Jonathan Kaufman 17 June 2019
Having great fun writing the script for Pinocchio this morning. This is a collaboration with Italian dancer and performer Valeria Iacampo, who will playing the eponymous wooden boy in September.
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Valeria has already written some scenes based on the original Italian book by Carlo Collodi and I’m redrafting, adding some song lyrics as I go. My inspiration has been to take some classic Italian operatic arias – O Sole Mio, Brindisi from La Traviata, La donne e mobile etc – and use their tunes as the basis for the songs.
Valeria Iacampo
So expect to hear Pinocchio singing a song later in the year based on ‘O Sole Mio’ (‘Just one cornetto…’ if you’re of a certain vintage!) which has become Pinocchio’s plaintive cry ‘I want to be…a real boy!’ Other songs will include The Blue Fairy singing a memorably emotional song based on ‘Nessun Dorma’ and a comic number for the Fox and the Cat based on The Drinking Song from La Traviata.
Writing a good script is an essential part of creating a new show, while taking a well-known story and making it fresh and original is the real challenge. Hopefully Valeria and I will create something brand new here – a Pinocchio for the 21st Century! Who needs Walt Disney when you’ve got Spontaneous Productions on your doorstep?
