Running from 12 March until 30 March 2024 Zava Productions, in association with Lorenzo Mannelli, presented the play Hide and Seek at the Park Theatre. Originally written in Italian by Tobia Rossi it was then translated and directed for english speaking audiences by Carlotta Brentan. Hide and Seek had it’s english-language premiere in 2022 at The Tank NYC in the United States. Afterwards it had its UK premiere at the VAULT Festival with the patronage of the Consulate General of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in London, then moving to the Park Theatre last month.
Starring Loris Scarpa as Gio and Nico Cetrulo as Mirko, the play explored the damaging consequences of bullying and homophobia through Gio’s disappearance into a cave in the woods. Mirko accidentally stumbles upon Gio’s hiding place and the two’s relationship develops as they contemplate the origins and consequences of Gio’s decision.
Although dealing with a dark subject matter the play balances it out with moments of lightness. The characters truly feel like teenagers, as they’re supposed to be. They start out selfish, childish, and at times unlikable. They don’t make the right decisions oftentimes but by the end you are rooting for them to take what they’ve learned and leave the cave better people than they came in. Alas, a tragic ending awaits the audience and we are left to contemplate how they could have avoided the entire ordeal or if there was truly no other option.
The play’s dialogue is translated from Italian, yet except for the sporadic mention of Italian town names, and the Italian magazines and snacks littered around the stage, the play’s events could have occurred anywhere in the world. Most importantly Scarpa and Cetrulo, the only two cast members, engaged the audience for the entire time they were on stage, a task easier said than done. They perfectly captured the growing pains of both characters, playing off of each other and making a the theatre feel like Gio’s cave.
Zava Productions is a UK theatre production company founded in 2022 by Sabrina Zavaglio. To learn more and find out about upcoming plays and musicals please visit zavaproductions.com .
