Compagnia Baccalà: Pss Pss

In Pss Pss, the Swiss-Italian Compagnia Baccalà brings to the stage a classic double clown act, and from the empty and silent space use subtlety and ingenuity to build scenes that are both hilarious and poetic. All the action emerges from the relationship between the two – Simone Fassari (him) and Camilla Pessi (her) – which is portrayed with sharp elegance.

Their onstage meeting proves to be a loving friendship, overflowing with respect and wisdom – unlike many clowns who would humiliate their colleagues in the name of laughter. This double act explores situations in which understanding, companionship and solidarity between fellow humans can serve as a basis for the construction of comic numbers, giving the audience the delight of laughter and the knowledge that a more respectful and harmonious humanity can exist.

The actors behind the red noses (which Lecoq called ‘the smallest mask in the world’) are extremely skilled. With excellent command of comic timing, little by little they create their scenes from simple ideas, without the use of the spoken word. The exchange is constructed through the corporeality of the artists who smoothly blend different forms of expression – physical theatre, circus and music. There is no hierarchy between the forms, and everything that happens on stage complements the dramaturgy of the piece.

The groundwork (superbly skilled acrobatics, acrobalance, and hand-to-hand work) and the more minimal but extremely effective aerial work win over the audience not only with their skill and virtuosity, but also for the way they are presented, always true to the need of the scene. The two Baccalà clowns are also accomplished musicians, their physical work augmented by melodious accordion (her) and strident trombone (him).

Another point that draws our attention is the way they relate to their audience, always captivating and establishing a relationship of trust with people that is developed throughout the show, so by the end they can even put their lives in the hands of strangers, taking physical risks…

The show is not exploring new theatrical forms, it is instead an invitation to re-visit the traditional form of clowning, exploring human relations from a tender and loving perspective. Pss Pss is a show that has played in 15 countries, and will no doubt continue its worldwide success. Warm and delicate, Baccalà conquer all with their charisma.

 

 

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Marilia Ennes

About Marilia Ennes

Marília Ennes is founder/co-director of ParaladosanjoS (Brazil) and a PhD researcher at Unicamp (University of Campinas, São Paulo). Her work embraces visual and physical theatre, and much of her creation flirts with hybrid fields of art. Currently, she is involved with walking as an aesthetic practice. She has recently been appointed as Professor at the Department of Corporeal Art at UFRJ (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro). www.paraladosanjos.com @paraladosanjos