Following a successful run at Théâtre aux Écuries in Montreal last fall, earning a TOP 10 SHOWS of 2021 mention from the Montreal Gazette, Bad New Days returns to Toronto with the provocative genre-bending piece ITALIAN MIME SUICIDE at The Theatre Centre (Franco Boni Theatre) beginning April 21 to May 1 (opening night April 23). Inspired by a 2003 newspaper headline, “Italian mime jumps off building claiming no one appreciates his art,” a short version of ITALIAN MIME SUICIDE was initially performed as part of a double-bill in 2016. This new, full-length production is an exciting work of (mostly) silent theatre that sensitively explores levity within tragedy. With an aesthetic reminiscent of the kitsch iconography of clowns, mimes and world-weary circus acrobats, ITALIAN MIME SUICIDE is a funny, poetic meditation on melancholy, the acceptance of failure and the usefulness of art in troubled times. With one eye on the past and one eye on the future, the production’s unconventional, physically charged and highly imagistic storytelling promises to challenge notions of what an evening at the theatre can be and marks Bad New Days first full-scale production since the sold-out run of MELANCHOLIAC: THE MUSIC OF SCOTT WALKER in 2019. In an additional exercise of the non-traditional, Bad New Days is working to change payment structures for art and is pleased to announce ALL tickets for ITALIAN MIME SUICIDE will be Pay What You Can Afford. Audience members can choose between a sliding scale of prices that best suits their financial situation. Co-directed by Bad New Days founder Adam Paolozza (THE DOUBLE – Bad New Days/Tarragon Theatre/NAC; FLASHING LIGHTS – Bad New Days/Ahuri Theatre/The Theatre Centre) and long time collaborator Kari Pederson (THE STRANGER – DLT Experience/Daniele Bartolini; PAOLOZZAPEDIA – Bad New Days/Theatre Passe Muraille), this production continues the company’s experimentation with fusing music, image and gesture to create a space for physical, non-traditionally narrative-based storytelling. The cast is comprised of four of Toronto’s most interesting physical performers, including Paolozza, Nicholas Eddie (MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM – Theatre Rusticle; THE MONKEY QUEEN – Red Snow Collective/Theatre Centre), Ericka Leobrera (YOUNG RUFFIANS – Shakespeare in the Ruff; REVERB – Theatre Oculus) and Robert Feetham (TALE OF A TOWN CANADA – Fixt Point, Les Moutons/Flock of Flyers – Corpus Dance Projects). ITALIAN MIME SUICIDE is produced by Victor Pokinko (THE CAVE by Tomson Highway, John Millard and Martha Ross; ALICE IN WONDERLAND – Bad Hats Theatre/Soulpepper; PETER PAN – Bad Hats Theatre/Soulpepper). Lighting design is by multi-Dora award winner Andre Du Toit (THE DOUBLE – Bad New Days; AS I LAY DYING – Theatre Smith-Gilmour; MOUTHPIECE – Quote Unquote Collective) and costumes by multi-Dora award-winner Allie Marshall (Canadian Opera Company). ITALIAN MIME SUICIDE’s original score, composed by Juno-nominated Arif Mirabdolbaghi, is performed live by virtuoso turntablist SlowPitchSound (aka Cheldon Paterson), with stunning visual projections and design by interdisciplinary artist Evgenia Mikhaylova, inviting audiences into the old world melancholy glamour of the suicidal mime. 

WHAT:     Bad New Days presents ITALIAN MIME SUICIDEWHEN:    April 21 to May 1 (opening night April 23), Tuesday – Sat 8pm; Sat-Sun 3pmWHERE:  The Theatre Centre (Franco Boni Theatre) 1115 Queen St W, TorontoTICKETS: Pay What You Can Afford, www.theatrecentre.orgWEBSITE: www.badnewdays.comSOCIALS Insta: @badnewdaysFB: @badnewdaysperformance

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.