Etcetera Theatre
18th – 21st November | 5pm & 7pm

Written by Angelo Trofa.

What inspired you to start making or performing theatre?

We were all drawn to theatre as children, captivated by the imagination and creativity of the performances we saw. As we grew older, we discovered that theatre could express feelings and ideas we struggled to put into words. Finding one another gave us the confidence to pursue it professionally. Since then, working alongside other artists has given us a sense of belonging to a community that shares our outlook. Those connections continue to inspire us and encourage us to develop our work.

Have you taken this production anywhere before? How was it received by the audience?

The show premiered in Italy in 2019 and has since travelled to Edinburgh, Brighton, New York, Espoo and many Italian cities. Wherever we perform, audiences are intrigued by the idea of telling a story through sweets. The response has been consistently enthusiastic, with people often describing the show as absorbing and unexpected. Reactions vary across countries and cultures, but audiences everywhere have connected with its central question: what drives us to keep fighting when we know we cannot win?

Why did you choose to perform at the Voilà Festival?

We had been curious about Voilà for several years. After bringing the show to the Edinburgh Fringe twice, we wanted to introduce it to London audiences and explore performing it in English. Previously, we had always performed in Italian with subtitles. Although we love the musicality of our own language, we felt an English version could bring audiences closer to the story and allow them to engage more fully with its visual world. Voilà seemed the ideal setting for a production with such an unconventional theatrical language.

Has there been anyone in your life who has inspired you to work in the theatre?

We met through theatre schools and workshops in Cagliari, Sardinia, where we later founded Batisfera. Our greatest influence was Rino Sudano, a shared mentor and a leading figure in Italy’s theatrical avant-garde during the 1970s, who had stepped back from that scene and settled in Sardinia. Meeting him transformed our understanding of theatre. His uncompromising commitment taught us to approach it as a way of questioning and understanding the world. Many years after his death, his ideas still shape our work and remain a touchstone for the company.

How long have you been working on this particular production?

The Gummy Bears’ Great War premiered at the Strabismi festival in Cannara, Umbria, in 2019, but its beginnings go back much further. Our director and playwright, Angelo Trofa, had been developing the script for at least a decade. We made several attempts to stage it, but a war between gummy bears and dinosaurs seemed almost too eccentric to realise. Eventually, we committed to producing it ourselves, spending months experimenting with its form. When we finally performed it, the audience’s response made all that perseverance worthwhile.

Do you have anything that you are planning on seeing while you are at the Voilà Festival?

We would love to see as much as we can. One of the joys of a festival is discovering other artists’ work and exchanging ideas. Two shows particularly caught our attention: Node Theatre’s Rhino!, inspired by Ionesco, because the theatre of the absurd has strongly influenced our work; and The Voice of Butterflies by Hilanderas Arts Community, because of its immersive approach to staging a metaphor. That feels connected to what we do, even though we use very different theatrical forms.

What would you like audiences to take away from your production?

We hope audiences leave feeling moved, energised and curious. The show explores why we pursue things even when success seems impossible, something most of us have experienced but rarely pause to question. Perhaps it will prompt people to reflect on their own seemingly hopeless battles and ask what made them carry on. Although the story moves towards an inevitable tragedy, there is also pride, vitality and defiance in the struggle. We hope that stays with people: a lost battle does not always amount to a defeat.

https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/the-gummy-bears-great-war/