as part of Fabbrica Europa 2024

NINA is a tribute to the life of Eunice Kathleen Waymon, a singer, pianist, writer, and civil rights activist, widely recognized by most as Nina Simone.

The multi-award-winning American soprano and performer, Claron McFadden, creates a comprehensive mimetic portrait of the artist Nina Simone.

Drawing from audio documents of radio and television interviews, as well as public speeches, McFadden employs the technique of heterodirection (remote acting), a pivotal element in the poetics of Fanny & Alexander. Through this technique, McFadden immerses herself in Simone’s voice, bearing witness to the diverse manifestations of the strength of her character and creative spirit. This journey encompasses the most prominent moments in Simone’s trajectory, from poetic tension to her advocacy for the rights of women and African Americans, laying bare her most intimate vulnerabilities and wounds.

At the origin of NINA, a concert – explain the authors. In 1976, Nina Simone delivered a memorable concert at the Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland—a widely acclaimed performance that is easily accessible on YouTube. During this concert, the iconic musician demonstrated an irresistible urge to connect with the audience, shattering the boundaries of the typical concert ritual. Seated at the piano, Simone would often begin to play, only to interrupt herself, engaging directly with the audience without filters. She would leave her piano stool, traverse the stage, return to the piano, initiate singing, interrupt herself once more, delve into dance, laying bare her emotions in a state of trance and special grace.
In NINA, we embark from that precise moment, from the incredible space of freedom she forged during her concert. We delve into her intimate world, exploring her political thoughts, the wounds of her later years, her anger, pain, energy, and bitterness. This journey incorporates musical reconstructions of her songs, seamlessly transitioning from direct audience engagement to suspended moments of pure music.

Fanny & Alexander is an artistic alliance founded in Ravenna in 1992 by Luigi de Angelis, director, set designer, and lighting designer, and Chiara Lagani, dramaturge, author, and actress). Fanny & Alexander creates productions that result from the fusion of various artistic languages, including theater, visual arts, music, cinema, and literature. The company produces theatrical shows, live performances, operas, and installations, involving an ever-evolving network of artists from diverse disciplines. Their interaction on and off the stage leads to a reflection on the relationships between tradition and new technologies. Among their most recent theatrical projects are Storia di un’amicizia, the theatrical adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s tetralogy, Se questo è Levi, Sylvie e Bruno, Manson and NINA. In 2019, Fanny & Alexander received the Ubu Special Award, while Andrea Argentieri received the Ubu Award for Best Actor under 35 for Se questo è Levi.

performer: Claron McFadden
concept, direction, light design: Luigi De Angelis
dramaturgy and costumes: Chiara Lagani
music creation: Claron Mcfadden, Damiano Meacci
electronic music and sound design: Damiano Meacci
coaching: Andrea Argentieri
production: Fanny & Alexander/E Production and Muziektheater Transparant
co-Produced by Ircam / Centre Pompidou (Paris), Festival d’Automne à Paris, Romaeuropa Festival and Tempo Reale

photo: Enrico Fedrigoli