A Servant To Two Masters (Modern Plays)

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I didn't see the recent London production of the play, but heard such good word of mouth, that I sought out this script. This, combined with marriage arrangements, love affairs and even some cross dressing, serves to create a hilarious confusion from which it seems impossible for even the wily Arlechinno to escape! Merlin attempts to talk his way out, but is forced to immobilise them with magic when Gwaine moves to strike him.

What we wanted was the villains making a fight of it with lots of shooting, claret and flying bodies. This production remained staunchly faithful to the play’s roots in Italian commedia dell’arte in every respect, from costume (apart from the lack of masks) to acting style. The Servant of Two Masters“ adaptated and performed by Grupo de Teatro do Instituto Superior Técnico (GTIST) in Lisbon, Portugal, as "O Servidor de Dois Amos". The play begins in the Venetian house of Pantalone, where a party is underway to celebrate the engagement of Clarice, daughter of Pantalone, to Silvio, son of Doctor Lombardi. Eventually, through a series of comic mishaps and mix-ups, Beatrice and Florindo come to believe that the other is dead.This news comes as an amazing surprise to all, since Federigo is believed to have been killed in a duel with Florindo, his sister Beatrice’s lover.

A very entertaining episode that does something a bit different, and keeps the viewer guessing until the end. The first is from Watkins, one of those hard-working actors who have been around an age doing unsung work and really deserve to be stars. I like my theatre to acknowledge that it is that, and is in some way artificial and accepts a relationship with the audience using asides and the like. Added to the text is a very helpful article on the historic background on the play, with full notes on characterization and suggestions for comic business. Beatrice Rasponi – Master to Truffaldino, a lady of Turin and disguised as her brother Federigo Rasponi.The most famous set-piece of the play is the scene in which the starving Harlequin tries to serve a banquet to the entourages of both his masters without either group becoming aware of the other, while desperately trying to satisfy his own hunger at the same time. True commedia dell'arte is more or less improvised without a script, so The Servant of Two Masters is not true commedia. We hope you enjoy this Study Guide, but while you’re here you may want to explore the Festival a bit further.

Arlechinno was presented at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre and supported by Friends of Latin American Expression, Brazilian Cultural Arts and Babur Brasserie. Unlike Truffaldino, he is sometimes depicted as having risen through the ranks of servitude to become an innkeeper or tavern owner, as in The Servant of Two Masters. The truth, however, is the supposed Federigo is actually Beatrice in disguise, come from Turin to claim the dowry owed by Pantalone to her brother, if he were alive.Full marks to Dominic Kinnaird, who also plays a camp waiter, for choreographing such convincing fight scenes, and to John Candor who plays perky period Italian music on his clarinetto. A co-production by the RSC and the Young Vic Theatre Company, this adaptation was first performed in 1999. Beatrice disguises herself as Federigo (her dead brother) so that he can collect dowry money from Pantaloon (also spelled Pantalone), the father of Clarice, her brother's betrothed.