Characters| Nedda | Colombina |
|---|
| Canio | Nedda's husband - Pagliaccio |
|---|
| Tonio | Taddeo |
|---|
| Beppe | Arlecchino |
|---|
| Silvio | Nedda's lover |
|---|
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
Pagliacci - 2012
In a village in Calabria.
Prologue
On August 15th at noon, a troupe of travelling players arrive in a village in Calabria. The hunchback actor, Tonio, announces to the audience before the performance that the drama which will be presented is based on reality and invites them to reflect on the soul of the comedians outside of the make-believe scene.
ACT I
A crossroads at the entrance to a village
At the little theatre tent which has been put up at the entrance to the village people are waiting for the return of the comedians who have gone around the villagers to promote their production. Tonio, known as the 'idiot', is bored and lies down in front of the theatre. The mobile theatre cart comes onto the scene and Canio invites the audience, who have gathered as a result of being attracted by the hubbub, to the performance at 11pm. Tonio, while he is helping Nedda down from the carriage, is given a slap by Canio and is sent away. He is full of rage and makes a promise to himself that he will get revenge for having been offended. When the villagers invite the comedians Canio, Beppe and Tonio to the osteria, the latter escapes with an excuse and enters into the theatre.
Somebody insinuates that Tonio is attracted to Canio's wife, Nedda and Canio replies grimly that he would not hesitate to knife Tonio if this were true. Nedda, left alone, dispels through her singing her worry about her husband's jealousy and threats. Tonio who, after hearing her song, comes out from under the tent and cries out to her how much he desires her and also tries to kiss her but is Nedda slashes at him with a whip and he escapes shouting about the revenge he will have. Silvio, Nedda's lover, arrives and tries to calm her down when she shows her worry with regard to Tonio's and her husband's threats, and he proposes that they elope together that very night. Nedda is dubious but then she affirms that she wants to have a peaceful life of love and confirms that she wants to go along with his plans of the nocturnal escape. Tonio returns to the tent and catches them discussing their departure and also witnesses their embrace and runs to warn Canio who rushes back in fury but not in time to catch his wife's lover who has escaped in the meantime. Nedda refuses to reveal her lover's name and while Canio is about to hit her he is stopped by Beppe and Tonio who urge him to calm down as the performance is about to begin.
ACT II
The people take their seats and Silvio also takes his place among the crowd. Nedda, who walks past him, pleads with him to be cautious even if Canio didn't recognize him and Silvio reminds her that in the dead of night he will be waiting for her so they can escape together.
The comedy begins. In the play, Colombina welcomes her lover Arlecchino to her house who suggests that they escape together. He has brought a bottle of wine, also a phial with a sleeping potion, which she is to give her husband, when opportunity strikes, so that, while he sleeps, she and Arlecchino may elope together. Pagliaccio is returning home, he knows everything and is convinced that he wants to get revenge for the betrayal of his wife but Arlecchino escapes from the window calling back to Nedda not to forget about the nighttime appointment. Pagliaccio rushes in but is not in time to see Nedda's lover and at this point the jokes of the comedy are intertwined with the real drama that is taking place. Now it is to Nedda, not to Colombina that Canio asks the name of the lover he wants to kill. She mocks him and the dialogue has such dramatic undertones that the audience fear that on the stage a real drama is about to unfold. In fact for Canio it isn't actually a comedy anymore: either he discovers the name of the lover or he will kill his wife and so Nedda responds that, at the risk of losing her own life, she will never tell him.
Furious, Canio throws himself at her. Beppe tries to defend Nedda but Tonio prevents him from doing so and Silvio runs towards the stage drawing his dagger. Canio strikes Nedda with a knife and as she is falling to the ground in agony, she makes a plea to Silvio. It is in this way that Canio discovers the name he was looking for and while Silvio jumps up onto the stage Canio kills him with his knife. In the confusion between people who are trying to escape and those who hasten to arrest him he lets the knife fall and exclaims in a desolate manner: "The comedy is over ".