Following her successful, sold-out debut show in 2022, Adelaide’s cultural storyteller, performer and Amazon bestselling author, Claudia Callisto, is returning to the Adelaide Fringe in 2023 with, The Good Italian Girl Presents - Italian Love is a Battlefield, a brand-new show that takes a comedic spin on the experiences of growing up in a traditional Italian immigrant family.
Based on her bestselling book, The Good Italian Girl, Claudia’s new Adelaide Fringe show is a heartwarming and entertaining stand-up comedy special that follows her journey of being a first-generation daughter of an Italian migrant family, the battles she faced with her parents, husband and the challenges she now faces on how to navigate raising her only child.
Supported with music by DJ Glen Sturman from gMotion, 80s music will nostalgically take audience members back to their youth in this coming-of-age story about the pressure to conform to unwritten cultural rules while determined to not simply be a 'good Italian girl'.
Sharing the highs and lows of being a proud Australian-Italian, Claudia has found her purpose in creating an empowering, inclusive space to connect with others of similar experiences and has made it her mission to tell the story of this generation of females.
Claudia explains, the feedback I receive from the people that have seen me perform is that I am sharing a similar story that other women in my generation experienced.
“They are overjoyed that finally another female ethnic woman from Adelaide is talking about their cultural story and experiences rather than the usual male ethnic comedian speaking on behalf of their mothers and sisters,” she continued.
“Recording the stories of our Australian-Italian heritage is very important to me and is what started me on this journey. My purpose through this show is to highlight the unique and funny aspects and what rules we were supposed to adhere to and how we managed to break or negotiate those rules in our own way!”
“The show also celebrates the strength of Italian women and inspires them to find their passion and live life on their own terms. I believe we can still be fully immersed in our cultural heritage yet be brave enough to stand out and be ourselves. I want to also encourage women to pass on those traditions to our children and show them the way, providing them a sense of belonging, freedom from guilt and allow them to be their unique selves. Your children are watching you and want to see you do something brave and then they'll be brave as well,” Claudia concluded.
Since her last Fringe show, Claudia has undertaken the art mentorship program, Vaulting Ambitions, with the Adelaide City Council and Expressions Media. The incubator program is for creative practitioners who wish to develop skills in business and promotion within the Arts community.
Her stories will soon extend to widespread audiences with the release of her unique podcast series , Good Italian Girl and Friends, in December where she invites her fellow Australian – Italian women friends from her generation to discuss their versions of growing up and how they share the positive aspects of the cultural influences with their children.
Claudia’s dreams and aspirations are to tour her show regionally, interstate and internationally.
“My big dream is to go to Brooklyn, New York and have a room full of other first generation immigrant Italian daughters watching my show and to see if they can relate to my experiences growing up in Australia.”
Claudia is also the co-founder of Shining Light, an organisation that provides women and children the tools to practice mindfulness, kindness and gratitude, as well as develop positive mindsets.
The Good Italian Girl Presents - Italian Love is a Battlefield has a limited season of just five shows in three locations during the 2023 Fringe season.
Shows are:
- Friday 17 February at 8pm at Ferg’s Stepney
- Sunday 19 February at 4pm at Ferg’s Stepney
- Friday 24 February at 7:30pm at Eliza Hall at Payinthi, Prospect Town Hall
- Sunday 26 February at 8pm at Prompt Creative Centre
- Sunday 5 March at 8pm at Prompt Creative Centre
Tickets on sale now: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/the-good-italian-girl-presents-italian-love-is-a-battlefield-af2023
About Claudia’s Fringe Show: The Good Italian Girl Presents - Italian Love is a Battlefield
Based on her bestselling book "The Good Italian Girl" Claudia Callisto presents a culturally orientated comedy performance infused with 80s music on the battles ethnic females faced with their immigrant parents to simply leave their homes to spread their wings and dance to 80s music with their friends. Despite these battles, theses experiences made our generation the strong, resilient and family focused women we are today. Now mothers ourselves we are negotiating similar but different battles with our own children and discovering that they do not realise how lucky they actually have it compared to our generation . Lets embrace the positive cultural experiences we've had instilled into us, and pass on those traditions to our children, providing a sense of belonging and freedom from guilt.