Benvenuti!!!!
Legal Aliens is the first professional Italian theatre company based in London.
It was founded at the end of 2007 by actresses Lara Parmiani and Elena Mazzon, who after years of stage experience both in Italy and the UK, decided to create their own original work, using their “diversity” as an asset.
LegalAliens’ aim is to promote plays, writers and artists who have been contributing to the Italian and European culture.
We work mainly in English (through original translations), but we also offer shows in Italian aimed mainly at teaching the language through theatre.
LegalAliens’s work is about Italy - our history and heritage - but also focuses on issues related to identity, immigration, gender and how such issues have changed with time, whilst carrying at their core the same dilemmas: where do I belong? How to keep one’s identity when everything around is alien? What’s better: to blend in or hang on to our own roots? Is it possible to do both? What gets really lost in translation?
We’re “aliens”, because we’re not British citizens, but thanks to Europe we’re “legal”, and have the privilege to live abroad without asking for a visa, which, as artists, gives us even greater freedom.
We aim not just at raising the interest of the ever growing Italian community in London but also of the British audience and in general of whomever cares about multiculturality.
We’re working together with British and Euroepan artistes in the attempt to build bridges between cultures.
Our work has been endorsed by playwright Dario Fo, who warmly encouraged our initiative:
“Having met some of the actresses belonging to the LegalAliens theatre company at Università Statale in Milan, I was awestruck by their enthusiasm and the projects they are trying to pursue in London. [...]
Their starting point, the themes and the way they plan to embrace the stage are definitely to be encouraged, enabling this new group to produce shows contributing to bringing Italian tradition, culture and history to the forefront of the British theatre.
So be brave! You are in a country that has always been open to new ideas and culturally fervent projects. SUERTE! And a big hug from Franca (Rame) and myself. Dario Fo”
