Grand Old Man of Italian theatre

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 15

Grand Old Man of Italian theatre

Listening

The Italian playwright, EduSrdo De Filippo,- is regarded as the Grand Old Man of the Italian theatre and has written more than 50 plays, mainly in the Neapolitan dialect. His' “Saturday, Sunday, Monday” concerns a week-end in the life of the Piscopo family. Peppino returns home, tired and irritable after a day at his shop. His wife Rosa is-pre-paring the ragu for Sunday lunch.. Their son Rocco has an argument with his mother; Guilianelia their daughter has a tiff with her boyfriend; Aunt Meme’ drops in with her hypochondriac son. The neighbours Luigi and Elena lanniello call with a present for Rosa, which annoys Peppino. Saturday ends with everyone’s nerves frayed. And so the week-end continues, though after the family strife all ends well. “Saturday, Sunday, Monday” is a 8.8. C. production translated . and adapted by Carlo Ardito with Alfred Marks as Peppino and Rosemarj’ Leach as; Rosa. Concert, 8.20 tonight. \ - Swing era *‘l Can’t Get Started” — a

classic in more ways than one. This classic recording of the Swing Era by the trumpeter, Bunny Berigan, is featured tonight in Ray Harris’s programme on National at 9.15. He plays seven interpretations of the popular song: the vocal versions, with a variety of lyrics, are by Nancy Walker, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby; the remainder are instrumentals by Lionel Hampton, Wild Bill Davidson and Charlies Barnet. ‘Whanau’ Part I of five readings from the book, “Whanau,” by Witi Ihimaera. Whanau is about the - extended Maori family in their village community. George Henare is the reader. Rock series William Dart continues his Concert Programme repeat series, in which he looks at present-day _ trends in rock music. Tonight at 7.00 and next week the final two-part programme is called “To be young, gifted and black.” Black music,

particularly late 1940 s and; early 1950 s rhythm and; blues, is at the very core of! rock music. This week’s pro- i gramme examines closely' the Tamla Motown style and) artists such as Stevie Won-i der and Smokey Robinson. , N.Z. symphony The New ' Zealand composer Jenny McLeod’s Little Symphony, which she composed in 1963, is heard in a recorded performance by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The conductor is Peter Zwartz. Concert, 8.00.