CHOIN is inspired by the pig call farmers use in Sardinia—“CHOIN, CHOIN!”—direct, ridiculous, and honest. It follows a Sardinian guy who comes to London (with broken English, a suitcase full of dreams, and a very questionable sense of class) to become a professional actor. He ends up in restaurant jobs, awkward auditions, and slowly builds his ultimate showcase—full of Shakespeare, slapstick, theatrical chaos, and a few too many ideas. We sat down and had this conversation with its creator, Mattia.
What was the first spark of inspiration for CHOIN?
It all started with Andrew saying “I want you to be a T-Rex”. But CHOIN has been built gradually with my director and friend Aitor Basauri, and my friends Euan and Andrew. And in rehearsals, after a few experiments, we quickly understood that there isn’t anything funnier and more ridiculous than the truth. And this crazy and silly show came out.
Clowning can be so vulnerable and raw – how do you balance humor with the deeper emotional themes in the show?
Look- as you said clowning is about vulnerability. There are moments that sometimes are very emotional and beautiful, and the same scene sometimes can be very funny depending on how the show goes. At the end of the day, it’s the audience that decides what’s funny.
Was there a particular scene or moment in CHOIN that was the hardest to get right – or the most rewarding when you did?
There’s always something, I’d say. Sometimes a scene works very well, and then the other you were cold with, suddenly works wonderfully. My favourite scene, and the audiences’, changes all the time which is something that I love about performing this show.
What’s something the UK theatre industry taught you – about yourself or your craft – that surprised you?
By trying to fit in it, the UK theatre industry taught me that, no matter what I can try to be, I will always be a stupidly stubborn and proud Sardinian man.
What do you hope audiences take away from CHOIN?
I hope they will laugh a lot and that they’d relate more to the perspective of an immigrant and working class in an elitist city like London.
For info and ticket: https://museumofcomedy.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873654824