LA FORTEZZA / THE FORTRESS
english below
Spettacolo teatrale
La nostra compagnia ha realizzato questo lavoro partendo da uno studio fatto sull‘omonimo romanzo di Meša Selimović, capolavoro degno di essere annoverato nella letteratura mondiale, e ambientato nella Sarajevo ottomana. Abbiamo cercato di avvicinarci a questo mondo passando attraverso il sostrato multiculturale dei Balcani, sia approfondendo la riflessione esistenziale del protagonista del romanzo e le sue domande su come portare la giustizia e il bene nelle relazioni umane, sia facendo emergere soprattutto la dimensione del singolo in contrasto col potere costituito e l’inesorabilità dei fondamentalismi. La fortezza è uno spettacolo prettamente visuale e fisico che fa reagire il gruppo degli attori a musiche provenienti dalla tradizione popolare, attraverso l’azione fisica, l’utilizzo simbolico di oggetti e l’esecuzione di brani dal vivo. Nondimeno, sono stati selezionati diversi frammenti testuali dell’opera di riferimento che hanno contribuito a costituire la cornice drammaturgica dello spettacolo. Proponiamo quindi uno spettacolo-performance della durata di 55 minuti, senza interruzioni, immersivo e rituale. L’allestimento è stato pensato per spazi al chiuso con una distribuzione del pubblico sia a pianta centrale che per palcoscenico all’italiana. Il progetto può essere adattato anche a contesti all’aperto di pregio, adeguatamente protetti e fruibili nelle ore serali.
Theatrical performance
Our theatre undertook this project starting from the study of Meša Selimović’s eponymous novel, a masterpiece in world literature, set in Sarajevo during the Ottoman era. We sought to approach this world by delving into the multicultural substrate of the Balkans, deepening the existential reflection of the novel’s protagonist and his questions about bringing justice and goodness into human relationships. We also aimed to emphasize the individual dimension in contrast to established power and the inevitability of various fundamentalisms. ‘The Fortress’ is a predominantly visual and physical performance that prompts the group of actors to react to music from folk tradition through physical action, symbolic use of objects, and live musical performances. Furthermore, various textual fragments from the original source were carefully selected to construct the dramaturgical framework of the performance. In this manner, we present a fully immersive theatrical experience lasting 55 minutes, without interruptions, capable of transporting the audience into a timeless and ritual dimension. The performance setup is tailored for unconventional indoor locations or an Italian-style theater layout, with the possibility of creating customized versions for protected and intimate outdoor venues.
REVIEWS & RECOGNITION
The Award for Best Director to Andrea Benaglio
for directing the performance The Fortress:
The Award for Best Director is presented to a production distinguished by a powerful and consistently shaped authorial vision, dominated by expressive symbolic elements, a minimalist approach, and a precisely composed stage image. The director builds an atmosphere of intense isolation and inner tension, creating a visually and sensorially powerful theatrical experience. It is precisely the clarity and consistency of the directorial concept — one that carefully shapes the rhythm, space, and meaning of the performance — that makes this direction the most outstanding. Main Jury of the 10th Edition of PITF: Zija Rexhepi (Television News Anchor and Director of ATV); Amra Mehić (Film Director); Nancy Abdel Sakhi (Actress).
Based on an article by Dilara Sollova, published by KultPlus.com:
“… On the fourth evening of the Prishtina International Theater Festival 2026, Italy was represented by The Fortress, an experimental production by AteliercuncheoN Research Theatre, directed by Andrea Benaglio. Based on Meša Selimović’s novel The Fortress, the performance explores universal questions of freedom, justice, individual conscience and the confrontation between the human being and an organised system of power. Drawing inspiration from Ottoman Sarajevo and the multicultural layers of the Balkans, the production creates a theatrical world built through physical action, ritual, live singing, traditional music and symbolic objects. Rather than following a conventional dramatic structure, The Fortress develops its meaning through bodies, rhythm, silence and imagery. The actors create a collective presence on stage, where characters gradually merge with movement, music and ritual. Lasting 55 minutes without interruption, the performance maintains a strong emotional intensity from beginning to end, transforming Selimović’s existential reflections into a powerful visual and physical theatrical experience. The Italian performance was warmly received by the Prishtina audience, adding another encounter between Balkan cultural memory and contemporary European theatre to the festival programme.
