Tricolore Theatre Company

Productions

A Boy Called Porro

The cast of A Boy Called Porro

Tricolore's latest bilingual play for children (7+), Un Bambino di Nome Porro (A Boy Called Porro), by Penny Culliford, was premiered at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington in November 2019.

Anthony Shrubsall directed. The cast was as follows: Patrick Marciano, Eloise Jones, Nadia Ostacchini & Simon Brandon.

This production would never have happened without the generous support of our sponsors. Our lead sponsor was The Mazzini-Garibaldi Foundation. Valued supporters also included the Catholic Association of Performing Arts, Belluzzo & Partners, Roberto Gaglione Notary, Oddono's Gelati, and Casa Italiana S. Vincenzo Pallotti.

Click the image for a page featuring a bilingual synopsis, a PDF of the programme, video trailers in English and Italian, and a selection of production photographs by Paddy Gormley.

RAI Italia TV Documentary featuring Tricolore & Saffron Hill

Saffron Hill

Saffron Hill production shots

One Street, One Family, Three Stories.

Saffron Hill, written to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of The Mazzini Garibaldi Club and the 150th Anniversary of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s visit to London in 1864, received its premiere production at The Pleasance Theatre, Islington in October 2015.

Click the photo gallery image for the Saffron Hill page, which features reviews, commendations and programme, in addition to the photo gallery illustrated here.

Tricolore would like to thank The Mazzini Garibaldi Foundation, whose generous sponsorship made this production possible.

Tricolore also gratefully acknowledges the support of its food and drink sponsors, who provided wonderful hospitality during the Pleasance Theatre run of the play. See the links page for details of sponsors and links to their respective websites.

Saffron Hill is a new play in three scenes by Penny Culliford that follows the lives and fortunes of generations of a fictional family in Saffron Hill, Clerkenwell from the 1870s to the 1960s. The play explores, through the eyes of this family, the issues, attitudes and music of the times.

Although based around historical events, this is very much the stories of the personal lives, loves and losses of Italian immigrant families living in this area.

RAI Italia TV Documentary featuring Tricolore & Saffron Hill

The Golden Chain
La Catena d'Oro

The Golden Chain: cast photo

The Golden Chain / La Catena d'Oro, was Tricolore's second bilingual (English & Italian) project based on a play by Penny Culliford.  The show premiered at Theatro Technis in June 2012, under the direction of Kenneth Michaels.  The cast (as pictured left to right) was as follows:  Simone Douani, Eugenia Caruso, Phil Gerrard, Nadia Ostacchini and Drew McKenzie.  The accordionist was Giorgio Albanese.

This production would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the Mazzini-Garibaldi Charitable Foundation.  Click below for a trailer of the show on YouTube.  

The Gingerbread Man
L'Ometto di Pan Pepato

The Gingerbread Man: live performance photo

Tricolore's first bilingual play was The Gingerbread Man / L'Ometto di Pan Pepato.  The traditional children's story was adapted by playwright and children's author Penny Culliford.  The production, which was directed by Liz Felton, toured to Rome in 2009 and was also warmly received at The Italian Cultural Institute in London, the Scalabrini Centre, St Peters Catholic Youth Club, Cambridge Italian Club, the Italian Bookshop and St Luke's Community Centre. The actors (as pictured below left to right) were Phil Gerrard, Eugenia Caruso and Nadia Ostacchini.   

The Gingerbread Man: cast photo

Warden Pie

Warden Pie: poster

In 2011, Tricolore toured the premiere production of Penny Culliford's one-act play Warden Pie.  Warden Pie was based on Dark Entry, The Legend of Nell Cook from the Ingoldsby Legends by Rev Richard H Barham.

Penny Culliford

The Condor and the Maiden

The Condor and the Maiden

Tricolore staged the premiere production of The Condor and the Maiden, by Dermot Murphy, directed by Simone Vause, at The King's Head Theatre, London in 2010.  The cast were as follows:  Nadia Ostacchini & Christopher Rees, (below) Lindsey Readman & Jennifer Jackson, (not pictured) Phil Gerrard & Michael Tomsu.

The Condor and the Maiden

The Man with the Flower in His Mouth

The Man with the Flower in His Mouth

Tricolore's first fully staged production was performed at Teatroshorts 2008, a festival of short stage plays, organised by our friends at Italian Nights. Tricolore's offering was The Man with the Flower in His Mouth by Pirandello, performed by Phil Gerrard, Peter Sutton and Nadia Ostacchini. The event was hosted by RADA, with performances in the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre.