Ernesto Tomasini (born 15 May 1968, in

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

) is an Italian actor/singer/writer living in Britain. Best known for his more recent forays into contemporary music, he has also had a 35-year career on the stage.

Early Performances

Tomasini begun his career at 16 on the Italian comedy circuit. Soon afterwards he landed on the legitimate stage, appearing next to one of Italy's leading stars of the time,

Duilio Del Prete Duilio Del Prete (25 June 1938 – 2 February 1998) was an Italian actor and singer-songwriter. Del Prete was born in Cuneo, Piedmont. As a singer-songwriter, he wrote political songs and recorded an album of Jacques Brel's covers; he also wrote ...

, in the national premiere of

Franz Xaver Kroetz Franz Xaver Kroetz (; born 25 February 1946) is a German author, playwright, actor and film director. He achieved great success beginning in the early 1970s. ''Persistent'', '' Farmyard'', and '' Request Concert'', all written in 1971, are some ...

's ''Death on Christmas Night''. After this he performed in numerous theatre productions, never abandoning his first love:

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

, something he continues to do to this day. He was the support act for TV comedian

Nino Frassica Antonino "Nino" Frassica (born 11 December 1950) is an Italian actor, comedian and television personality. Biography and career Born in Messina, Sicily, Frassica is mostly known for his deadpan humour, characterized by absurd jokes he descri ...

and performed on the televised (

RAI (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...

3) ''Premio

Anna Magnani Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Academy Award-winning Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of ...

''. For the ''Scuola di Cabaret'' TV show, he created comic characters that became household names and in 1990 he was awarded the prize for best comedy act from

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

Stage

In 1992 he moved to the UK where, after graduating at the Arts Educational London School, he worked as actor/singer on the West End stage ('' Chicago the Musical''), in Off-West End productions (Blind Summit's ''Mr China's Son''), with experimental theatre companies (

Lindsay Kemp Lindsay Keith Kemp (3 May 1938British Film Institute entry for Lindsa ...

) and at the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

(''The English Man...''). Having made some early experiments in the late '90s with a production called ''The Other Woman'', in 2002 Tomasini started to create (in various capacities) his own shows and first attracted attention with an appearance at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...

with ''True or Falsetto? A Secret History of the

Castrati A castrato (Italian; : castrati) is a male singer who underwent castration before puberty in order to retain a singing human voice, voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto. The voice can also occur in one who, due to ...

''. Written by Time Out critic Lucy Powell, the show was a sell out hit not only in Edinburgh but also in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

for two seasons and on international tours, in three different languages. This was followed by Ernesto's own script for ''The Veiled Screen: A Secret History of

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

!'' which has had two London runs in 2006, sponsored by the

Arts Council of England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bo ...

. Tomasini's style of performance – an operatic, dark and twisted blend of Italian Cabaret, avant-garde

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

and thought-provoking

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

– has been described "as shocking as it is moving". From 2013, after a six-year period dedicated almost exclusively to music, he returned to theatre with plays written especially for him: Andrea Cusumano's ''Petit Cheval Blanc'' (International Theatre Festival of Kerala, India, 2013),

Roberta Torre Roberta Torre (born 21 September 1962) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In 1997 she won the Nastro d'argento for best new director with her first film, ''Tano da morire'' ("To Die for Tano"). The film entered the 54th Venice Intern ...

's ''Aida'' (Biondo Theatre, Palermo, Italy, 2014), Il Mutamento's ''Mamma Schiavona'' (Teatro Astra, Turin, Italy, 2014), his own text ''Beato chi ci crede'' (Out Off Theatre, Milan, Italy, 2017), ''Lunaria'' (Napoli Teatro Festival, Naples and Italian tour, 2023), ''La signora Palermo ha due figlie'', written, directed and performed by himself (Festival Teatro Bastardo, Palermo, 2024) As

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

comedian and cabaret artist he has performed in theatres, museums, nightclubs and cultural institutes in fourteen countries around the world and has collaborated with artists as diverse as

Stephen Montague Stephen Rowley Montague (born March 10, 1943, in Syracuse, New York) is an American composer, pianist and conductor who grew up in Idaho, New Mexico, West Virginia and Florida. Musical statement ''"I write music to engage an audience, to seduc ...

Ron Athey Ron Athey (born December 16, 1961) is an American performance artist associated with body art and with extreme performance art. He has performed in the U.S. and internationally (especially in the UK and Europe). Athey's work explores challenging ...

, Carlos Motta and with the Resonance Radio Orchestra. Very active in the fashion world, Tomasini performed at the shows of hat designer Nasir Mazhar for the 2008 and 2009

London Fashion Week London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London, England, twice a year, in June and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fash ...

and for

Carlo Volpi Carlo Volpi (born February 8, 1941, in Sampierdarena) is an Italian former professional footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association ...

Pitti Uomo Pitti Immagine is a collection of fashion industry events in Italy. Pitti Immagine Uomo Pitti Uomo (in English, "Pitti Men"), is one of the world's most important platforms for men's clothing and accessory collections, and for launching new proje ...

2017.

Music

For the past 17 years he has been lending his wide vocal range to

experimental music Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...

, singing an eclectic repertoire written for him by a multitude of musicians, and, in the process, becoming an international

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

figure. He also performs a more classical repertoire, often alongside opera stars, in opera houses and concert halls. A wide vocal range combined with his melodramatic delivery have interested the press: Frontiers magazine described him as "the most exciting and flamboyant personality to shake up the opera world since

Klaus Nomi Klaus Sperber (January 24, 1944 – August 6, 1983), known professionally as Klaus Nomi, was a German countertenor noted for his wide vocal range and an unusual, otherworldly stage persona. In the 1970s, Nomi immersed himself in the East Villag ...

" and Italian newspaper

La Repubblica (; English: "the Republic") is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper with an average circulation of 151,309 copies in May 2023. It was founded in 1976 in Rome by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso (now known as GEDI Gruppo Editoriale) and l ...

called him a "prominent figure in avant-garde circuits with his seducing high voice reminiscent of those belonging to evirated singers". In 2024 he sang in

Franco Maresco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" * Franco of Cologne (mid to late 13th cent ...

's Jazz nights at Teatro Santa Cecilia (Palermo), in London's Crazy Coqs and was singer and actor in “

Derek Jarman Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman (31 January 1942 – 19 February 1994) was an English artist, film maker, costume designer, stage designer, writer, poet, gardener, and gay rights activist. Biography Jarman was born at the Royal Victoria Nursing ...

’s Blue Live” by composer

Simon Fisher Turner Simon John Fisher Turner (born 21 November 1954) is an English musician, songwriter, composer, producer and actor. After portraying Ned East in the 1971 BBC TV adaptation of '' Tom Brown's Schooldays'' and roles in films such as '' The Big Sle ...

, at the National Cinema Museum in Turin, Italy. In 2023 he took a new one-man concert to the Danae Festival in Milan and played a major role in the

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019) was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II e ...

centenary production of Donizetti‘s “

La fille du regiment LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

”, at the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, directed by Marco Gandini, musical direction Giuliano Carella, with John Osborn, Jessica Nuccio, Madelyn Renee. In 2022 he sang Cabaret chansons from the early 20th Century, with soprano Hila Baggio, directed by

Omer Meir Wellber Omer Meir Wellber (; born 28 October 1981, Beersheba) is an Israeli conductor and composer. Biography Wellber began musical studies at age 5, on accordion and piano. He became a composition student of Tania Taler at age 9. He attended the musi ...

, at the

Teatro Massimo The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe (at the time of its ...

in Palermo and at the Toscanini Festival in

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

and

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...

. In 2020 he was among the highlights at the end of year concert of the

in Palermo, also under the baton of maestro Wellber, alongside soprano

Carmen Giannattasio Carmen Giannattasio (born 24 April 1975 in Avellino) is an Italian operatic soprano. She studied at the Conservatoire Domenico Cimarosa of Avellino and simultaneously at the University of Salerno (degree in Russian and English Literatures). From 1 ...

and baritone

Markus Werba Markus Werba (born 14 November 1973) is an Austrian baritone opera singer.http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/singeroftheworld03/performers/austria.shtml Biography from BBC Biography Born in Hermagor Carinthia, Austria, Werba began his vocal training ag ...

. 2020 also saw the release of a second compilation album by the Lacerba label in which Ernesto appears alongside Myss Keta,

Federico Fiumani Diaframma is an Italian band, one of the dark wave, gothic Italian acts to come out of Florence during the early 80s along with Litfiba. Diaframma originated from the meeting of punk - though it was starting to decline at the time -, new wave ...

and others. Other collaborations include

Marc Almond Peter Mark Almond (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop/ new wave duo Soft Cell. He has a distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has had a diverse career as a ...

