Screen Rebels Alum Alida Pantone Returns to the Stage with Lorenzo Fantini’s Surrealist Drama COSMIC MINESTRONE

After the success of their West End Screen Rebels showcase series in 2017, writer Lorenzo Fantini and actor Alida Pantone are delighted to continue their artistic collaboration with a brand new short play, Cosmic Minestrone.

Lorenzo specifically wrote the surrealist drama as a vehicle for Alida to showcase her acting talents in a theatrical chamber piece. It will debut as part of Little London Theatre Company’s New Writing show - Fragments, Dreams and Fairies.

"It’s always flattering when an author writes a piece for you, of course! And I have been blessed with Lorenzo’s writing since the very first script I was sent by Screen Rebels. Elena, my new character, it’s such an interesting woman, so full of personality, and I can’t wait to bring her on stage!” Says actress Alida Pantone.

Writer: Lorenzo Fantini

Director: Amy Reitsma

Actors
Alida Pantone
Matt McFetridge
Laura Clark

Synopsis
A man finds himself trapped in a waiting room, it’s a very peculiar waiting room, nothing like the one he was used to at Croydon Station. For a start there’s no train coming, and he will never go home again, instead he’s waiting to die. This is his final dream before his end, before he’s allowed to move on. He’s not alone. He shares the space with Elena, an acerbic Italian lady from the forties and a young woman who refuses to show her face to either of them. They all share a special connection, and could well be the key to unlocking the door that will take them onwards on their journey to the afterlife.

Biographies
Lorenzo Fantini
Lorenzo is a screenwriter from Brighton with two decades experience of international creative projects in Tokyo and London. He has worked with many artists / performers & film makers in Theatre / Fine Art & Film.

As a writer, Lorenzo has worked with in Tokyo with BBC International, Associated Press, NHK affiliate, ACC and production company, ImageMill.

On returning to the UK in 2013 Lorenzo completed an MA Program in Screenwriting at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Upon graduation in 2014, Lorenzo founded Screen Rebels, a growing community of actors, writers and film makers showcasing stage adaptations of original screenplays, in East End London, Brighton, and in 2017 a series of sell out shows in London’s West End at the prestigious Phoenix Artist Club. Several of the projects have since gone on to be adapted into produced films and theatre productions, including Lorenzo’s political drama, The Choice, produced by London Be Nice Theatre Productions in 2015.

In 2016 Lorenzo collaborated with Tin Cowboys Production to write the You Tube hit, Jedi’s Code, a Star Wars fan film. In 2017 Lorenzo began working with Dream to Screen Pictures, developing feature scripts. In 2018 working with in association with Hamster Films he’s currently developing a feature mafia thriller, Azzurra: Mafia Princess. He has recently completed Screen Rebels first short film for festival, the supernatural drama, Walk With Me.

Alida Pantone
Alida Pantone is an Actress, Director and Producer.

Her acting career includes feature films “Polar”, “The Rapture”(starring Jaime Murray, Danny Dyer, Billy Murray; Dir. by William Steel), several short-films, music videos, commercials and theatre performances (including sold-out West End showcases by Screen Rebels “Love Bites”, “Rebirth”, "Grave Tales”, “Superheroes” and “The Odysseys”).

Alida Pantone is Director of the “London Rolling Film Festival”, now on it’s 10th edition, and she has established herself also behind the camera as Producer (“Coming Back”, “Walk With Me”, "Miss Julia”, “The Guest”, “Series of Stories”), Production Manager (“The Glove”, “You’ve Got to Be Kitten Me”, "Mother’s Dirge”, “I Will Find You”) and Director (“The Guest”).

Laura Clark
Laura trained at London college of Music and Italia Conti, since graduating Laura has has appeared productions such as Sondheim’s Roadshow at the Union Theatre, Wish Upon a Star in Jersey, playing Princess Jasmin, and most recently in Mother Goose as Fairy Virtue last Christmas with Lemon Jelly Creative. Laura is delighted to be apart of this production.

Matthew McFetridge
Matthew trained at Bristol Old Vic. Credits include: Much Ado About Nothing (The Lord Chamberlain’s Men); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Reversed Shakespeare Company); Whistleblower: The Story of Edward Snowden (Waterloo East Theatre); The Emperor Jones (LOST Theatre); Doctor Faustus, Lulu: A Monster Tragedy, Macbeth (Pandemonium Performance); The Cherry Orchard (Theatro Technis); OBAMAmerica (Theatre503).

Matthew has also worked frequently in voiceover, from commercials to documentaries to corporate videos, as well as video games, including Battlefield 1 and Marvel’s Spider-Man.