The Bari Research Unit explores the potential of Shakespeare’s theatre in improving communication and human interaction in healthcare contexts. Aligning to EU programmes that promote socio-emotional competences as a fundamental investment for public health in the future, our project develops within the area of Health and Medical Humanities, an expanding research field that explores the possibilities of integration and contamination between literature, theatre, music, visual arts and the sphere of medicine and psychopedagogy, with a view to encouraging a systemic approach to the complexity of the human condition in the context of healthcare relationships.
Assuming that Shakespeare “invented the human as we continue to know it”, as Harold Bloom puts it, we focus on the emotional potential of Shakespeare’s dramatic corpus, seeking to show how the playwright’s insights into human suffering can help healthcare providers understand the key role that language performs in different contexts of interactions. To this end, Shakespeare’s emotionally loaded vocabulary, imagery and metaphors related to suffering and empathy are investigated through the methodologies and tools of Corpus-Linguistics and Translation Studies, which integrate the literary and cultural perspective of our research on the playwright’s texts, examined against the background of early modern physiology and medicine.
The results of our multifocal approach to Shakespeare are tested in specific workshops addressed to doctors, healthcare providers and patients being treated with breast cancer, as well as in music and theatre workshops involving actors with down syndrome, in order to show how Shakespeare’s plays can be used to enhance the expression and understanding of emotions. In this sense, we ultimately intend to provide applied experiences, best practices and replicable models for the use of Shakespeare as a precious resource for honing resilience skills and emotional and cognitive competences that are decisive in promoting person-centred participatory healthcare in line with EU policies.
Alessandra Squeo (A.I.)
Nella Tempesta
Inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
A special project by Factory Compagnia Transadriatica (Lecce)
Curated by Tonio De Nitto and Carmen Ines Tarantino
Cast:
Alessandra Cappello, Lara Capoccia, Anna Giorgia Capone, Nicola De Meo, Mattia Esposito, Michela Marrazzi, Gabriele Massari, Matteo Padula, Susanna Patrnello, Karmen Emanuele Pugliese, Alessandro Rollo, Antonella Sabetta, Stefano Solombrino, Diomede Stabile, Fabrizio Tana
Within each of us, a silent storm resides: a delicate equilibrium between opposing forces and shifting temperatures, susceptible to unexpected pressures. These can unleash the fury of winds, bringing confusion, fear, and inner discord. Its force can be both destructive and creative, oppressive yet powerfully liberating.
This idea serves as the starting point for an exploration of Shakespeare’s extraordinary and enigmatic play, The Tempest, which reflects a natural phenomenon impacting both the atmosphere and the soul—mirroring the planet and the human spirit. It marks a new chapter in Factory Theatre Company’s ongoing work, combining theatre and disability, which has given rise to numerous artistic and social initiatives. One such initiative is #ToBe, a permanent social theatre workshop involving a diverse group of participants, with and without disabilities. Through this, the company has developed and staged projects like Hubu Re, inspired by Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi, and (H)amleto, based on another iconic Shakespearean work.
Fire, water, air, and earth—real and mythical elements blend together like magical potions to shape the stories of the characters, reflecting the complexity of their inner worlds and the events that drive them, often against their will, towards unexpected outcomes. At the heart of these twists lies the triumph of forgiveness over revenge, emerging from the chaos of the storm, the pain of betrayal, and the isolation of exile. Forgiveness heals and restores, as some of the most beautiful lines ever written for the stage echo: “We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”
Engaging with The Tempest invites both performers and audiences to cautiously delve into their own inner worlds, illuminating hidden vulnerabilities—some forgotten, others deliberately concealed. It offers insights into the conflicts we face within ourselves and in our relationships with others.
This makes the performance especially meaningful for younger audiences, particularly adolescents and pre-adolescents, as they navigate one of the most delicate phases of life. With a contemporary approach to language and rhythm, the production remains faithful to the original text, bringing its timeless message to life in a way that resonates with today’s audience and allows them to claim it as their own.
Nella Tempesta
Inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
A special project by Factory Compagnia Transadriatica (Lecce)
Curated by Tonio De Nitto and Carmen Ines Tarantino
Cast:
Alessandra Cappello, Lara Capoccia, Anna Giorgia Capone, Nicola De Meo, Mattia Esposito, Michela Marrazzi, Gabriele Massari, Matteo Padula, Susanna Patrnello, Karmen Emanuele Pugliese, Alessandro Rollo, Antonella Sabetta, Stefano Solombrino, Diomede Stabile, Fabrizio Tana
Technique: Actor-based theatre
The performance is the result of the 2024-25 #TOBE social art theatre workshop, supported by the Research Project – PRIN 2022 Call – D.D. n.104 dated 02/02/2022, titled "Applied Shakespeare: Developing New Educational Models for Transversal Competences and Life Skills," in collaboration with the University of Bari Aldo Moro.
Special thanks to the Lecce Biblio-Museum Hub and Nasca il Teatro.
About the Company
Since 2010, Factory Compagnia Transadriatica has been producing theatre performances, organising international cooperation projects, theatrical seasons, festivals, and leading social and community theatre initiatives.
Since 2011, the company has toured nationally and internationally with productions ranging from plays to family-oriented performances. Starting in 2016, Factory has focused on creating Social Art Theatre productions, with an artistic team that includes individuals with disabilities.
Among these is Diario di un brutto Anatroccolo, a production co-created with Tir Danza, which has surpassed 200 performances to date. The production has garnered acclaim both in Italy and abroad, winning several international awards.
In the winter of 2019, with the same artistic team, the company launched Peter Pan, co-produced with Fondazione Sipario Toscana. This production has been featured in significant programmes and theatrical festivals, including the RomaEuropa Festival. Both performances continue to tour successfully.
