Silvia Pasello's Lear to Debut at Wrocław Theatre Olympics

Silvia Pasello, a two-time Ubu Prize winner and recipient of the Eleonora Duse Award, will perform the title role in Roberto Bacci's production of 'Lear' at the Theatre Olympics in Wrocław, Poland, in October 2016. The production features a female Lear, a choice that follows historical precedents like Sarah Bernhardt's Hamlet (1899) and Angela Wilker's for Peter Zadek (1999). Pasello's Lear embodies the central theme of 'encircling the void,' supported by a cast of seven actors, notably Savino Paparella with his telluric vocal quality. The stage design includes seven tyvek curtains painted in earthy tones, moved by the actors to create shifting spaces reminiscent of Gordon Craig's screens. The production also features percussive music by Ares Tavolazzi and 17th-century songs performed by masked figures. The festival will also include works by Romeo Castellucci, Heiner Goebbels, Krystian Lupa, Peter Brook, Robert Wilson, and Jan Fabre.