Marco Lorenzi's Ruy Blas Adaptation at Teatro Fontana

Marco Lorenzi directs an adaptation of Victor Hugo's Ruy Blas for his company Il Mulino di Amleto, performed at Teatro Fontana in Milan. The production strips the 1838 romantic melodrama of its Alexandrine verse and melodramatic emphasis, replacing them with contemporary language and everyday objects. The play explores themes of identity, corruption, and social class through the story of a timid footman who rises to power as a Grandee of Spain before being betrayed. Lorenzi's staging places actors in a square arena, breaking the fourth wall by having them sit among the audience and address spectators directly. The cast includes Yuri D'Agostino, Francesco Gargiulo, Barbara Mazzi, Anna Montalenti, Alba Maria Porto, and Angelo Maria Tronca. The production debuted in 2017 at the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea del Castello di Rivoli, in a room featuring Maurizio Cattelan's taxidermied horse. The adaptation is noted for its focus on the actors' physicality and emotional presence, with minimal set design including a table, chairs, a cardboard crown, and a smartphone used by the villain Don Sallustio. The play's critique of political corruption is underscored by a scene where the protagonist denounces corrupt ministers. The production runs at Teatro Fontana in Milan.