Writer/Performer: Giulia Menichelli
Reviewer: Lela Tredwell
The Burning of a Sicilian Whore is a passionate performance inspired by the true story of 17th
Century professional poisoner Giulia Tofana. This evocative one woman show transports us back in time to Sicily in the 1600s.
The atmosphere created in the space is warm, sensual and intense. The oranges placed on the audience’s chairs are a wonderful touch helping us to plunge into the sensory world of the first monologue which introduces us to Giulia Tofana.
This is an intelligent, bold, sensual play that brings to life a fascinating character. The narrative is highly engaging. Giulia Menichelli beautifully embodies the creative courtesan whose humble beginnings take her on a journey of sex, tragedy, power and murder. Through powerful writing and performance, Menichelli has us rooting for her character, regardless of Tofana’s ‘sins’.
Menichelli draws on her own cultural heritage to connect with the world of her piece. By the glow of candlelight, she uses a mix of props and mime to interact with her imagined environment. The storytelling has a fluidity as she hops in and out of characters. We are guided through a world of abusive husbands, neglectful brothers and controlling fathers. And are seduced by the woman who possesses the power to do something about them.
Menichelli is a very likeable performer who sweeps us up in the rich world she creates. One of the great thrills of this piece is watching the resourceful Giulia Tofana seizing her own sovereignty.
This show raises many wider questions about patriarchal systems, the oppression of women, and the abuse of power. We see what led the influential courtesan to create her Aqua Tofana and its fatal consequences.
It’s a passionate and powerful show with a beautiful fierce energy. Raw around the edges, it’s a guttural scream from the annals of time. The voices it raises deserve to be heard. They ask us: What does justice look like? Who gets to decide? How many wrongs make a right? And what lengths should we go to, to protect the vulnerable?
It’s a piece with wider political appeal, as well as an engaging intense tale of sex, power and mass murder.
The Reviews Hub Score
Passionately Powerful
