Diplomazia

Written by the French playwright Cyril GelyDiplomacysketches two wonderful characters and provides the directors of the historic Milanese theatre company with fresh material for a new exploration of the history of the ‘short century’.

On the night of 24–25 August 1944, General Dietrich von Choltitz, governor of Paris during the Nazi occupation of the French capital, and the Swedish consul Raoul Nordling, face off in a no-holds-barred verbal confrontation. The general has received orders from Hitler to raze the city to the ground and exterminate its inhabitants before the German retreat; the consul uses all his rhetorical skill and diplomatic artistry to convince him to disobey the Führer’s orders.

Starring Niels Arestrup and André Dussollier, Diplomatie premiered at the Théâtre de la Madeleine in Paris in 2011; two roles that fit Elio De Capitani and Ferdinando Bruni perfectly – playing the general and the Swedish consul respectively – who return to ‘face off’ on stage, following the confrontation in Frost/Nixon and that in Il vizio dell’arte, which saw them play Benjamin Britten and Wystan H. Auden.

Written by the French playwright Cyril Gely, Diplomacy sketches two wonderful characters and offers the directors of the historic Milanese company, Elio De Capitani and Francesco Frongia, fresh material for a new exploration of the history of the ‘short century’. Throughout their long and successful career, the artists of the Milanese company have achieved national and international renown, distinguishing themselves through their refined work in discovering and promoting contemporary drama.

Diplomacy will serve as a further testament to the potential of theatre and its ability to bring our recent past to life, transforming history into an epic and moving narrative that preserves the roots of our society.