THE CENCI

By Phillip Allan

Adapted from the works of

Artaud, Shelley, Stendhal & Dumas

The Playscript

The idea of researching and developing the story of the House of Cenci followed a correspondence with the author and director Steven Berkoff.

I have produced trailers for three of his videos 'Salome', 'Oedipus' and 'Decadence' which are available on YouTube and via Steven's website www.stevenberkoff.com/plays. We both have an admiration of the works of Antonin Artaud and especially Artaud's version of 'The Cenci'.

This led me to consider how well Artaud's play would relate to an audience 90 years after it was first performed. I decided that the time was right for a version of the story to be made available to a modern theatre audience incorporating Artaud's theories and earlier versions of the story.

Background

'The Cenci' is based on the story of the House of Cenci in the late 16th century.

  • 1819 The story inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley to write his play 'The Cenci, A Tragedy in Five Acts'. His source material was a manuscript copied from the archives of the Cenci Palace at Rome.
  • Note In his preface Shelley writes: "On my arrival at Rome I found that the story of the Cenci was a subject not to be mentioned in Italian society without awakening a deep and breathless interest..."
  • 1837 Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle) published his short story 'The Cenci'.
  • 1839 Alexandre Dumas published his 'Celebrated Crimes' which included the story of The Cenci.
  • 1934 Antonin Artaud wrote his version of 'The Cenci' based on the Shelley play and the Stendhal short story. This play was first staged at The Theatre Des Follies-Wagram, Paris in 1935.

The Soundtrack

Track 1: 'A Force Of Nature'

Composed by: Phillip Allan | Recorded @ The Wrighthouse

Dedicated to the Memory of Antonin Artaud

Contact

Philal Media
11 Vincent Drive
Westminster Park
Chester, Cheshire, UK
CH4 7RQ
Special Thanks

Richard Sieburth, Steven Berkoff, Phil Dennett, Tony Denmade, David Watson.