, the late "father of industrial music"

Peter Christopherson Peter Martin Christopherson (also known as Sleazy; 27 February 1955 – 25 November 2010) was an English musician, video director, commercial artist, designer and photographer, who was at one time a member of design agency Hipgnosis. He also ...

(founder of Coil,

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti, later joined by Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson and Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pioneers of in ...

and

Psychic TV Psychic TV (aka PTV or Psychick TV or several other aliases) were an English experimental music, experimental video art and music collective, formed by performance artist Genesis P-Orridge and Scottish musician Alex Fergusson (musician), Alex ...

Current 93 Current 93 are an English experimental music group, founded in 1982 by David Tibet. Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorte ...

(he was special guest at their first

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...

concert, alongside

Anohni Anohni Hegarty (formerly Antony Hegarty), styled as ANOHNI, is an American singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She has presented solo work and as the lead singer of the band Anohni and the Johnsons, formerly known as Antony and the Johnsons. ...

), electronic producer Shackleton (who wrote for him "Devotional Songs“, the critically acclaimed live show and album, which was among the best of 2016 for ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

'', ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'' and many more), producer

Man Parrish Manuel Parrish (born May 6, 1958) is an American songwriter, vocalist and producer. He, along with artists such as Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kraftwerk, Art of Noise, Arthur Baker, Afrika Bambaataa, John Robie, Jellybean Benitez, Lotti Golden, Ric ...

(on two tracks in compilation albums, one with

Joey Arias Joey Arias, also known as Joseph Arias and Joe Arias, is an American artist based in New York City, best known for work as a performance artist, cabaret singer, and drag artist, but also as a published author, comedian, stage persona and film ...

Julia Kent Julia Kent is a Canadian cellist and composer from Vancouver, Canada, and based in New York City, United States. She has performed as a member of Rasputina and with Antony and the Johnsons. Musical career Kent creates music using looped cello ...

(

Antony & the Johnsons Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons) is a music ensemble originally based in New York City that presents the work of English singer-songwriter Anohni and her collaborators. The band released its self-titled deb ...

Andrew Liles Andrew Liles (born 11 March 1969) is a British sound artist and multi-instrumentalist. He has released recordings since the mid-1980s, covering a variety of styles as experimental music, dark ambient music, progressive rock and hints of hard ...

( Nurse With Wound), Rolo McGinty of

The Woodentops The Woodentops are a British rock band that enjoyed critical acclaim and moderate popularity in the mid-1980s. History The band formed in 1983 in South London with an initial lineup of Rolo McGinty (vocals, guitar, formerly of the Wild Swans ...

, Spiritual Front, members of , Othon, Adam Donen and José Macabra, with whom he opened the 2011 Drop Dead Festival in Berlin. Tomasini is singer/songwriter of the prog-rock band Almagest!, with which he tours extensively, appearing in venues like the Volksbuehne in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and festivals like the

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...

Fest. He has sung his repertoire in London venues like the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

(main house and Elgar Room),

Purcell Room The Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats. The Purcell Ro ...

, National Theatre, Roundhouse,

Cadogan Hall Cadogan Hall is a 950-seat capacity concert hall in Sloane Terrace in Chelsea, London, Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. The resident music ensemble at Cadogan Hall is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( ...

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in En ...

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

, and in historical theatres, museums and churches around the world. As a recording artist he sings on 17 albums, four singles, five music videos and on the soundtrack of a film by

Bruce LaBruce Bruce LaBruce (born January 3, 1964) is a Canadian artist, writer, filmmaker, photographer, and underground director based in Toronto. Life and career LaBruce was born in Tiverton, Ontario. He has claimed both Justin Stewart and Bryan Bruce a ...

Radio, Cinema and TV

On radio he has sung, acted and was interviewed on all the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

stations, Classic FM, RAI Radio3,

Radio Nacional de España Radio Nacional de España (acronym RNE, branded rne, "National Radio of Spain") is the national Government-owned corporation, state-owned public service broadcasting, public service radio broadcaster in Spain. RNE is the radio division and T ...

