Our production of Till Eulenspiegel is based on the novel of Charles de Coster, which gives us quite a surprising view of the figure of Till.
Up until the publication of the novel in 1868, the collective European imagination in reference to the Flemish hero had been formed basically by his more farcical and joking side. Eulenspiegel was first of all a bothersome but good-natured rascal.
The novel of de Coster marks an important change in the history of this legendary character. The novelist takes him to another level by conferring upon him the character of a champion in the fight for freedom on the part of Flanders against Spain together with all the tragic implications that this carries with it. The comic aspects of Till do not disappear from the work, but they are subordinate to the struggle for liberation.
Our version, consequently, even if it starts off with comic scenes, quite often alludes to the various serious dramatic situations recounted in the novel of the Belgian author. Our desire to make our production relevant to current events stems from the consideration that Till would not make much sense if he remained simply the figure of a legendary hero and if his actions were connected only with the Flanders of the 16th century. This area was occupied by the Spaniards and subject to the religious differences that were then so violent.
The Paravento Theatre has, therefore, produced this very particular version that makes Till a hero of today and of yesterday. He is a hero who in addition to his theatrical skills and whose jokes one can still hear today becomes under our guidance "chief clown" of a popular revolt against a foreign power.
Some of the tragic events that are recounted could not be effectively staged with excessive stylization without risking a surplus of euphemisms. This does not mean that the Paravento Theatre has renounced following the poetic vein that has always distinguished its productions and the magic that the theatre must always have. Nor does this mean that the Paravento Theatre has forgotten that it is better simply to make suggestions than to attempt to impose this or that idea upon the spectator.
Our work is intended to be an invitation to think deeply and pleasantly about the current events that one speaks about in the play.
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Send us an email by clicking here: associazione@teatro-paravento.ch
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