My approach to writing is based on the on-stage experience. I started composing plays because we as a company needed to pronounce words that represented us and our peripheral point of view on the world. The rehearsal studio is the place where our works take form. The written text is never completed before entering the rehearsal studio (I usually show up with a draft), but it grows and evolves day after day thanks to a privileged relationship with the company director. I am fascinated by languages, both real and made-up, dialects and by how their unconventional use on stage can create atmospheres, places and worlds.
Riccardo Spagnulo (18/07/1984) is a playwright and an actor. He studied at the CUT (University Theatre Centre) of Bari University and later with Carlo Formigoni, ricci/forte, E. Nekrousius. In 2005 he founded in Bari together with Licia Labera the company Fibre Parallele and staged as both author and actor Mangiami l’anima e poi sputala (2007), 2. (due) (2008) – Lugano FIT L’altrofestival Award – Furie de Sanghe – Emoraggia Cerebrale (2009 -Nuove Sensibilità – ERI), performed in France, Belgium and Macedonia, Duramadre (2011), inspired to La Ginestra by G.Leopardi. In June 2013 Lo splendore dei supplizi will debut at the Festival delle Colline Torinesi – as part of the Short Latitudes Puglia project (British Council – Teatro Pubblico Pugliese).
Theatre works
2007 / Mangiami l’anima e poi sputala; first staged: 18 November 2007, Rialtosantambrogio, Rome.
2008 / 2. (due); first staged: 2 November 2008, Teatro Diego Fabri, Forlì.
2009 / Furie de Sanghe – Emoraggia Cerebrale; first staged: 21 May 2009, Teatro Valle, Rome.
2011 / Duramadre; first staged: 18 September 2011, Teatro Secci, Terni.
2013 / Lo splendore dei supplizi; first staged: 8 June 2013, at the Festival delle Colline Torinesi, Turin.
Furie de Sanghe – Emorragia Cerebrale (Blood fury – Cerebral haemmorhage)
A modest house in Bari, located in southern Italy (or on the outskirts of any other city of the world). A strange family composed of father, son, aunt and an eel live a monotonous life marked by daily nasty remarks. One day a girl arrives unexpectedly. She is Vito’s fiancée and her presence upsets the family members who will now subject her to their cruel and violent manners. Her arrival coincides with the disappearance of the eel, an event the father is obsessed by and that will lead him to a blind desire and ultimately to the rape of the girl. Eventually, it all goes back to normal daily life and the only hope lies, maybe, in the future.
Four characters: TATA’ – the father; LA ZI’ – the aunt; VITO – the son; FELICETTA – the girl.
Extracts from BLOODY FURY – CEREBRAL HAEMMORHAGE
VITO: Dad, I need money.
TATA’: I don’t have any.
VITO: I need my weekly pocket money.
LA ZI’: What do you have to do?
VITO: I need it.
TATA’: What do you have to do?
VITO: I have to go out and buy something.
LA ZI’: What do you have to buy?
VITO: Something.
TATA’: What is it?
LA ZI’: What do you have to buy with our money?
TATA’: Come on… Speak out, you can tell me and auntie. What do you have to buy?
VITO: I want to buy two scratchcards.
Both look at him. He looks down.
What? Can’t I buy them?
LA ZI’: It is a bad habit.
VITO: Me? A habit? It is not a habit. I never gamble. Only once in a while. Come on, auntie, tell dad, put in a good word for me, persuade him to give me at least ten euros.
LA ZI’: Leave me alone. It is a bad day. I’ve been feeling like a poison in my throat since six in the morning.
VITO: Dad, come on. Come on, dad. Ten euros is nothing. You can’t buy anything with ten euros. Give me ten euros, I buy the scratchcards, those that make you win a lot, you can’t even imagine how much you can win. Dad, if I become rich, I buy you a big nice telly and I buy auntie a grave plot near mom’s.
LA ZI’: Fuck you and the grave.
VITO: Hey, what do you think? Uh? Uh? What do you say? Uh?
