This commedia dell’arte play was written by Carlo Goldini in 1746, and tells the hilarious story of a servant that pledges his service to two masters – Florindo and Federigo (later Beatrice), who end up being lovers – unbeknownst to one another. The servant Truffaldino gets himself into odd run-ins and zany situations in an effort to keep each master ignorant of his service to the other, all while the masters are navigating their own escapades leading towards the discovery of a hidden identity. 

An English adaptation of this play was written by Richard Bean, and was performed at the National Theatre in 2011, with James Corden originating the role of Francis (the adaptation’s equivalent of Truffaldino), and performed again on Broadway in 2012.

I enjoyed playing Silvio, the passionate, boisterous and jealous lover of Clarice, who is promised to Federigo by her father Pantalone instead of him. The show was produced by the Queen’s University Drama Department, and directed by acclaimed Canadian actor and Queen’s professor Greg Wanless.

You can read more about the show here.