Re Chicchinella is the new production by Emma Dante, once again adapted from a fable from Lo cunto de li cunti ovvero lo trattenemiento de peccerelle, a wonderful collection of novellas in Neapolitan written by Giambattista Basile in 1634. In the wake of La Scortecata and Pupo di zucchero, with Re Chicchinella the director concludes the project that saw her lead moved and impassioned audiences through the imaginary universe created by the Campania writer; another fable to express the depths of the human soul through the playfulness and complexity of Baroque poetry.
The main character of the story, which as always blends grotesque, comical and tragic elements, is a king who, needing to answer a call of nature, uses an animal that he believes to be dead, a chicken, to wipe his behind... the bird, which was anything but dead, grips to his bottom and climbs up into his innards, settling in the guts of the sovereign. Just like a tapeworm, the magical animal devours everything that the poor king eats, causing him to lay golden eggs. Exhausted by the situation, the king decides to starve himself to death, encountering opposition from his entire court, who refuse to give up the golden eggs.
As Emma Dante explains: «Re Chicchinella tells the story of a king that is ill, alone and hopeless, surrounded by a loveless and cold family that has just one interest, receiving one golden egg a day The animal lives and feeds inside him, literally devouring his innards, until the king discovers that the world sees him and the chicken as one and the same. After thirteen days of starvation, King Charles III of Angiò, King of Sicily and of Naples, prince of Giugliano, Count of Orleans, Viscount of Avignon and Forcalquier, Prince of Portici Bellavista, King of Albania, Prince of Valencia and Titular King of Constantinople, embraces his new existence and, perched on the throne, receive the approval of the entire Court.»