Radio New Zealand Radio New Zealand (), commonly known as RNZ or Radio NZ, is a New Zealand public service broadcaster and Crown entity. Established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995, it operates news and current affairs station, RNZ National, and a classi ...

Radiotelevisione svizzera Radiotelevisione svizzera, officially Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana (; "Swiss Radiotelevision of the Italian Language"), shortened to RSI (formerly RTSI until 2009), is a subsidiary of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SS ...

and on major stations in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and the US. In film, he has appeared in features for

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

and

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

, working with directors such as

Alfonso Cuarón Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( ; ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. List of awards and nominations received by Alfonso Cuarón, His accolades include four Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and seven BAFTA Awards. Cuarón made h ...

and Peter Hewitt. The short documentary ''Ernesto Tomasini: One Life to Live'' (2018) premiered on Dangerous Minds before screening at the Sicilia Queer Filmfest, as part of a retrospective on his career. His Italian film debut came with ''Ciurè'' (2022), in which he plays a major role, followed by his starring role in ''Quir'' (2024), an award-winning Swiss production, premiering at the

Taormina Film Festival Taormina Film Fest (TFF) is an annual film festival that takes place at Taormina, Sicily, Italy, in July. It was established in 1955 in Messina, and in 1957 became Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina, until it moved per ...

before its theatrical release in September 2025. As a voiceover artist, he has collaborated with Oscar-winning filmmakers like

James Ivory James Francis Ivory (born Richard Jerome Hazen June 7, 1928) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was a principal in Merchant Ivory Productions along with Indian film producer Ismail Merchant (his domestic and professio ...

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

, and

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. Known for Kevin Spacey on screen and stage, his work on stage and screen, he List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Spacey, has received numerous accolades, including two ...

. His TV appearances in the UK include BBC, ITV, and Sky productions. In 2013 he was at the centre of the documentary ''Heavenly Voices – The Legacy of Farinelli'' (2013), performing alongside the world’s leading countertenors. In Italy he has been frequently interviewed on RAI 3 about his stage work and in April 2025 he was, on that same channel, in the cast of ''Ricordando Letizia'' a short film by Italian Maestro

. In 2015, he was the face of the House of Fraser lipstick campaign, and in 2016, he starred in ''Symphony to a Lost Generation'', the world’s first holographic opera.

Other

In 2012 he was included in the Theatre/Music section of ''Eccellenza Italiana'' (Italian Excellency, with presentation by the President of the

Republic of Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Giorgio Napolitano Giorgio Napolitano (; 29 June 1925 – 22 September 2023) was an Italian politician who served as President of Italy from 2006 to 2015, the first to be re-elected to the office. In office for 8 years and 244 days, he was the longest-serving pre ...

), for representing Italy in the world. In 2013 he was awarded the prize "Sicilian in the World" and in 2016 received the keys to the city by the mayor of his hometown of Palermo.
A lecturer on theatre history and techniques he has given master-classes to drama students in England,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. Tomasini is the only Italian to have given a masterclass at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
His work and performance style are discussed in four books and an academic essay.
For two years (2010–2012) Ernesto was the London correspondent of the Italian magazine ''Musical!''.

Discography

* ''Black Widow'' (album, 2007) Beta Lactam-ring Records * ''Black Sea'' (album, 2007) Beta Lactam-ring Records * ''When I Leave You'' (single, 2007) Othon Mataragas * ''Canes Venatici'' (album, 2007) Blossoming Noise * ''Otto; or, Up With Dead People'' (soundtrack album, 2008) Crippled Dick Hot Wax! * ''Digital Angel'' (album, 2008) Durtro Jnana * ''The Hunting Dogs of Boötes the Herdsman'' (album, 2010) Chew-z * ''Last Night I Paid To Close My Eyes'' (single, 2011) Cherry Red/SFE * ''Impermanence'' (album, 2011) Cherry Red/SFE * ''Impermanence'' (single, 2012) Cherry Red/SFE * ''Düde'' (album, 2012) Tin Angel Records * ''Messier Objects'' (album 2013) Tourette Records * ''InSonar, L'Enfant et le Ménure'' (album, 2013) Lizard Records * ''Dawn Yet To Come'' (single, 2014) Cherry Red/SFE * ''Pineal'' (album, 2014) Cherry Red/SFE * ''Devotional Songs'' (album, 2016) Honest Jon * ''Madame E'' (album, 2017) Undogmatisch * ''Star'' (album, 2017) Parrish Digital * ''Fun House Mirrors'' (album, 2017) Backwards Records * ''Plaisir'' (single, 2018) Undogmatisch * ''LB/R La Bellezza Riunita'' (album, 2018) Lacerba * ''Amour Braque'' (album, 2018) Prophecy * ''La Bellezza Eccetera'' (album, 2020) Lacerba

