Jo Ellison points a finger at Disney’s dead-handed grip on the production of Snow White (“Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to woke we go”, Opinion, March 22).
A different approach to dealing with physical diversity in the dramatic arts was on show in OperaLombardia’s recent production of Verdi’s opera Rigoletto.
Audiences expect the singer of the title role to appear with a hunchback. Those at the Teatro Fraschini in Pavia, and other theatres on the Lombardy circuit, were also given Count Ceprano in a wheelchair and Giovanna with a leg brace. And to crown this well-sung and interesting production, Martino Dondi, a little person, appeared in various parts of the action in a costume identical to that worn by Rigoletto. A professional musician, Dondi conducted the onstage band in the first act.
Matteo Marziano Graziano, the director, wanted audiences to reflect on some of contemporary society’s blind spots. The employment of physically diverse characters did so without being a distraction or a distortion, and without demeaning or being condescending to little people. The production worked.
David Lane
Rome, Italy
