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One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni with songs by Grant Olding Background pack The National's production 2 Carlo Goldoni 3 Commedia dell'arte 4 One Man, Two Guvnors - a background 5 Lazzi - comic set pieces 7 Characters 9 Rehearsal overview 10 Richard Bean interview 13 Photo (James Corden) by Phil Fisk Grant Olding Interview 15 Further production detailsls: This background pack is Director Discover Workpack writer nationaltheatre.org.uk published by and copyright Nicholas Hytner National Theatre Adam Penford The Royal National Theatre South Bank Board London SE1 9PX Editor Reg. No. 1247285 T 020 7452 3388 Ben Clare Registered Charity No. F 020 7452 3380 224223 E discover@ Views expressed in this nationaltheatre.org.uk Rehearsal and production workpack are not necessarily photographs those of the National Theatre Johan Persson discover: National Theatre Background Pack 1 This production of One Man, Two Guvnors opened The National’s production in the National’s Lyttelton Theatre on 24 May 2011 Dolly SUZIE TOASE Lloyd Boateng TREVOR LAIRD Charlie “the Duck” Clench FRED RIDGEWAY Pauline Clench CLAIRE LAMS Harry Dangle MARTYN ELLIS Alan Dangle DANIEL RIGBY Francis Henshall JAMES CORDEN Rachel Crabbe JEMIMA ROOPER Stanley Stubbers OLIVER CHRIS Gareth DAVID BENSON Alfie TOM EDDEN Ensemble POLLY CONWAY JOLYON DIXON DEREK ELROY PAUL LANCASTER FERGUS MARCH GARETH MASON CLARE THOMSON Director NICHOLAS HYTNER Associate Director CAL McCRYSTAL Designer MARK THOMPSON Lighting Designer MARK HENDERSON Music GRANT OLDING Sound Designer PAUL ARDITTI Fight Director KATE WATERS Choreographer & Staff Director ADAM PENFORD Company Voice Work KATE GODFREY discover: National Theatre Background Pack 2 Carlo Goldoni Carlo Goldoni was born in 1707 into a a series of plays, experimenting with form middle-class family in Venice. As a child, and honing his skills. It was whilst he was he was fascinated by theatre, playing with installed with this company that Goldoni puppets and writing his first play at the age achieved his now infamous challenge of of twelve. His father attempted to distract writing sixteen comedies in two seasons; him from a dishonourable career in the a play a week. Goldoni’s relationship with theatre by sending him away to study at Medebac deteriorated over rows about various schools, but each time Goldoni royalties, and in 1753 he defected to the either ran away or got expelled. During one Vendramin family at the rival Teatro San of these incidents, he joined a company Luca, where he stayed until 1762. of touring actors and travelled back to Venice, the adventures he experienced on These years were dogged by a rivalry with this journey solidified his love of theatrical fellow playwright, Carlo Gozzi [1720-1806], life. Eventually, in 1731, he graduated which played out publicly in the press from law school and started practising and divided Venetian theatre audiences. in Padua. The lure of the theatre was too Gozzi felt Goldoni was destroying the strong however, and the following year he traditions of Commedia dell’arte and was back in Venice, writing. Goldini’s path making the form banal; Goldoni, in turn, to stardom was not smooth; his first play, believed Gozzi’s work to be too fantastical a tragedy called Amalasunta [1733], was and therefore artificial. By 1762, Goldoni a flop. He threw the manuscript in the fire, was tired of the dispute and accepted and wrote a tragicomedy, Belisario [1734], an invitation to direct Italian plays at the the success of which launched his career. French court of Louis XV [1710-1774]. After his contract ended, he stayed Over the next ten years, Goldoni took at court to teach Italian to the royal up a succession of resident dramatist family, and was subsequently granted a roles at various large theatres and opera pension for life. Unfortunately, the French houses, writing opera librettos and tragic Revolution [1789-1799], interrupted these works, before discovering comedy was payments and Goldoni lived out the rest of his ideal form. His first major comedy, his life in poverty. He died in 1793, having L’uomo di mondo (The Man of the World), never returned to Venice. premiered in 1738 and he followed it with a succession of hits, including, in 1746, Il Goldoni lived a colourful life, he was often Servitore di Due Padroni (The Servant of involved in disputes over money and Two Masters). The play was written for a women, and many of his experiences famous harlequin called Antonio Sacchi, ended up in his plays. His memoirs, (whose stage name, Truffaldino, is the published in 1787, are full of amusing servant’s name in the play) and based anecdotes, although many have on an existing old plot. In 1748, Goldoni questioned the accuracy of some of these joined Girolamo Medebac’s company, adventures, suspecting he preferred a who were resident at the Sant’Angelo good story over the truth. He wrote 200 theatre in Venice. Medebac was a famous plays, including 150 comedies, redefining theatrical