Gregory Nussen's stage adaptation of Italo Calvino's 1979 novel If on a Winter's Night a Traveller is a dazzling and playful puzzle that captures the book's meta-fictional spirit. The production, titled Qfwfq after one of Calvino's recurring characters, is currently running at a London venue.
A Novel About Reading
Calvino's novel is famously about the act of reading itself, following a Reader who attempts to read a book but keeps getting interrupted by the beginnings of other books. Nussen's adaptation embraces this structure, creating a theatrical experience that constantly shifts and reinvents itself.
The production features a cast of performers who embody multiple roles, moving between the frame narrative and the embedded stories. The staging is inventive, using minimal props and fluid movement to suggest the endless possibilities of storytelling.
Playful and Intellectual
The review highlights the production's intelligence and wit, noting that it manages to be both intellectually rigorous and entertaining. The adaptation does not simply translate the novel's plot but rather recreates its central conceit: the pleasure and frustration of reading.
Nussen's script is praised for its cleverness, and the direction keeps the action moving at a brisk pace. The ensemble cast is commended for their versatility and energy, bringing Calvino's literary games to vivid life.
A Must-See for Calvino Fans
The review concludes that Qfwfq is a must-see for fans of Calvino and for anyone interested in experimental theatre. It is a production that rewards attention and offers a rich, thought-provoking evening.
