It is one of the most loved and long-running shows in the Bari area, which has attracted people since 2011 Castellana Grotte, visitors from all over the world.
The 14 August “Hell in the Cave” stages his replica number 500, an absolute record for the world's first underground aerial show inspired by the verses of Dante's Inferno. The show combines dance, voices, sounds, and lights in the natural setting of the Grave, directed by the filmmaker Enrico Romita on the actress's dramaturgy Giusy Frallonardo.
Dante's Inferno comes to life approximately 70 meters below the surface of the Grotte, where some of the most famous cantos are performed. They give body and voice to Minos, Pier delle Vigne, Paolo and Francesca, Brunetto Latini, Ulysses, and, finally, Beatrice.
The idea of "Hell in the Cave” was born in Castellana Grotte in the early 90s, but its promo was only made in early 2008 thanks to the support of the municipal administration of the time and the Province of Bari. It became permanent thanks to the ERDF funds and has continued to perform for 12 years, attracting several generations of spectators and numerous artists.
«Hell in the Cave is one of the few permanent shows in Italy that boasts such resounding success. The idea of permanent residency was immediate and concomitant with the project. - Explains Giusy Frallonardo, actress and playwright of the opera – Because director Enrico Romita had studied the project for a permanent show in the French Vendée and believed it could be similar to the Castellana Caves. In reality, the project proved much more complex. Panointed to systematize this spectacle with other tourist attractions of the Caves, and transform Hell in the Cave into a real tourist destination, as has happened."
In short, Castellana Grotte, like Broadway, is a destination for curious spectators eager to be captivated by the magic and power of Dante's verses. The theatrical dynamics, in fact, captivate the audience and lead them on an extraordinary sensory and immersive adventure. In "Hell in the Cave”the spectators and the actors become one and manage to contaminate each other culturally and emotionally.
On stage, each performance features 20 to 25 artists. Since its inception, 150 artists have performed, some of whom have gone on to international careers and have had the opportunity to perform in shows around the world.
Over the years two choreographers have alternated and since 2014 the person responsible for the choreography is Vito Cassano of the EleinaD Company. The original music was entrusted to Mirko Signorile, Paolo Pace, Giuseppe de Trizio and Adolfo La Volpe.
The replicas of Hell in the Cave will continue in the months of August and September: 14, 19 and 26 August; 2, 9, 16 and 30 September.
