ALINA COJOCARU & AC WORKROOM

Alina Cojocaru, who commissioned the production, and her performance as Gelsomina, the naive heroine who is groomed and brutalised by the ageing Zampano, is a gem. (The Times)

How can we find the meaning of life in a world that can be both magically beautiful and painfully crude?

LA STRADA poses this question, the story of which is based on Federico Fellini’s Italian classic film.

Gelsomina, a simple-minded, naïve young woman, is sold by her mother under precarious circumstances to Zampanò. Zampanò is a brutal strongman. He takes the young woman from town to town exhibiting himself as a street performer. During their travels and their life on the road (Italian: la strada) Zampanò treats Gelsomina cruelly despite her innocent trust of him and her willingness to please him. When Gelsomina becomes acquainted with the high wire artist Il Matto, she has a change of heart. Gelsomina stands between two men, who embody two opposing aspects of life and love.

In this production, which had its world premiere in London in January 2024, the stage is a circus populated by all sorts of acrobatic characters. Alina Cojocaru in the leading role as well as Mick Zeni as Zampanò and Johan Kobborg as Il Matto tell Gelsomina’s tragic tale not only with their bodies, but also with heart and soul.

alinacojocaru.com/la-strada