Antonella Fittipaldi on ‘SCALENO’ at The Libra Theatre Café
After the success of our 2025 Camden Fringe Interviews, we thought it only right to attempt a repeat for 2026. So throughout July we’ll be publishing new interviews each day to give a taste of what to expect from London’s best fringe theatre festival. The festival starts Monday 3 August this year, so we may give ourselves a couple of days off inbetween the end of the interviews and the first shows… then again, we might not.
You can find out more about Camden Fringe, along with details of every show playing this August here. You can also find all of this year’s interviews as they are published here.
What happens when you look inward so deeply that you meet three distinct, clashing versions of yourself on stage—including the wounded one?
Coming to The Libra Theatre Café for Camden Fringe 2026 (as well as heading to The Studio Beyond for Liverpool Fringe in October), SCALENO – One Body, Three Voices is a deeply vulnerable, physical solo show created, written, and performed by Italian theatre artist Antonella Fittipaldi for la Nuda Compagnia.
Named after the scalene triangle, where no two sides or angles are ever equal, the piece explores self-discovery, emotional friction, and internal compromise. We caught up with Antonella to talk about undergoing 12 revisions of an autobiographical script, bringing Neapolitan humour to London, and why success looks like building a lasting artistic home in the UK.
If you had to describe the vibe of SCALENO in just one sentence, what would it be?
A room where music keeps reverberating. On stage, it’s the body that creates the reverberation.
Why is 2026 the absolute right moment for this show to step onto the stage?
2026 is the year I started talking about myself for the very first time. That’s why this show exists.
How much did the text change from your initial draft to the version we see today?
There are literally 12 complete revisions of this show! Because it is deeply autobiographical, I kept changing as a person while writing it, and every time I changed, the show had to change too. The writing process became an endless cycle. In the end, the ultimate compromise was forcing myself to stop evolving for at least a few months so I could freeze the script!
How challenging has it been to perform these three distinct sides of yourself?
I play three distinct versions of myself, including the wounded one. Sometimes, while listening to myself deliver those lines during rehearsals, I almost felt a sense of self-loathing. Confronting those parts directly on stage demands a lot.
If you had to describe SCALENO as a dish, what would it be?
Fish-filled tortellini with rich ragù sauce. Three very strong flavours that probably shouldn’t work together on paper, but somehow do. Like the three internal voices in SCALENO, they clash, compete for space, and stubbornly refuse to blend into something neat and harmonious.
What about as a drink at the venue bar?
Ask The Libra Theatre Café! They’re actually planning to create a special three-flavoured signature cocktail specifically for SCALENO during the run.
Write a one-sentence “fake review” of the show from your family.
My Neapolitan grandmother, who is no longer with us, is mentioned in SCALENO. I imagine her saying this (obviously in full Neapolitan dialect):
“Honestly, I didn’t understand a single thing. But she looked happy, and that’s what matters! Along with her health, obviously. Now, can somebody please tell me what the hell a Scaleno is?”
What does “success” look like for you this August beyond selling tickets?
I’ve always loved British theatre and British storytelling. For me, true success would be the possibility of building a long-term artistic relationship with the UK, not just through this show, but through my broader work as a writer, director, and performer.
Is there a question missing that you feel we should be asking?
“Wouldn’t it have been easier if your dream had been to be an accountant?”
And the answer is: Yes. Absolutely.
Many thanks to Antonella for her time. SCALENO – One Body, Three Voices plays at The Libra Theatre Cafe from Monday 17 to Thursday 20 August.
