ now, they will eventually declare their independence too and begin a life of their own.

We go into rehearsal on Monday 13th May and perform it for the first time on Dial Post village green in West Sussex on Thursday 13th June. The full itinerary will be on our website soon.