“I believe that today more than ever the theatre world should bravely rediscover and investigate the roots of our humanity.

For the actor, the main instrument for that research is working on the intimacy. That one isn’t indeed linked to one’s own biography or to the self analysis, but it’s represented by all that hidden, submerged and secret part anyone has: the interior world of the man/actor, the way he is, without any psychological analysis.

We are not interested in “good performances” but in the direct channel which originates between the actor and the outside world represented by the public.

Our work is neither naturalistic nor psychological, it doesn’t plan reactions according to the intentions, it’s instead a concentration technique working on the interiority of the actor through the movement of the voice.

The actor has to lay bare and produce a force which comes from the difficulty he faces while working on his inner self: he shows the public of his self discovery, as an answer to the question that the scene asks him through the theme which has been investigated. In short, if an artist doesn’t come completely into play nothing actually happens for us, the public doesn’t feel anything.

The research by Scimmie Nude has joined for a long time the ethological input by Desmond Morris, 900 and the contribution by Antonin Artaud, who developed in his Theatre of Cruelty a form of philosophic and scientific study which has been embodied by Scimmie Nude for its intimate human character which make it unique.

The peculiar characteristic of Artaud’s research are easily combined with our artistic needs.

The Theatre of Cruelty implies the cruelty of the actor towards himself, in order to open his heart and be honest, sincere and pure to the public; through the display of his actions and his words the actor scratches his heart through his intimate openness making it a dramatic work; he becomes the torment of himself, both comical and tragic.

The word cruelty has to be understood broadly speaking and not in its most common physical and rapacious meaning.

Spiritually cruelty means harshness, implacable application and decision, irreversible and absolute determination.

The actor is interested in all the extreme moments of life, such as dreams, which should be turned into a physical and vocal score. Dreams and nightmares are cruel.

There is not a classical representation or entertainment, only the need to say and do what the body, the mind and the heart can’t hide any more, fighting against superficial,  educated and conformist conscience.

We want to recompose the human organism on a level which is not above but beyond a life which has been imprisoned by a fake conscience, in this sordid parody which represents the world we are living in.

Cruelty is not an acting style, it is not something to do, it’s something which happens. We can prepare the ground, activate the mechanism, oil the gears… We must be cruel (we can say “extreme”) through our intimacy and listen to what happens inside us to give it back to the world.”

Gaddo Bagnoli

Art Director