Co-production of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Marin Držić Theatre, and the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb as part of the K-HNK project
Translation and Adaptation: Morana Čale
Director: Krešimir Dolenčić
Set Designer: Stefano Katunar
Costume Designer: Željka Franulović
Composer: Stanko Juzbašić
Consultant and Collaborator for the Music of Dubrovnik and Dalmatia: Vicko Dragojević
Lighting Designer: Marko Mijatović
Assistant Director: Roza Jurić
Assistant Set Designer: Marta Dolenčić
Assistant Costume Designer: Ana Roko
Language Consultant: Maro Martinović
Sound Operator: Marin Lucianović
Stage Manager: Anita Bubalo
Cast
Patrun Tonko, owner of the fishing boat: Joško Ševo
Mrs Pavle, Patrun Tonko’s wife: Ksenija Prohaska
Luce, a young girl, Patrun Tonko’s sister: Nika Lasić
Đivo, a young fisherman: Bojan Beribaka
Baldo, a young man, Patrun Tonko’s brother: Nikola Radoš
Patrun Nikša: Borko Perić
Mrs Made, Patrun Nikša’s wife: Angela Bulum
Ore, a young girl, Mrs Made’s sister: Nika Matušić
Franica, another young girl, Mrs Made’s sister: Nikolina Prkačin
Gospar Vice, fisherman: Boris Matić
Duje, boatman: Stipe Radoja
Šiško, deputy clerk of the Criminal Court: Marjan Nejašmić Banić
Zdur, herald of the Criminal Court: Branimir Vidić Flika
Vlaho / Kanjac: Maro Drobnić
Mol: Luka Bokić
Fra Božo: Božo Petric
Venetian playwright Carlo Goldoni transformed Italian comedy by moving away from the traditional commedia dell’arte with its masked characters and improvisations, replacing them with realistic characters, a firmly structured plot, and colloquial speech. One of his best-known works, Brawling in Chioggia, written in 1762, has enjoyed widespread popularity and has often been adapted to local dialects for Croatian stages.
This new interpretation of the classic masterpiece emphasises the social context shaping the female identity. Everyday lives, romantic relationships between fishermen and their wives, jealousy, gossip, and squabbles are only some of the topics underlying the vibrant nature of Goldoni’s writing. Relying on witty dialogue and spirited confrontation, the father of modern Italian comedy vividly captures the mentality and passions of “ordinary people” by skillfully weaving together the past, present, and future.
The premiere performance at the park of the Dubrovnik Art School served as a reminder of the long tradition of staging this play in various outdoor settings. As a co-production of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Marin Držić Theatre, and the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Brawling in Chioggia was also performed on our stage in the 2025/2026 season.
Morana Čale adapted this classic comedy to the local Dubrovnik idiom for the production directed by Krešimir Dolenčić.
