« EL » explores the utopian dream of a conflict-free multi-ethnic and multicultural world based on the historical figure of Heliogabalus. In his new theatrical creation, with his Mediterranean Theatre Ensemble, Palermitan director Simone Mannino questions universal themes such as power, corruption, identity and the spiritual pursuit. Developed and premiered in Tunis last autumn, the play, performed for the first time in Italy as part of the Between Land and Sea festival in collaboration with Teatro Biondo, celebrates intercultural dialogue and peace through an international cast and a multilingual performance.
Born in an era similar to ours, characterised by transitions and decline, Heliogabalus represents a moment of possibility for great transformation and new visions. Struck by damnatio memoriae yet unforgettable, his three-year reign is erased from history. A brilliant, prophetic and perhaps megalomaniacal young man from Syria, he is placed on the throne of Rome by a quartet of exceptional women. His visionary madness consists in merging all cults into one, anticipating the affirmation of Christianity without abandoning Dionysus. This makes him a figure of profound charm and modernity, lived intensely like a rock star and capable of embodying the myth of imagination in power, while remaining linked to ancient archetypes.
With an international cast of artists and actors, from Palermo and Tunis, the show is a manifesto for intercultural dialogue, freedom and peace, exploring the connections between genders and different cultures. The performance, which takes place in Italian, Arabic and French, enriched by a visionary and multidisciplinary scenography and a live soundtrack, aims to offer the public an engaging and poetic theatrical experience, capable of strengthening cultural ties and contributing to greater understanding between the peoples of the world. The Mediterranean Ensemble believes in the power of artistic collaboration as a tool to overcome linguistic, social and political barriers, working together to create performances that reflect the richness and complexity of the Mediterranean.
Simone Mannino is a painter, scenographer and theatre director from Palermo. With his company Atelier Nostra Signora, he created scenographies and multidisciplinary shows for the most important theatres and festivals worldwide, spanning from Switzerland to Turkey, from Russia to Italy, France, and Tunisia. During the first Between Land and Sea festival, he created the Mediterranean Theater Ensemble project. With this transnational ensemble he explores new forms of theatrical expression, experimenting with innovative languages and technologies in order to carry forward artistic research within the contemporary Mediterranean context.
Photo credits: “Anche le pietre non sono immobili come sembrano.” (excerpt from the piece)
The performance is recommended for spectators over the age of 14 years.
Tickets 14,00 euros full -10,00 euros reduced
The purchase of tickets will be possible during the opening hours of the theater box office, from Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m.-7 p.m. and one hour before the start of the performance, closed Mondays.
SALA STREHLER Teatro Biondo, Via Roma, 258 (90133 Palermo PA)
الجبل EL: Performance in Italian, French and Arabic with surtitles (duration 110 minutes) / From THE INVINCIBLE SUN by Claudia Salvatori, with excerpts from HELIOGABALE ou l’anarchiste couronné by Antonin Artaud / Concept, scenography and direction: Simone Mannino / With: Maher Msaddek, Chiara Muscato, Aymen Mabrouk, Ruth Kemna, Haithem Moumni, Gisella Vitrano, Mariem Sayeh, Valeria Sara Lo Bue, Khouloud Jlidi / Text and adaptation: Claudia Salvatori, Simone Mannino / Original music: Gaetano Dragotta, Ruth Kemna / Sound Designer: Gaetano Dragotta / Costumes: Philippe Berson / Technical and lighting director: Yazid Bel Hedi / Assistant director: Amal Manai / Set design assistant: Andrea Mannino / Technical collaborators: Giuliana Di Gregorio, Pablo Crichton, Matteo Marini / Costume production: Azais Tunis, Sartoria Francesca Pipi / Organization: Habib Bel Hedi / Production: Theater Le RIO, Atelier Nostra Signora, Mediterranean Theater Ensemble.
With the support of: the Italian Cultural Institute of Tunis, Comune di Palermo, Regione Siciliana – Assessorato Regionale del Turismo, dello Sport e dello Spettacolo.