The latest masterpiece from Orana Productions, Mimma blends jazz, opera and musical theatre to trace the journey of two women from completely different worlds.
The shadow of fascism spreads across Italy as Mimma, a young journalist from Turin, takes refuge at her uncle’s nightclub in Soho, London.
As another World War becomes inevitable, Mimma forges an unassailable friendship with Sarah, an aspiring jazz singer, while her family are increasingly embroiled in the resistance against Mussolini.
The two budding friends are caught in the turmoil as Soho is torn apart by arrests and internments.
England and Italy are facing their darkest hours, and Mimma is in danger of losing everything.
Everything, that is, except the one friend she can trust.
Mimma is the result of several years of collaboration between two creative minds: author, Dr Giles Watson, and composer, Ron Siemignowski.
The pair met at Ron’s house in Albany, where the musician played on his grand piano the melodies he had already written: an Italian rhumba, the beginnings of operatic arias, and tunes which seemed to belong to the era of pre-war jazz.
“The music that I wrote three and a half years ago was what really inspired the story,” Ron said.
“A tune sometimes takes on a life of its own and you don’t know what it’s going to end up sounding like.”
Ron had just two requests for the production: that it be based on wartime and that some of his songs – which have an air of Puccini about them –be sung in Italian.
The talented composer’s requests were inspired by the strong connection he has to both war stories and Italy.
His parents – who migrated to Australia in 1953 – endured the hardship of World War II and often shared war anecdotes.
“My parents talked about the fear and hysteria of the inevitable all the time, something which shines through very strong in the production,” Ron said.
Ron’s father was Polish and was taken prisoner by the Nazis, spending three years on a farm in Bavaria as forced labour.
“At the end of the war the US troops came through and put a gun to the farmer’s head and my father explained that he wasn’t a bad man and pleaded with them not to shoot him,” Ron said.
A brave man to say the least, Ron’s father went on to work as a guard at the Nuremberg Trials, in which he met and saluted US President Ike Eisenhower.
Meanwhile, Ron’s mother was German and resided in Berlin at the end of the war, during the fall of the city and the chaos which ensued.
The pair met in Germany and left Europe in search of a better life.
They settled in Fremantle, making many Italian friends who had also migrated in the wake of the war.
However, the connection between the Siemignowski name and Italy runs much deeper.
Ron’s sister-in-law Xochitl was married to an Italian by the name of Aldo.
Sadly, Aldo passed away in 2010, while Xochitl had passed away a few years earlier.
Their three teenage boys were adopted by Ron and his wife and now live with them.
“Aldo was from Turin and we’ve gone back virtually every year as the boys’ nonno and family are there,” Ron said.
It was during those trips that Ron and his family got to know a woman named Mimma, who also passed away several years ago and is honoured in the musical.
“It was Mimma’s selflessness in the face of great suffering that touched me deeply, so when Giles and I were thinking of character names, I said immediately the one that I’d like to use,” Ron explained.
Similarly, the production pays tribute to Aldo, after whom the lead male role is named.
As Ron played and Giles brainstormed, all of the characters began to form: a young Italian journalist, exiled to Britain because of her anti-fascist views; her mother and her brother, who would later participate in the genesis of the Italian Resistance; her uncle, an Italian immigrant to London and the owner of a nightclub in Soho – and his vivacious English employee, a singer who would soon be a rising star.
The musical is inspired by real-life events and people, in particular the sinking of the Arandora Star which was deporting “enemy aliens” from Britain to Canada when it was struck by a torpedo.
Some 865 civilians lost their lives, the majority of whom were Italian.
Meanwhile, the character of Mimma is loosely based on Ada Gobetti, a real-life journalist who led the anti-fascist movement and fought for democracy.
Described as a “combination of opera and musical theatre”, the production features three arias sung in Italian and stars internationally acclaimed soprano, Mirusia Louwerse, in the lead role of Mimma.
Mimma also stars world renowned baritone, Jason Barry-Smith, in the role of Aldo, and accomplished musical theatre actress, Holly Meegan, playing Sarah.
The star-studded cast, music and storyline are a recipe for success and Ron said the musical has already received interest from Brisbane and Melbourne, meaning a national tour is on the cards.
But for now, Mimma will be showing at The Regal Theatre, in Subiaco, from April 9 to 21.
Ron said he’s ready as ever to see the fruit of his labour come to life on stage.
“What started with small dreams and ambition has turned into an incredible production with an amazing cast and crew, both local and international talent investing time into creating something that we can all be proud of,” he concluded.
For more information visit the website.
To purchase tickets, head to Ticketek.