TATA’: Vito, don’t be foolish. And don’t talk about your mother may she rest in peace. I won’t give you money for the scratchcards neither now nor never.
—
Vito gets up, goes behind the chair his father is sitting in and puts his hands on his father’s eyes.
VITO: Dad, let’s play a game. Who am I?
TATA’: Come on, Vito, will you stop it?
VITO: Tell me, who am I?
TATA’: Vito, stop it.
VITO: Come on, who am I?
TATA’: Yuck, what a stink! What have you done with those hands?
VITO: Who am I?
TATA’: Where did you put those filthy hands?
VITO: Who am I?
TATA’: Take off your hands.
VITO: Who am I?
LA ZI’: Vito, stop it.
VITO: Who am I?
TATA’: Jee, what a smell!
VITO: Who am I?
LA ZI’: Tell us, who are you?
TATA’: Come on, who are you?
VITO: Don’t you know? I am the one who screw you.
Vito stoles the remote control and starts running. The father goes after him.
TATA’: Give me the remote, damn you. Give it to me!
VITO: I won’t give it to you unless you give me ten euros.
TATA’: Come here, take ten euros. I have them in my pocket.
VITO: Take out the money.
The father grabs Vito and beats him up.
TATA: That’ll teach you! Don’t act like a stupid.
LA ZI’: Bastards, you have ruined the baby. Take your hands off your privates, you are always touching your cock!
Vito sits down. The bag moves.
LA ZI’: What’s in there?
VITO: Where?
LA ZI’: In the bag.
VITO: Nothing. Rubbish.
LA ZI’: Why did you bring it home? I told you not to bring junk home.
TATA’: There is something inside the bag.
VITO: There isn’t.
TATA’: Vito, there is something inside. It just moved.
VITO: It didn’t move. There isn’t anything inside.
LA ZI’: Didn’t you see it moving?
VITO: It was the wind.
TATA’: Vito, there is something in there. What animal did you bring home?
VITO: No animals. It was just the draft, I will close the window.
TATA’: Where are you going? Come here.
LA ZI’: Come here, donkey. Are you kidding us?
TATA’: Easy, Vito. Don’t fool around.
VITO: I am sure. It is rubbish.
LA ZI’: And why did you bring it home?
VITO: Because… I liked it.
TATA’: Vito, what kind of animal is in there?
LA ZI’: Vito, I told you I don’t want animals in the house.
VITO: It isn’t an animal!
LA ZI’: Then what is it?
VITO: … I can’t tell you.
LA ZI’: What the fuck! Now I open it and look inside.
VITO: No! Don’t open it. Leave it there.
TATA’: Vito, don’t fool around.
LA ZI’: Vito, open the bag. (Vito’s imperceptible reaction) (peremptory) Open it!
TATA’: Open it.
LA ZI’: Open it!
TATA’: Open it.
LA ZI’: Open it!
TATA’: Open it.
Vito opens the bags and Felicetta comes out of it. Physical inspection, Felicetta screams.
TATA’: What’s your name?
FELICETTA: Felicetta.
TATA’: Who’s your family?
LA ZI’: How old are you?
TATA’: Where do you live?
LA ZI’: Have you already had your period?
TATA’: Have you got money?
LA ZI’: Did you have whooping cough?
TATA’: Have you got a house?
LA ZI’: Measles?
TATA’: Do you keep the house clean?
LA ZI’: German measles?
TATA’: Can you cook?
LA ZI’: Scarlet fever?
TATA’: Do you like fish?
LA ZI’: Chicken pox?
TATA’: Do you know how to cook eel?
LA ZI’: Have you ever been to the hospital?
TATA’: Have you ever seen the eel? (laughs)
LA ZI’: Are you a virgin?
TATA’: Are you a virgin?
LA ZI: Where did you two meet?
TATA’: Have you two kissed already?
LA ZI’: Do you like the boy?
TATA’: Do you like him? Do you love him?
LA ZI’: Do you love him?
TATA’: Will you marry him?
LA ZI’: Will you marry him?
TATA’: You have to get married!
Felicetta nods.
TATA’: Let’s celebrate!
