Review: MADE IN ITALY Charms Edmonton

Like the fictional Mantini family, Made in Italy comes from humble beginnings. After its 2016 debut at Kamloops’ Western Canada Theatre, this rollicking one-man comedy has toured across the country, garnering accolades including two Elizabeth Sterling Haynes awards. Written and performed by Farren Timoteo, Made in Italy features eccentric characters, disco, and plenty of pop culture references.

The curtain rises on a lone figure: a bespectacled man dressed in his Sunday best. In a rolling Italian accent, he introduces himself as Salvatore, the proud patriarch of the Abruzzo-hailing Mantini family. Soon after, the audience meets his music-loving son, Francesco, who relays humorous and heartbreaking anecdotes of his own childhood in Jasper, Alberta. Friction ensues between father and son as Francesco grows from an adoring child to a belligerent teen to a hard-headed adult pursuing a singing career. Though several other characters- most notably members of Francesco’s exuberant extended family- have their time to shine, the narrative centres on the ever-changing relationship between Salvatore and Francesco. 

Playing multiple characters is a tremendous feat; Timoteo excels at shifting from one character to the next at the drop of a hat (or, in this case, a pair of glasses). Often, all it takes is an exaggerated facial expression to leave the audience in stitches. Like the multi-course meal Salvatore lays out on the dining table, the production offers a hearty buffet of anecdotes. Salvatore’s increasingly embellished descriptions of his boat trip from Italy to Canada resurface throughout, as do Francesco’s erratic prayers to the patron saint of his father’s village. 

Much like a famiglia, the audience is made to feel at home. The set- a kitschy dining room lined with framed photographs- features the Mantinis’ most important possession: il tavolo. Designed by Cory Sincennes, the set also includes a floor painted to resemble the Italian flag and bears a striking colour palette of green, red, and white. More than once, the cherished dining room table becomes the stage upon which Francesco sings and dances.  

Like a nourishing meal, Made in Italy brings smiles to audiences’ faces and leaves them feeling satisfied. Edmontonians have until January 28 to catch this big-hearted production at the Citadel’s Shoctor Theatre. 

Photo by Nanc Price for The Citadel Theatre’s production of Made in Italy (2024), featuring Farren Timoteo. 

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