November was a fruitful month for the actor and director from Messina Giampiero Ciccio: on the 15th the repeat of the episode “The Catalanotti method” of the Inspector Montalbano series of which he was one of the interpreters was broadcast on Rai 1 and it will debut tomorrow “The Animal Kingdom” Of Ruby Thomas on stage at Belli Theater in Rome which he directed for review of contemporary Anglo-Saxon dramaturgy “Trend”.
In the cast of “The Animal Kingdom” There are Saverio Barbiero, Lisa Lippi Pagliai, Tommaso D’Alia, Carlotta Solidea Aronica and Ivan Maria Artuso. The lighting design is made by Roberto Di Maio and the assistant director is Emanuele Baroni.
While, as artistic director of Festival inDivenire (the project of Alessandro Longobardi for the Spazio Diamante Theater in Rome), chairs the jury of the prize of the same name included in a special project of the Ministry for the redevelopment of urban suburbs.
In his career as an actor, Cicciò has had long artistic partnerships with theater directors such as Giancarlo Cobelli and Federico Tiezzi. He recently took part in “Ragazzi di vita” directed by Massimo Popolizio produced by the Teatro di Roma and, as director, in the musical “Salvatore Giuliano” by Dino Scuderi, “Costano cari gli dei”, a text inspired by “De Profundis” by Oscar Wilde and “Much Ado About Nothing” by Shakespeare produced by the Teatro di Messina. We interviewed him.
Yesterday the episode of the legendary series of “Inspector Montalbano” was broadcast which sees her among the protagonists. What memories do you have of that experience?
«It was a very important experience for me. The episode premiered on March 8, 2021 and was watched by over 9 million viewers. I remember with pleasure those days on the set in which all of us in the cast were aware that we were acting in a historic episode since, apparently, it is the last of one of the most followed series in the history of Italian TV. But it’s not just a matter of audience. Anyone who worked on Montalbano knows that the quality of Camilleri’s writing is a gift for us who have interpreted her characters.”
“The Animal Kingdom” which she directed and translated will be staged on Saturday.
«Yes, the Trend exhibition, now in its 13th edition, opens a window on British theater writing every year. On stage are glimpses of our contemporaneity. Rodolfo Di Giammarco, artistic director of the event, offered me the direction of an admirable text by R. Thomas, a young London author. I formed a cast with five very talented young actors including Tommaso D’Alia from Messina. It is the story of a family today, told with sarcasm and delicacy at the same time, through a microcosm made up of relationships marred by the unsaid or the badly said.”
At the same time he continues his work as artistic director of the Festival inDivenire.
«It is a Festival that has become central in my professional life. It takes place in that jewel of a theater that is the Spazio Diamante in Rome. In January there was the fourth edition which recorded many sold outs. 16 theater companies participated in this latest edition. The prize consists in having the most deserving company create the show. At the Festival I had very prestigious guests such as Gabriele Lavia, Anna Bonaiuto, Fabrizio Gifuni, Lino Guanciale and Filippo Timi.”
What will be your next commitment?
«In the 2023-24 season I will be among the protagonists of “The Hotel of the Poor” by Maksim Gorky directed by Massimo Popolizio, with a theatrical adaptation by Emanuele Trevi. A co-production between Piccolo Teatro di Milano and Teatro di Roma. I will start rehearsals on December 27th.”