This original production of The Nativity Scene (Natale in Casa Cupiello), curated by Produzione Teatri Associati from Naples with Interno 5, was conceived as a tribute to the work of Eduardo De Filippo on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of its debut, in 2021. The Nativity scene is the horizon within which the entire work unfolds, both in a real and metaphorical sense. For Luca Cupiello, the Nativity scene represents hope in a renewed humanity without conflict, but it also symbolises birth and death, the passage from old to new, the merging of past and present. Tommasino, now an adult, witnesses a ritual and a recalling of familiar events, both comic and tragic, that have marked his life and that of the other characters. To do so, he uses puppets and figures that come alive in his dreams and nightmares, reappearing each year like the Nativity crib and its shepherds. Once again, he allows himself to be amazed by the stories these figures tell, he takes part in them, gives them the lines, and cherishes Luca Cupiello's dream of smoothing out conflicts through the ritual of the Nativity scene.
Every single line of Natale in casa Cupiello is part of the shared heritage of entire generations, of a ritual that is repeated every year: almost Proust-like, it evokes the beauty and sweetness of a Christmas spirit now lost. Eduardo De Filippo's work has often been the subject of daring reinterpretations, a clear sign that we are dealing with a text destined to live beyond the boundaries of tradition and to offer ever new fascinations. Moreover, it was Eduardo himself who wanted it to be permeable to change, starting with the structure. Therefore, after the 1931 one-act play, he subsequently added the other two, the first and the third. Natale in casa Cupiello adapts to the times, while remaining faithful to itself and its tragicomic humour, recounting the dissolution of family unity around the Christmas dinner table.
Also in this new version, the spectator has the impression of witnessing something incredibly innovative, as well as irresistibly magical. In this case, embodying the great Eduardian magic are fabric and wood puppets, masterpieces of craftsmanship created by Tiziano Fario to which Saccoia, on stage with them, gives voice and life, like a good-hearted Mangiafuoco. Saccoia interprets a multiplicity of voices with an acting style that is fast-paced and never over the top, from the head and the heart, capable of switching from the comic, to the grotesque, to the dramatic.
(Simone Sormani. scenecontemporanee.it)
