The ‘beautiful’ Italy has a cultural embassy opened by the company La Perla 22 in the ships of the Library of Catalonia. Fellini, De Filippo, Scola and now again Carlo Goldoni, a prolific modernizer of Italian comedy, a genre that he freed from the corset of masks and characters based on closed archetypes. His works are kind and predictable, with an illustrated background that anticipates the Revolution with his satire of the eighteenth-century noble class. ‘Coralina’ (‘La serva amorosa’, in its original title) is significant in this aspect, surprising the protagonist maid who pulls all the threads of the plot to favor her master, who is united by a seamless fidelity that everyone world misunderstands.
Against gossip, drawn curtains, the only stage element that Oriol Broggi has added. The comedy is presented to us almost naked: some tables and a bulging cast with a dozen performers clinging to the text, sharpening tangles that stretch beyond plausibility. The company takes its particular vision of poor, essentialist theater to the limit, which carries aromas of old corrala, craftsmanship that is sustained with verb and gesture. Adaptation almost without concessions, with all the density of scenes and dialogues that can be something thick in these times of little patience and more galloping plots.
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Beyond the theatrical archeology exercise, the rescue is worth it for this very modern protagonist, an empowered maid who gives a thousand turns to her drowsy masters. They are priceless awake apart from her, diatribes against the misogyny of the literati, songs to the feminine virtues which proclaims: “Long live our sex and die whoever speaks ill of it & rdquor ;. Mireia Aixalà hits the nail on the head with the character’s tone and energy, sustaining the weight of the plot for more than two hours with a distinguished lace between tenderness, integrity and mischief. After embodying brilliant supporting roles, it was about time the actress had the opportunity to shine with a principal of this size and entity.
In the rest of the cast, the younger roles stand out –Irineu Tranis, Sergi Torrecilla, Clara de Ramon–, which give a more natural air in contrast to the mannerisms of other characters anchored in the archetype. The lack of a unitary tone does not prevent that by force of trade and with dynamism injections the plot gains consistency between machinations, forced love affairs, evil stepmothers and, of course, sumptuous inheritances at stake (money, always). In the end, everything falls into place as expected, the social order remains intact. and the comedy leaves a good taste in the mouth. There are no surprises beyond a well-orchestrated function with its quality raw material. Sometimes, nothing else is needed, although to some it may taste little.
