On rehearsal
The new version of ‘Los Guardiola’ opens with Parade, a vibrant tribute to the magical, ephemeral world of street and circus artists. They arrive, put on their show and then disappear, taking all the magic with them.
What remains are the stars in the eyes of the spectators, privileged witnesses to these suspended moments. It's reminiscent of the end of the film ‘The Circus’, where Chaplin, alone, remains seated in the void left by the departure of the big top.
This overture pays tribute to the circus and fairground arts, but also to Chaplin, the undisputed master of silent art that speaks directly to the soul.
In this Parade, two characters come to life: a duo of black clowns who take to the stage as the sun sets. They offer the audience a performance reminiscent of Chaplin and Keaton's famous act in ‘Limelight’, when Chaplin, ready to play the violin, is prevented from doing so by his shrinking leg. But whereas in ‘Limelight’ the clowns are musicians, here they are two dancing clowns.
So what do you do if the dancer's leg gets shorter?
Well, we improvise, come up with solutions, and carry on!
The tribute to the circus also continues at the end of the show, during the finale, when another clown duo reappears. But this time they're white and lunar, and they remind us that life, like the circus, is no different from the texture of a dream.
Giorgia Marchiori
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