"The Commedia dell'Arte" by Giacomo Oreglia

A classic book about the influential renaissance drama form, although sometimes strange in form: there are a lot of lists of characteristics and some verbatim quotes from dramas. Nevertheless, as an introduction to a hugely important part of the history of drama, this book is a valuable introduction.

I knew, vaguely, that Cd'A was linked to pantomime and to Punch & Judy but there are echoes of Cd'A in both Shakespeare (one given scenario seems to echo aspects of the Tempest, Falstaff echoes the Captain, Polonius and Gratiano echo the Doctor, sometimes called Doctor Graziano, Shylock is a type of Pantalone) and Moliere: “Moliere himself modelled his acting on the great Scaramouche and felt the lash of the French critics precisely because his stage technique was foreign. Moliere’s early plays were adaptations of Commedia plays.” (from the Introduction by Evert Sprinchorn) The plot of Don Juan also seems to have been developed by Cd'A.

The most interesting part of the book, for me, was the descriptions of the character traits. The biggest disappointment was the sketchy treatment of Scaramouche and the near invisibility of Columbine; both these characters seem to have been late inventions but I was expecting more about them.  Nor did I learn why Bergamo seemed to be of such crucial importance: so many of the early characters appear to have originated there.

Despite its imperfections, it was an important and easy-to-read introduction to Harlequin and his colleagues.

Selected quotes:

• “What the film, the comic strip, the TV situation comedy, and burlesque (in the American sense) have been to the twentieth century, the Commedia dell’Arte was to the Renaissance - entertainment for both high-brow and low-brow, comprising tried and tested situations endlessly varied, always undemanding intellectually, often raunchy and vulgar, and, at its best, vigorous and spirited as only popular art can be.” (from the Introduction by Evert Sprinchorn)
• “Each troupe consisted of a constellation of characters who remained the same regardless of the plot they found themselves embroiled in. Think of the Marx Brothers.” (from the Introduction by Evert Sprinchorn)
• “The plots given in the scenarios may be comic, tragi-comic and occasionally comic-pastoral. They are developed by the use of the most varied devices: disguises, identifications, misunderstandings, kidnappings, shipwrecks, spells and magic. The central theme is always the love of young people, the jealousies and rivalries of the old ones and the intrigues of the zanni”  (Ch 3)
• “When you tell lies, tell big ones. Lies, steaks and meat balls must be big or not at all.” (Ch 5)
• “In the shops of the great even smoke is sold by weight” (Ch 5)
• “On a heavily made up old woman. Madam, your house does not need painting, it needs pointing.” (Ch 5)
• “On one who says there is no dishonour in his family. It must be that his house is not a very old one.” (Ch 5)
• “To one who tells you to go to the devil. Sir, I do not go to places where there are no return tickets.” (Ch 5)
• “This night is as long, as cold and as obscure as a composition by a bad poet.” (Ch 5)

May 2022; 147 pages

This review was written by the author of Motherdarling  and The Kids of God