Lucrezia Galeone, co-creator of La Bella Bimba, brings the show to the Voila! Festival this month.
“Meet the glamorous Carlotta and Cecilia and their… not so glamorous cabaret!
These two raucous Italian girls just landed in New York and are ready to shimmy you back to the 1930s. Set on the streets of Brooklyn with a double-act full of live music and flamboyant choreographies!
But just when you thought this was merely a sexy little Cabaret, remember our two extravagant heroines are not the most skilful when it comes to the English language… but don’t you worry!
They’ll find a way to make you laugh and sing like it isn’t Great Depression (it’s still 1929, after all!)
La Bella Bimba! is an exciting new cabaret about immigration and traditions, about personal growth and funky pink feathers. Expect clowning, live music and if you’re up to it… audience participation!”
Where: Barons Court Theatre
When: 21-23 Nov
Ticket link: https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/la-bella-bimba/
Tell me a bit about your show. Where did the idea come from?
I started working on this show in 2021 because I wanted to make something that spoke about Italian culture going against the usual stereotypes.
My co-creator Virginia Ruspini and IÂ were inspired by 1920s Italian music and, with the help of our director Molly Rolfe, we decided to set the story during the huge wave of Italian Immigration that happened in 1920s America.
We took inspiration from our own experiences of being foreign artists in the UK and created a whimsical yet touching cabaret that conveys the meaning of finding a new home in a place where you don’t truly feel wanted.Â
Why should audiences choose your show? How would you sell it in one sentence?
I believe our audiences will have a great time with us: this show is a sexy melting pot of vaudeville choreographies, clowning, audience participation and new original music performed by our wonderful live band.
We touch themes that, even though the story is set more than a hundred years ago, are still relevant today such as discrimination and female identity. We bring Italy on stage in a way like you haven’t experienced it before.
If I could sell La Bella Bimba! in one sentence it would be: Shimmy back to 1920s New York where two Italian immigrants work their way from gutters to glamour!Â
What does being part of the Voila! Festival mean to you?
Taking part in the Voila! Festival means a lot to us: our cast and creative team is mostly composed by foreign artists and engaging in such a vibrant and multicultural festival makes us feel represented and celebrated.
We are excited to be performing at Barons Court Theatre, and we really look forward to watching all the different shows that will make this festival so exciting!
How did you make a start in the industry?
I moved to the UK when I was 19 to follow my dream of training and working in London as an actor. After graduating in 2020 (perfect year for a graduate actor!), I started developing my passion for theatre-making.
When things slowly started to re-open I was lucky enough to take part in different short films and adverts in Italy and UK as well as an award nominated Feature Film.
In-between my film projects Molly Rolfe and I started our own theatre company, Theatre Gamine, and have been developing La Bella Bimba! since 2022.
Alongside this show, I am also writing a play about silent film icon Rudolph Valentino and started working as a cabaret artist in London with the drag cohort LabRats.Â
What’s next for the show?
We’re currently developing a range of exciting projects and ideas for our show, one of them is turning this cabaret into an outdoor show and touring it around the UK as well as bringing it to larger London venues.
We also believe this show would do wonderfully at the Edinburgh Fringe. Thanks to our show’s physical and multilingual elements we are planning to do a tour outside of the UK and we are now in touch with a producer from Madrid.
One thing is certain: La Bella Bimba! has just started its journey.Â