manager who had assembled a Italian theatre. cast of eminent actors, and Goldoni wrote discover: National Theatre Background Pack 3 Commedia dell'arte Commedia dell’arte is shortened from performers in Covent Garden). From ‘commedia dell’arte all’improviso’, jongleurs, commedia inherited lazzi, meaning ‘comedy through the art/craft comic verbal or physical set pieces, of improvisation’, but also translates which they studied and honed, as ‘comedy of the guild’; Europe’s incorporating them into the action first professional theatre. Previously, when applicable. theatre had been provided by amateur academics, writing and performing Goldoni’s earliest writings for the their own plays (known as ‘commedia theatre consisted of sections of erudite’; ‘learned comedy’). Commedia dialogue for the players to improvise originated in Italy in the mid-16th century with, but he soon recognised that with companies consisting of ten or so in order to become a playwright like touring players, often playing improvised the European writers he admired outdoor venues. The more prestigious such as Moliere [1622-1673], then he companies had patrons amongst the needed total control over the whole nobility and the rest relied on carnival play. He began writing full scripts and organisers hiring their services, or banned masks which he felt were an audiences tipping them. The actors unnecessary barrier between performer specialised in playing particular stock and audience, his changes met characters and wore masks depicting with resistance from the actors who these personalities. Unlike British theatre, resented handing control of their art where Shakespeare’s heroines were over to a new party. Commedia as a being played by young male actors, form was 200 years old however, and commedia used actresses; attempts becoming stale; Goldoni determined to by the church to ban actresses for their explore real Italian life onstage, and the corruptive influences never succeeded. audiences responded. His plays often had a satirical edge, commenting on There were no written scripts in contemporary issues and relationships, commedia; companies improvised and he fairly portrayed people from their shows along predetermined plot different classes, condemning the scenarios, knowing the rough structure immoral whether they were poor or of the narrative. Each actor knew rich. where their character’s story began and concluded, and therefore the various plot-points they needed to hit in order to complete their character’s journey. They memorised speeches, songs, poems and sections of dialogue so they could recall them on stage as necessary. Commedia also had roots in the art of touring jongleurs, wandering entertainers, who performed a mix of acrobatics, songs and audience interaction (not dissimilar from the likes of contemporary street discover: National Theatre Background Pack 4 One Man, Two Guvnors - a background One Man, Two Guvnors is an Improvisation adaptation of The Servant of Two Commedia has its origins in Masters. Richard Bean, the playwright, improvisation and this has been retained has altered the names of characters, in One Man Two Guvnors when the relocated the geographical setting, central character, Francis, interacts and changed various plotting points, with the audience. By getting audience but the play is still recognisably based members on to stage to help him move upon Goldoni’s original. Richard and the trunk, or asking them for suggestions the director, Nick Hytner, set out to on where he should take Dolly on their find a contemporary equivalent for first date, the production is combining Goldoni’s play. This involved two traditional commedia with twentieth objectives: firstly, to locate an updated century comedy. In the tradition of equivalent of 1740s Florence, which stand-up comedians, James Corden, the became 1960s Brighton [see Richard’s actor playing Francis, has several stock interview on page 13]; and secondly, responses written by Richard Bean and to find a British style of theatre himself which cover most eventualities, comparable to commedia through but often James improvises in the which to tell the story. The production moment and this allows the play to feel incorporates elements of variety, music fresh like commedia would have done. hall, pantomime, stand-up comedy, and end-of-the-pier shows; all of which, in Music, Song and Dance varying degrees, owe something to the Traditional commedia would include genre of commedia. song and dance. The innamorati (lovers) would frequently sing duets, 1963, Brighton they memorised popular contemporary Not only did relocating the play to 1963 songs, and some characters would play in Brighton allow the show’s creators instruments, such as the guitar. Many to explore the popular entertainment performers had honed the popular which would have been on offer in a form of madrigali, a specific genre of British seaside town, it also fulfilled a song with close chromatics and difficult dramatic function.

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