Arcadia Productions facts for kids

Arcadia Productions is a big theatre company in Italy that performs plays in English. It started in 1991 as 'La Nuova Arcadia' and later changed its name to Arcadia Productions in 2000. Graham Spicer and Carlo Orlandi are the directors who lead the company.

Most of Arcadia's shows are for schools, making up almost all of their audience. They are part of a special group called the Teatro per Ragazzi (Children's Theatre) network in the Lombardy region of Italy. Arcadia usually has about nine different plays ready to perform and often adds a new one each year.

Where Arcadia Performs

Arcadia Productions has its main offices in Milan, a large city in Italy. This is where their new plays are first shown to an audience. The company also stays in Milan for about 10 weeks each year.

Even though they travel a lot, Arcadia has two main theatres in Milan. One is the Teatro San Carlo, which can hold 490 people. It's right across from a famous church called Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you can see Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper. The other theatre is Teatro La Creta, which holds 400 people, located on the west side of the city.

Touring Across Italy

Arcadia Productions is a touring company, meaning they travel to many different cities. They perform in important cities and theatres all over northern and central Italy. Some of the cities they visit include Turin, Bergamo, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Udine, Pordenone, Firenze, Bologna, Imperia, Rome, Lecco, Monza, and Novara.

They also perform in some very old and beautiful theatres. These include the Teatro Coccia in Novara, the Teatro Ponchielli in Cremona, and the Teatro Fraschini in Pavia.

Arcadia's Shows

All the plays performed by Arcadia Productions are written by Graham Spicer. Carlo Orlandi is in charge of designing the sets and costumes for these shows. Here are some of the plays they have performed over the years:

• 2011 I Love London (a new version)
• 2008 Robbie the Robot
• 2007 The Great Britain Show
• 2006 William and the Sea People
• 2005 The Time Machine
• 2003 The Shakespeare Show
• 2001 Storybook
• 2000 Frankenstein
• 1999 William the Conqueror
• 1998 Shakespeare & Co.
• 1996 I Love London
• 1994 Stepping Out
• 1992 Tea For Two