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| Teatro della Tosse | |
|---|---|
| Name | Teatro della Tosse |
| City | Genoa |
| Country | Italy |
| Opened | 1975 |
Teatro della Tosse
Teatro della Tosse is an independent theatre company and venue founded in Genoa, Italy, in 1975. The organization has been influential in Italian contemporary theatre through experimental productions, collaborations with European ensembles, and festivals that connected Genoa with cultural networks such as the Avignon Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Festival d'Automne à Paris. Over decades Teatro della Tosse engaged with playwrights, directors, and actors from institutions such as Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Teatro di Roma, and La Scala while participating in international exchanges involving troupes from France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.
Teatro della Tosse was established during the 1970s amid a wider Italian scene that included Dario Fo, Eugenio Barba, and companies like Compagnia dei Giovani and Compagnia delle Albe. Its founders sought to renew theatrical language in response to movements linked to 1968 protests and the legacy of Fascist Italy's cultural policies. Early seasons featured works by dramatists such as Bertolt Brecht, Samuel Beckett, Luigi Pirandello, and Antonin Artaud, and collaborations with directors influenced by Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook. In the 1980s and 1990s the company expanded activities to include festivals and co-productions with venues like Teatro Stabile di Genova and touring circuits that reached Milan, Turin, Bologna, Rome, and international stages including Berlin Schaubühne and Théâtre National de Strasbourg. The 21st century brought institutional partnerships with cultural bodies such as the Italian Ministry of Culture, regional administrations like Liguria, and European programs such as Creative Europe.
The physical spaces associated with Teatro della Tosse have occupied venues in Genoa that reflect the city's urban fabric and maritime history, situated near landmarks like the Port of Genoa, Via XX Settembre, and the Piazza De Ferrari area. Performance spaces ranged from small black-box stages to mid-size auditoria suited for contemporary staging and multimedia work, enabling technical approaches reminiscent of productions at venues like Royal Court Theatre and Young Vic. Backstage facilities supported scenography and costume workshops influenced by traditions from institutions such as Opéra National de Paris and Royal Opera House. The company's adaptability allowed site-specific projects in industrial and port locations, echoing site work by companies linked to Teatro Valle and experimental platforms in Naples and Venice. Accessibility and acoustic treatment evolved to meet standards found in theatres like Teatro alla Scala and Piccolo Teatro.
Repertoire at Teatro della Tosse mixed canonical texts and contemporary commissions, staging plays by William Shakespeare, Molière, Sophocles, and modern authors such as Heiner Müller, Sarah Kane, Tennessee Williams, and Tony Kushner. The company also premiered Italian works by playwrights linked to Natalino Balasso, Fabrizio Gifuni, and writers associated with movements around Gruppo 63 and postwar Italian drama. Collaborations brought directors and performers from France (including artists associated with Théâtre du Soleil), Germany (influences from Klaus Michael Grüber), and Poland (connections to Wojciech Pszoniak-style repertory). Productions often integrated dance and music elements, drawing on choreographers and composers from networks such as Maurice Béjart, Luciano Berio, and ensembles like I Solisti Veneti. Touring seasons took work to festivals including Biennale Teatro, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, and international showcases like Sibiu International Theatre Festival.
Artistic direction at Teatro della Tosse featured a succession of leaders, guest directors, and resident artists who shaped its aesthetic through dramaturgy, staging, and cultural policy engagement. Figures associated with its programming and collaborations include directors and dramatists from the Italian avant-garde and European experimental scenes, connected to personalities such as Ettore Scola, Franco Zeffirelli, Roberto Benigni, Giorgio Strehler, and international practitioners like Peter Stein and Declan Donnellan. Resident actors and designers who worked with the company later joined ensembles at institutions such as Teatro alla Scala, Piccolo Teatro di Milano, and Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Guest artists often came from conservatories and academies including the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico, Scuola Paolo Grassi, and European schools like École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq.
Teatro della Tosse developed outreach and educational programs targeting youth, students, and local communities in Genoa, partnering with organizations like Università degli Studi di Genova, municipal cultural departments, and regional entities including Regione Liguria. Initiatives included workshops, school projects, and training courses inspired by pedagogies from Jerzy Grotowski, Jacques Lecoq, and conservatory curricula such as those at Conservatorio di Musica Niccolò Paganini. The company participated in cultural regeneration projects linked to urban renewal efforts in port districts and public events coordinated with institutions like Museo del Risorgimento, Palazzi dei Rolli, and local libraries. Festivals and co-productions provided platforms for intercultural dialogue with groups from Argentina, Brazil, Morocco, and Turkey, fostering networks with European programs like Erasmus+ and bilateral cultural institutes such as the Institut Français and Goethe-Institut.
Category:Theatres in Genoa