Speech to the Nation

The Italian writer, dramatist, director and actor Ascanio Celestini (b. 1972) has been ranked among the followers of the trend represented by the famous versatile artist Dario Fo. A representative of narrative theatre, toying with the language, words and their meanings, his witty, provocative, often moving and stirring texts hone in on the contemporary world, its antagonisms and invisible nooks – be they social inequality, child labour, the impending environmental disaster or corruption in government. Speech to the Nation is a book comprising over 40 of Celestini’s short essays, which also served as the basis of the author’s own theatre performance. The stage director Petra Tejnorová’s production of the same name will be a variation on the book’s theme.