Macbett, by Eugène Ionesco, 1972

Synopsis

A lucid reflection on madness and human senselessness in the insatiable lust for power, Eugène Ionesco's Macbett (1972) offers a particularly timely modern rewriting of the Shakespearean tragedy. The chaos of the contemporary world, also marked by the loss of authenticity of the logos, is here represented in a grotesque key, with a poetics that is in many ways indebted to the archetype of materialistic and political greed of Alfred Jarry's père Ubu (1896). In the context of a burlesque and exuberant absurdity, the character of the great tragic characters is thus reduced to fanfare and ridiculous and pompous solemnity. After all, in the words of Ionesco, it is precisely humor that "makes us aware, with free lucidity, of the tragic or derisive condition of man". The staging of Macbett proposed by us presents an essential version of Ionesco's work, with a direction focused on the actor's play in close dialogue with the original text and with sound, noise and musical accompaniment.

Artistic Team

Actors: Siyuan Chen, Viola Cicoria, Olivia Del Sante, Pablo Comune, Stefano Martelli, Giovanni Pessina, Aurora Matilde Viola Sempio, Giulia Tonello, Gabriele Vaschetti
Music: Andrea D’Oria
Lights (creation): Sara Marenco. Light designer: Marco Usmigli
(since May 2026)
Costumes: Sara Marenco, Giulia Tonello
Direction: Leonardo Mancini

Duration: 1 hour
Thanks to: Ivana Ferri, Bruno Maria Ferraro (Teatro Tangram, Torino); Silvia Battaglio.

Trailer

Previous performances

10/07/2026, International University Theatre Festival, (XIII World Congress of the International University Theatre Association, AITU-IUTA), Vilnius University Theatre Hall, Vilnius University, Lithuania
11/06/2026, Academy "Ligustica" of Fine Arts of Genova (teaching event), Italy
09/05/2026, Teatro Martini, Cavagnolo (Turin), Italy
21/02/2026: Àrhat Teatro, Pontirolo Nuovo, Bergamo, Italy
10-11/01/2026: Piccolo Teatro Comico, Turin, Italy
07/09/2025: Festival Mirabilia, Cuneo, Italy
02/07/2025: Tingeltangel, Turin, Italy (closed rehearsal session)
22/05/2025: Festival de théâtre universitaire "Meraki", Lyon, France

Press review

Micaela Vernice, Tan Tan Teatro rilegge lo Shakespeare di Ionesco, “L’Eco di Bergamo”, 21 febbraio 2026, p. 35; Micaela Vernice, «Macbett è l’insensatezza della brama di potere», “L’Eco di Bergamo”, 25 febbraio 2026, p. 47; Daniele Stellato, «Gemme di teatro» parte col botto, “Giornale di Treviglio”, p. 35; Marion Dumartin, Danse entre Ionesco et Shakespeare, "L'Entracte", n, 4, 22 mai 2025, p. 2.

Materials

Accessibility

Surtitling for the performance is available in Italian, English, and French, both via projection on a screen (or backdrop) and via an App (Sténtor), which has been developed as part of the University of Turin's public engagement project "Etica. Theatrical Explorations and Innovation for an Accessible Culture". Audio descriptions are currently available in Italian, and are currently under development in other languages. For further information, please contact us at: accessibilita@tantanteatro.it