Alessandro Sciarroni

Augusto alludes to the figure of the crazy and euphoric clown, always drunk and with a red nose, who laughs about everything. But the term Augustus also means imperial, distinct and that is why it was chosen as the name of the first Roman Emperor.  Nine performers—actors, dancers, and singers—-express themselves physically and vocally through laughter. They laugh to express joy and emotion but also suffering, rage and fear. They laugh continuously and with no reason while they walk, run, meet and hug each other. Between laughter and search for intimate or collective catharsis, this is a show about pain and the need of being unconditionally loved.
Italian choreographer Alessandro Sciarroni received the Golden Lion Award for Life Achievement in Dance at the Venice Biennale in 2019.


Alessandro Sciarroni is an Italian artist active in the field of the performing arts with several years of experience in visual arts and theatre research. His works are presented in contemporary dance and theatre festivals, museums and art galleries, as well as in unconventional spaces, and involve professionals from different disciplines. His work goes beyond the traditional definitions of genre. His starting point is a conceptual Duchamp-like matrix, but he makes use of a theatrical framework, and can employ some techniques and experiences from dance, circus or sports. In addition to the rigour, coherence and clarity of each creation, his work tries to uncover obsessions, fears and fragilities of the act of performing, by means of repetition and bringing the performers to the limits of physical endurance, looking for a different dimension of time and for an empathic relationship between the audience and the performers. His works have been performed worldwide, from Europe to South and North America, to the Middle East and Asia. Alessandro Sciarroni is associated artist at Centquatre-Paris and has the support of apap – Performing Europe 2020 as focus artist.