Bibliography

* Autori vari. ''Incontroazione 70/96 – 20 anni + 1'', Theatrum Mundi Edizioni 1997 * Marinelli, Manlio. ''Per un teatro degli spazi'', Theatrum Mundi Edizioni, 2001 * Scarlini, Luca. ''Lustrini per il regno dei cieli''. Bollati Boringhieri, 2008 * Autori vari. ''Teatro Libero. Quarant’anni: Le creazioni di Beno Mazzone e Lia Chiappara, 1969–2009'', Theatrum Mundi Edizioni 2009 * * Tomaz Pires, Luìs. ''The Julie Andrews Visual Encyclopedia''. Lisbon: Pires, 2011 * Cazzato, Luigi (cur). ''Orizzonte sud''. Besa, 2011 * Jackson, Stanley. ''Get Me a Celebrity''. Ecademy Press, 2011 * Guarracino, Serena. ''Donne di passioni'', Editoria&Spettacolo, 2011 * Palumbo Crocco, Cristina (with a preface by the President of the

). ''Eccellenza Italiana''. Rubbettino, 2012 * Pajdic, Predrag & Nash, JL. ''Beneath the Shadows the Soul Walks''. The Pandorian, 2012 * Johnson, Dominic (cur). ''Pleading in the Blood: The Art and Performances of

''. Intellect Live, 2013 * Esposito, Igor. Torre, Roberta. Tomasini, Ernesto. ''Aida, il grande circo dell'aldilà''. Glifo Edizioni, 2014 * Frignani, Enrico. ''Sofa''. Frignani, 2015 * Cresti, Antonello. ''Solchi sperimentali Italia''. Crac Edizioni, 2015 * Arrevad, Magnus. ''Boy Story''. Red Room Books, 2015 * Pegg, Nicholas. ''The Complete David Bowie''. Titan Books, 2016 * McLeod, Jamie. ''I Created Me''. Timeless, 2017 * McAllister-Viel, Tara. ''Training Actors' Voices''. Routledge, 2018 * Sartorius, Benedikt. ''Listen Up! 313 Popletter''. Edition Taberna Kritika, 2021 * Pegg, Nicholas (Goffette, Christophe translator). ''Tout Bowie''. Nouveau Monde (French translation of “The Complete David Bowie”), 2021 * Autori vari. ''Andrea Cusumano: Raumdramaturgie''. SilvanaEditoriale, 2023 * Giunta, Andrea. ''Diversidad y arte latinoamericano''. Siglo Veintiuno Editores, 2024 * Various authors. ''Andrea Cusumano: Biawe''. BWA (PL), 2025

Selection of Work in Variety, Cabaret and Performance Art

*''The LA Italian Revue'', Los Angeles (variety – 1984, USA) *''The Victoria Series'', Palermo (cabaret – 1988/93, I) *''Support for Nino Frassica'', Palermo (cabaret – 1991, I) *''The Lenny Beige Show at the Regency Rooms'', London (variety – 1998, UK) *''The Amazing Tomasini at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow'' (cabaret – 2001, UK) *''Stars Fall From Heaven at the Colourscape Festival'', London (performance art – 2006, UK) *''The History of Ecstasy'' at MADRE Museum, Naples (performance art – 2009, I) *''Tomasini/Macabra Trans4Leben'' at the MILKandLEAD art gallery, London (performance art – 2011, UK) *''Lascia o raddoppia?'', London (performance art – 2011, UK) *''Alternative Miss Liverpool'' (cabaret – 2011, UK) *''Franko B's Untouchable'', London (cabaret −2013, UK) *''New Year Celebrations in Piazza Politeama'', Palermo (variety – 2015, I) *''Bowie Night at Ace Hotel'', London (with

Lindsay Kemp Lindsay Keith Kemp (3 May 1938British Film Institute entry for Lindsa ...

