COSI Original daybill Movie Poster Toni Collette Rachel Griffiths

Cosi (1996)

Directed by Mark Joffe.

With  Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Aden Young, Colin Friels, Jacki Weaver, Pamela Rabe, Paul Chubb, Colin Hay, David Wenham, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Kerry Walker, Robin Ramsay, Henry Maas

Lewis is a young Sydney amateur theater director at his first experience: he is offered a job with a Governmental program for the rehabilitation of mentally ill patients in a Sydney institution for mentally ill. His project is overrun by one of the patients Roy who wants to put on stage Cosi Fan Tutte (Mozart). None of the patients in the cast is able to sing and none of them knows Italian which is the language of the libretto. Through a lot of difficulties Lewis and his cast develop a deep understanding. The play smartly adapted for the unusual cast is finally produced: lots of unforeseen situations solved ‘a la crazy way’but indeed brilliantly. Great success and sad farewell of the director from his cast.