Wednesday, August 12, at 9:30 PM, Paolo Hendel arrives at Cinema Arena Vittoria with “Modern Times“, the comic monologue written with Marco Vicari, which focuses its gaze on the present and in particular on the private sphere of people, with our contradictions, our weaknesses and our fears. We are living in a historical period in which, among upside-down worlds, flat-earthers, deniers and conspiracy theorists, real tragedies and dramas and enormous hoaxes, it can happen to feel like modern-day Charlots trapped in the gears of an assembly line.
All we can do is try to extricate ourselves, among the totems and taboos of these not easy modern times, using the weapon of irony and thus exorcising the many ugly things of this era with a healthy laugh. After all, as Hendel argues, “the ugly things unfortunately remain as they are, but at least at night you sleep more lightly”.
Live music with Michele Staino on double bass and Renato Cantini on trumpet.
PAOLO HENDEL
Expression of the most biting satire of the social and political reality of our country, Paolo Hendel was born in Florence, where he graduated in letters. In the 1980s he began writing comic monologues for the theater such as Via Antonio Pigafetta, navigatore (written with Piero Metelli), which made him known to the public. In 1987 he was a guest on Teletango (directed by Sergio Staino) within the Va’ pensiero broadcast and in 1988 he created I Martedì di Paolo Hendel on Raitre.
In 1990 he moved to TMC where he participated in the Banane program with Fabio Fazio. From 1996 to 1998 and in 2001 he was a regular guest on the Mai dire gol broadcast, a television creation of the Gialappa’s Band (who also wanted him for their first film, Tutti gli uomini del deficiente in 1999, directed by Paolo Costella), where the character Carcarlo Pravettoni was born, a parody of the most cynical and ruthless businessman. In 1998/99 he participated in the Comici program on Italia 1, while in 2000 he was in the Rido broadcast on Raidue. From October to December 2007 he hosted the Second Italy broadcast on Comedy Central. In 2009 he was the protagonist of the TV fiction All Stars, aired on Italia Uno, alongside Diego Abatantuono, directed by Massimo Martelli. In 2011 he participated in the La7 broadcast Fratelli e Sorelle d’Italia, hosted by Veronica Pivetti and dedicated to the 150 years of Italian unity. 2012 marks the return to TV of Carcarlo Pravettoni: every week he is a regular guest on the L’ultima parola broadcast, hosted by Gianluigi Paragone and aired on Rai Due. From 2013 to 2015 he was a guest on the La gabbia broadcast, always alongside Gianluigi Paragone, airing in prime time on La7. In the 2018-19 season Paolo Hendel is a regular guest on Quarta Repubblica, a current affairs program on politics and economics hosted by Nicola Porro, in prime time on Rete 4.
Appreciated for his surreal and overwhelming talent, he became known also in the world of cinema. In the 1980s the Giancattivi wanted him in the film A Ovest di Paperino, in 1982 he was in the cast of La notte di San Lorenzo by the Taviani brothers and in 1986 in Speriamo che sia femmina by Mario Monicelli. In 1988 he was among the interpreters of Paura e Amore by Margarethe Von Trotta and Domani accadrà by Daniele Luchetti. In 1989 he was in the film Cavalli si nasce by Sergio Staino and in 1990 he was among the protagonists of La settimana della Sfinge by Daniele Luchetti, with Margherita Buy. In the second half of the 1990s he was in Il Ciclone and Il pesce innamorato by his fellow countryman Leonardo Pieraccioni (box office hit films). In 2010, he was in Amici miei… Come tutto ebbe inizio, the prequel to the famous 1975 film, alongside Christian De Sica, Massimo Ghini, Giorgio Panariello, directed by Neri Parenti.
His theatrical activity is particularly intense: he writes (with Piero Metelli) and performs monologues such as Caduta Libera (1990-92), Alla deriva (1992-94), Nebbia in Val Padana (1995-96), Il meglio di Paolo Hendel (1997-99), Occhio alla penna (1999-2001), W l’Italia! (2002-04), Non ho parole! (2005-06). From 2006 to 2008 he performed with the show Il bipede barcollante, written with Piero Metelli in collaboration with Sergio Staino. In 2009 Il tempo delle susine verdi debuted, on stage throughout 2010. For the 2011-2012 season he was on stage with the theatrical show Molière a sua insaputa, of which he is the author with Leo Muscato. From 2014 to 2016 he was engaged in Come truffare il prossimo e vivere felici, in the shoes of his alter ego Carcarlo Pravettoni, written with Marco Vicari and Francesco Borgonovo and partly taken from the homonymous book published by Mondadori.
In 2017 he was in theater with the theatrical show Fuga da Via Pigafetta, written with Marco Vicari and Gioele Dix who also directed it and with two readings, one of Italo Calvino (Colui che leggerissimo era) and another of Gianni Rodari (Buon viaggio gamberetto!).
Paolo Hendel is the author of three books: Ma culo è una parolaccia?, written with Piero Metelli in 1998 (Zelig Editore) and Carcarlo Pravettoni’s book Come truffare il prossimo e vivere felici (2014) written with four hands with Francesco Borgonovo for Mondadori.
In 2018 La giovinezza è sopravvalutata was released by Rizzoli. Il manifesto per una vecchiaia felice, written with Marco Vicari, with the scientific contribution of geriatrician Maria Chiara Cavallini. From the book the homonymous theatrical monologue was derived, written with Marco Vicari, directed by Gioele Dix, on tour until 2024.
In 2021 he brings to the stage Viola e il barone, reading on texts by Italo Calvino curated by Paolo Hendel and Marco Vicari with music performed live by Renato Cantini (trumpet) and Michele Staino (double bass). In 2022 Il Contrabbasso by Patrick Süskind with music performed live by Gabriele Ragghianti (double bass) and Tiziano Mealli (piano).In 2024 he debuts with the new monologues Niente panico! directed by Gioele Dix and Modern Times, both written with Marco Vicari. In 2025 Paolo Hendel is among the protagonists of Audiscion, the new comedy program on Rai 2, hosted by Gigi & Ross. In 2026 he will debut with Terzo Tempo, together with Lucia Vasini, directed by Emanuela Giordano, novel by Lidia Ravera, freely inspired by the homonymous novel Ed. Bompiani, production Teatro Franco Parenti in co-production with AGIDI
Teatro nel Borgo returns Wednesday, August 26 at 9:30 PM with Raul Cremona in “Raul Cremona Live”.
The shows are free admission, subject to availability of seating. No reservation required.