Holly Johnson William "Holly" Johnson (born 9 February 1960) is an English singer, songwriter and artist, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s. Prior to that, in the late 1970s he ...

. variety – 2016, UK) *''Heavenly Voices/Sensual Bodies'' at the Teatro Massimo, Palermo (illustrated lecture – 2017, I) *''Franco Maresco's "Io e il Jazz"'' (6 episodes) at Real Teatro Santa Cecilia for the Brass Group, Palermo (variety - 2025, I)

Selection of Theatre Work

*''Morte nella notte di Natale'' (play – 1988, I) *''Ballarò'' (play – 1989, I) *''Nasci lu iornu'' (musical – 1993, I) *''Volti Lunari'' (play – 1994, UK) *''Reunion in Genthin'' (play – 1995, UK) *''Grand Hotel – The Musical'' (musical – 1995, UK) *''The Tempest'' (play – 1995, UK) *''Varietè'' (dark operetta – 1996/97, UK) *''The Other Woman'' (compilation musical – 1998/99, UK) *''The Conquering Hero of Seville'' (play – 1999, UK) *''Mr China's Son'' (multimedia play with music – 2002, UK) *''True or Falsetto? A Secret History of the Castrati'' (one man musical – 2002–2007, UK + world tour) *''The Englishman Sits in a Caravan at St Osyth/Singing'' (opera – 2003, UK) *''Cabaret – The Musical'' (musical – 2003, UK) *''Chicago – The Musical'' (musical – 2004/05, UK) *''The Veiled Screen: A Secret History of Hollywood'' (one man musical – 2005/06, UK) *''Camurrìa!'' (musical – 2008, UK) *''Petit Cheval Blanc'' (play – 2013, India) *''Aida'' (musical – 2014, I) *''Mamma Schiavona'' (play with music – 2014, I) *''Beato chi ci crede'' (musical – 2017, I) *''Lunaria'' (play with music - 2023, I) *''La signora Palermo ha due figlie'' (play with music - 2024, I)

Selection of TV, Film and Radio Work

*''Premio Anna Magnani'' (RAI 3, TV – 1990, I) *''Woman's Hour'' (BBC Radio 4 – 1998, UK) *''Outlook'' (BBC World Radio – 2002) *''Thunderpants'' (Pathè, Film – 2002, UK) *''Walking the Outer Road'' (Radio New Zealand – 2003, NZ) *''Crowded Skies'' (BBC2, TV – 2003, UK) *''Dream Team'' (Sky, TV – 2004, UK) *''The Bottle Factory Outing'' (BBC Radio 4 – 2005, UK) *''Children of Men'' (Universal Pictures, Film – 2006, USA) *''Siglo 21'' (Radio 3 Nacional de España – 2007, Es) *''Otto; or, Up with Dead People'' (Film soundtrack – 2008, Ger) *''Stoo Kuinnutu'' (Reverso, music video – 2009, Ger) *''Othon & Tomasini en vivo a la Bienal de Zamora'' (Radio Nacional de España – 2009, Es) *''Forget Me Not'' (Quicksilver Films, Film – 2010, UK) *''Carne cruda (Othon & Tomasini en vivo y entrevista)'' (Radio Nacional de España – 2010, Es) *''Last Night I Paid To Close My Eyes'' (Cherry Red/SFE, music video – 2011, UK/Dm) *''Impermanence'' (Cherry Red/SFE, music video – 2012, UK/Dm) *''Heavenly Voices: The Legacy of Farinelli'' (Tico Films, documentary – 2013, EU) *''Ciurè'' (Social Star, Film - 2022, I) *''Quir'' (Soap Factory, Docu-film - 2024, CH) *''Ricordando Letizia'' (Fuori orario/Rai 3, TV - 2025, I)

