Laura Marinoni stages a project that she has based on the work by Testori, in collaboration with the musician Alessandro Nidi.
“I left the theatre, on that crazy day at the end of February that marked the beginning of the pandemic nightmare, in the role of the Nun of Monza from Testori’s The Betrothed, and Testori is now bringing back Gilda...” explains Laura Marinoni in presenting the play that she has based on La Gilda del Mac Mahon by Giovanni Testori. In his story, the Milanese writer tells the story of a 1950s voluptuous woman who lives in the area of the Ghisolfa flyover. Bearing some resemblance to the “atomic” Rita Hayworth, his heroine bears the name of the American diva’s most famous character, Gilda In order to earn a living for herself and Gino, a crook and her lover, allowing him to live “like a gentleman”, Gilda is a prostitute. “I feel like I know Gilda - Marinoni continues -. As well as the astonishing language that the author has her speak, like a river in full flow. That unbridled vitality that expresses the difficulty of survival and the irrepressible passion for sex, but above all for love. Testori has always moved me. And he entertains me, makes me feel at home, returned to the years in which I was to be born and grow up in. He helps me to lend form to our world of today, restoring a sense of authenticity. Testori never judges, but he reserves a loving gaze for his exuberant suburban characters, players from photo-stories wearing their hearts on their sleeves”.
“The first music we hear wafting from Gilda’s balcony - continues Nidi - is a song by Jannacci. It is one of my favourites, and it doesn’t even have much to do with the story. But it is impregnated with that aspect of Milan, it speaks exactly of those people, those squares, those streets. However, I have tried to go even further, moving towards great poet-musicians such as Ferré or Monteverdi. What is surprising is that they are transformed by Testori. Combined with Gilda, their music changes perspective, it moulds to her world, speaking of new sensations”.
La Gilda
a project by Laura Marinoni and Alessandro Nidi
based on "La Gilda del Mac Mahon" by Giovanni Testori
adapted and directed by Laura Marinoni
musical direction Alessandro Nidi
choreographic movements Cristina Bucci
costumes Gianluca Sbicca
with Laura Marinoni
and with Alessandro Nidi on the piano
an International Music and Arts production
with thanks to The Piccolo Teatro di Milano