Pulcinella Commedia dell'Arte Theatre Mask Front View

Pulcinella Commedia dell'Arte Theatre Mask Side View

Pulcinella Commedia dell’Arte Mask

£75.00

PULCINELLA - CHARACTER TRAITS

Contradictory nature: foolish yet oddly perceptive.
Dry, sharp humor with a mocking outlook on life.
Lazy posture and slouched physicality, but capable of sudden bursts of energy.
Driven by hunger, comfort, and personal ease rather than duty.
Survives through wit, absurdity, and unpredictable logic.

PRODUCT FEATURES

Durable and lightweight Pulcinella Commedia dell’Arte mask.
Made from high-impact plastic for long-lasting use.
Hand-painted to a professional performance standard finish.
Includes black elastic strap and foam pads for comfortable fit.
Suitable for both professional and student use.
Made to order in the UK. Ships in 20 working days.

ABOUT OUR COMMEDIA MASKS

Rooted in the vibrant tradition of Italian street theatre, our Commedia dell'Arte masks are made from high-impact plastic, making them durable, lightweight, and comfortable to wear. Each mask represents a classic stock character and is designed to provoke the exaggerated physicality and emotional expression that brings Commedia characters to life.

These masks are ideal for performance and invaluable tools for workshops and actor training.

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THE PULCINELLA CHARACTER IN COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE

Pulcinella is the crooked, cunning trickster whose contradictions are the heart of his humour. He is lazy yet resourceful, foolish yet strangely insightful, downtrodden yet always surviving. His voice is famously raspy or squeaking, which matches his twisted posture and unpredictable wit. Though often a servant, Pulcinella refuses to be controlled; he endures, mocks, bends the world around him, and somehow always comes out on top—by accident or by design. He is the eternal survivor, the one who laughs in the face of misfortune.

PULCINELLA’S RELATIONSHIPS AND MOTIVATIONS

Pulcinella can serve anyone—Pantalone, Il Dottore, or even Il Capitano—but he only works when he feels like it. His motivations shift constantly: hunger, sleep, curiosity, or the opportunity to cause mischief. His greatest relationship is with the world itself—he reacts to absurdity by amplifying it. He can be a friend or a betrayer, a clown or a philosopher. Sometimes he is the victim of authority; sometimes, through sheer absurdity, he becomes the one in control. Pulcinella thrives in contradiction, always reminding us that logic is optional and laughter is essential.

PULCINELLA IN PERFORMANCE: PHYSICALITY AND MOVEMENT

Pulcinella’s physicality is low, crooked, and bouncing, as though pulled by invisible strings or weighed down by life itself. The chest may collapse, the knees bend, and the arms flop loosely—yet every movement carries sharp intention when needed. His gestures often shift suddenly between laziness and startling bursts of energy. Emotion flickers quickly across his body: whining, cackling, sulking, and leaping from one state to another without warning. His humour comes from contradiction—the body says one thing, the voice another—making him one of the most versatile and surprising characters in performance.