Paolo Poli

Abstract

For about seventy years, Paolo Poli enjoyed a special position in the Italian theatrical scene. Creator of an irreverent, unconventional theatre based on a verbal, mimic, and gestural lightness, he set up an original comic dramaturgy able to make everything ‘theatrical’ or potentially ‘theatrical’: poetry and history, hagiography and fairytale, and even the popular song repertoire of the early 20th century. Actor, dramatist, singer, dancer, director, impresario, theatrical company director, the Florentine Paolo Poli successfully revived a minor literary and musical production neglected by the official culture. Gifted with a polyphonic voice and a swift gestural expressiveness, in addition to theatre he devoted himself to radio, television, and record activities.