Selection of Concerts and Recitals

*''COPA at the Royal Albert Hall'' (concert – 2001, UK) *''State of the Nation at the Purcell Room'' (concert – 2002, UK) *''Andrew Liles + Ernesto Tomasini & Nurse With Wound at the Sala Apolo, Barcelona'' (concert – 2007, Es) *''Othon & Tomasini's First European tour'' (concert – 2007/08 EU) *''The Angelic Conversation with Peter Christopherson's The Threshold HouseBoys Choir in Turin'' (live soundtrack – 2008, I) *''Current 93 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, with guests Antony, Marc Almond and Ernesto Tomasini'' (concert – 2008, UK) *''Andrew Liles + Ernesto Tomasini & Nurse With Wound at the Wet Sounds Festival, London'' (concert – 2008, UK) *''Palumbo/Tomasini's Canes Venatici live at the Auditòrio de Serralves, Porto'' (concert – 2008, PT) *''London Fashion Week, Nasir Mazhar spring show, London'' (recital – 2009, UK) *''Ernesto Tomasini sings: Othon, Canes Venatici and Andrew Liles at the PRE Final Fest, Rome'' (concert – 2009, I) *''Othon & Tomasini at The Queen Elizabeth Hall (The Front Room), London'' (recital – 2009, UK) *''Othon & Tomasini special guests at Marc Almond's Roundhouse concert, London'' (concert – 2009, UK) *''Othon & Tomasini in the West End (Leicester Square Theatre), London'' (concert – 2010, UK) *''Othon & Tomasini at the National Portrait Gallery, London'' (concert – 2010, UK) *''Palumbo/Tomasini's Canes Venatici live at the Volksbuehne, Berlin'' (concert – 2010, D) *''Othon & Tomasini at the Teatro Lara, Madrid'' (concert – 2010, Es) *''Palumbo/Tomasini's Almagest! at the Kampnagel, Hamburg'' (concert – 2011, D) *''Palumbo/Tomasini's Almagest! at the Natural History Museum, Turin'' (concert – 2011, I) *''Tomasini/Macabra Trans4Leben at the Drop Dead Festival, Berlin'' (concert – 2011, D) *''Othon & Tomasini at Chelsea Theatre, Impermanence'' (concert – 2011 UK) *''Othon & Tomasini Live in London at St Leonard's Church Shoreditch'' (concert – 2012 UK) *''Almagest! at Kurt Weill Fest'' (concert – 2013, D) *''Poems After Lorca at the Cadogan Hall, London'' (concert −2014, UK) *''Pineal at the Garage, London'' (concert – 2014, UK) *''Deliquium at Electrowerks, London'' (concert – 2015, UK) *''TG Body Probe at the Coronet, London'' (concert – 2015, UK) *''Ninja Tunes at St John at Hackney, London'' (concert – 2015, UK) *''Shackleton/Tomasini at

CaixaForum CaixaForum is a series of museums, galleries and exhibition centres sponsored by Catalan bank and not-for-profit La Caixa. It has the following locations: * CaixaForum Barcelona * CaixaForum Madrid * CaixaForum Lleida * CaixaForum Palma * CaixaFo ...

, Madrid and Barcelona'' (concert – 2015, Es) *''Tomasini Masterclass at

, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts'' (recital – 2016, UK) *''Ernesto Tomasini Live, Teatro Biondo, Palermo'' (recital – 2016, UK) *''Shackleton/Tomasini at Arma17, Moscow'' (concert – 2016, RU) *''Shackleton/Tomasini at

EYE An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

, Amsterdam'' (concert – 2016, NL) *''Concerto di San Silvestro at Teatro Massimo, Palermo'' (concert - 2020, I) *''Cabaret!'' Toscanini Festival, Reggio Emilia and Teatro Massimo, Palermo (concert - 2022, I) *''Degenerata!'' at Mosso for Danae Festival, Milan (concert - 2023, I) *''Derek Jarman's "Blue" Live'' with

at the Cinema Museum, Turin (live soundtrack - 2024, I) *''Degenerata!'' at Crazy Coqs, London (concert - 2024, UK) *''Franco Maresco's "Io e il Jazz", ep.3'' at Real Teatro Santa Cecilia for the Brass Group, Palermo (concert - 2024, I)

References

External links

Ernesto Tomasini official website

Ernesto Tomasini on Facebook

Ernesto Tomasini
at

Last.fm Last.fm is a music website founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Utilizing a music recommender system known as "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm creates a detailed profile of each user's musical preferences by recording the details of the tracks they ...

*
British Theatre Guide
review by Gill Stoker, 2003
La Stampa
article from 2007
Mixtape
interview by Biku Stratake on Greek National Press, 2007 {{DEFAULTSORT:Tomasini, Ernesto 1968 births British male film actors Musicians from Palermo Living people British male radio actors British male television actors Male actors from Palermo