Apologia
Maurzio Molino as Count Cagliostro - Picture by Flavio Reis
Step into the world of Count Cagliostro, a man shrouded in scandal and magick, in a thrilling journey that blends physical theatre with history and occult mysticism.
Count Alessandro Cagliostro
Alessandro Cagliostro was at once the most celebrated and the most reviled man of his age. Even his origins are steeped in mystery and controversy. Conflicting accounts of his life and activities abound, despite him being notorious throughout Europe. It’s impossible to tell the story of Cagliostro’s life as a straightforward historical drama.
What is true, what is conjecture and what is pure fantasy? This is for the audience to decide. Apologia is a sympathetic but unsparing exploration of the life and character of this remarkable man, who probably started life in the slums of Palermo and reached the heights of fame and an indelible part of history.
While Gillian McIver’s writing is based on historical accounts such as Cagliostro’s own letters and the memoir of his erstwhile friend Giacomo Casanova, Apologia is also a work of physicality, expression and movement, using physical theatre to explore the world of mysticism and magick that Cagliostro embodied.
Gilliam Mclver - Producer and Writer
Cast Maurzio Molino, Jagoda Winter and Tommy Papaioannou with assistant director Julia Sopher
After the initial monologue performance, we decided to create a full-fledged play. I took on the roles of Theatre Director. We held a scratch night at the Cockpit Theatre where we had three actors: Maurizio Molino as Cagliostro, Luke Linderman as Casanova, Ena Begovic as Serafina and Tommy Papaioannou as Altohos and me as director.
Since this was a historical play set in the 18th century, I wanted to make it more contemporary by incorporating elements of physical theatre. I added an introductory movement sequence, which captivated the audience at the scratch night and contributed to the play's unique blend of genres.
During the development process, we brought in Takatsuna Mukai to compose music for the play. His contributions added a whole new dimension to the performance, elevating the overall experience and immersing the audience in the story. Takatsuna's unique style and talent greatly enhanced the emotional impact of key moments, creating a truly memorable experience for all who attended.
With only two months to prepare for the Camden Fringe Festival in August, we focused on pushing the boundaries of physical theatre and refining the text. However, at the end of July, our lead actress Ena Begovic, who played the crucial role of Serafina, had to step out due to her unexpected commitments, leaving us with just 20 days to find a replacement. Due to the busy festival season and limited time, I was unable to find a suitable actor to fill the role.
As an actress myself, I was put in a challenging position where I had to step in as an actor for the role of Serafina. This meant that my work as a director would suffer, as I had only 20 days to prepare for acting while still attempting to direct the play. I knew that I would be unable to give my full attention to either role, and I felt that this was the most unfinished piece I had ever put on stage as a director and actor.
Despite the difficulties, I wanted to ensure that Gillian's hard work as a writer and producer, as well as the dedication of the other actors, would not go to waste. We managed to bring the play to the stage, but the experience left me with mixed feelings, as I had to compromise on my directing and acting roles to make the production work. Mind that I wouldn't do any of this if I didn't have supportive team. So big thank you Gill, Maurzio, Tommy and Taka during this challenging time and help you provied during this process.
Amidst the stress of preparing for the performance and juggling multiple roles, I recall having to fix the lights and set up the stage, which left me with little time to focus on my own acting. This experience taught me the importance of casting reliable actors for future projects, as an actor quitting just 20 days before the show can have a significant impact on the entire team. Despite the difficulties, we received valuable feedback and support from various individuals, including my friend Julia Sopher, who kindly stepped in as an assistant director to help us navigate the challenges. She provided much-needed support even while working on her own show.
In addition to the challenges we faced, I would like to mention that we received a review for our performance. While the review acknowledged that we managed to sell out both nights, it also pointed out the play's unfinished aspects, giving us a two-star rating. I understand that this rating reflects the fact that our piece was still in the research and development stage. The review highlighted areas where my directing needed improvement, given the play's unfinished nature.
You can read review here; https://loureviews.blog/2024/08/25/camden-fringe-review-apologia/
APOLOGIA, AUGUST, 2024
CAMDEN FRINGE FESTIVAL
OLD RED LION THEATRE
CAST: Maurzio Molino, Tommy Papaioannou,
Jagoda N. Winter, Luke Linderman
PLAYWRITER: Gillian Mciver
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Julia Sopher
DIRECTOR: Jagoda N. Winter
PRODUCER: Gillian Mciver
Moving forward, we decided to extend the play to two hours, with me portraying the younger Cagliostro and Maurizio as the older Cagliostro. The first hour of the play will be centered around the younger Cagliostro, with the second hour focusing on the older Cagliostro. I'm excited to delve deeper into my character and explore the role.
To alleviate some of the pressure, we brought on board an experienced director to take over my directing responsibilities, allowing me to concentrate on my acting, dramatugry and helping with producion aspect on the play Apologia.
UPCOMING
Moving forward, we decided to extend the play to two hours, with me portraying the younger Cagliostro and leaving Serafina to another actress and Maurizio as the older Cagliostro. The first hour of the play will be centered around the younger Cagliostro life, with the second hour focusing on the older Cagliostro.
I'm excited to delve deeper into my character and explore the role.
To alleviate some of the pressure, we brought on board an experienced director to take over my directing responsibilities, allowing me to concentrate on my acting, beside helping Gill in dramatugry and aspect of the play Apologia.
Here are new line up of the team.
Actors;
Maurizio Molino
Jagoda N. Winter
Writer: Gillian McIver
Assistant Director: Julia Sopher
Director: Natasha Stanic Mann
Music: Takatsuna Mukai
PR and Marketing: Xiaowen Xu
Producers: Gillian Mclver, Jagoda N. Winter, Julia Sopher, Xiaowen Xu
https://www.natashastanicmann.com/about-natasha
This change has significantly reduced my stress levels, and I'm confident in our strengthened team and the new vision we have for the play.
The new writing will be presented this Sunday 3 November, 5:30pm at Cockpit Theatre.
You can book ticket here:
https://tickets.thecockpit.org.uk/sales/shows/new-stuff-1
Sending Love and creativity
Jagoda x
Takatsuna Mukai
