AS A COMEDIAN/WRITER
1988
He hosted a comedy programme on a Milanese radio station for a full two days. Nobody listened to it.
1990
He formed the comedy duo “Gabipede and Lattanzio”, with whom he took part in various festivals and performed at a range of venues in Milan and the surrounding area for two years. An experience best forgotten.
1992
He left the duo and decided to work solo under his real name: Renato Trinca. The show was called “Non sono ubriaco” (I’m Not Drunk). Autobiographical. – He was a finalist on Antenna 3 in the cabaret festival “Città di Milano”. I wish I’d never done it.
1993
He recorded the pilot episode of the programme “Professione comico” with Francesco Salvi for Canale 5. It was never broadcast. – He took part in the programme “Voci di corridoio” on Italia 7. It was broadcast, but it would have been better if it hadn’t been.
1994
He came third at the “Cabaret, amore mio” festival in Grottammare. I paid the price.
1994
He attempted suicide because he didn’t come first at the aforementioned festival. Not enough.
1995–1998
He kept at it.
1998
He wrote the new show “Was Freud a fool?” and joined the “Zelig workshop”. A mystery.
1999 – He took part in the Italia Uno programme “Zelig: Facciamo Cabaret” (“Zelig” is Italy’s most famous comedy programme). Inexplicable. He takes part in the Rai 2 summer programme “Portami al mare fammi sognare” (it can’t all go well all the time).
2000
– He joins Zelig’s artistic production “Natural Born Comedians”, with which he performs in theatres and at summer cabaret festivals.
2001 –
He also performs commercially as part of a duo with Fabrizio Canciani, with whom he writes and performs the show “I Ciclostilati in proprio”.
2002
He joins the Zelig production “C.u.l.t.” (comici uniti, liberi, trasgressivi – united, free, transgressive comedians), alongside Antonio Cornacchine, Alberto Patrucco, Luca Donato, Diego Parasole and Giorgio Melazzi.
– He wins the “Riso a crepapelle” festival. Don’t do it – it’s pointless.
2003–2007
He continued his work as a writer for “Zelig” and as a comedian, although he cut back on live appearances so as not to die of a heart attack.
2008–2009
He returned to television as a comedian, in “Zelig ‘off’” and in “Arcizelig” as Bisio’s psychiatrist… then, right up until 2026, he enjoys seeing that he’s still all over social media – though unpaid.
2008–2014
He continues to write for Zelig and pops up on stage every now and then as the idiot, driven by his well-known passion for money.
2014 He leaves Zelig as the money has run out and from then on performs at evening shows; I won’t say for free because sometimes he gets paid
2022–2026
He tours the comedy show “Was Freud an idiot?” (also in English) to various corners of the world. From Woody Allen downwards, people have always talked about psychoanalysis from a patient’s perspective; for the first time, someone who’s been doing the job for 35 years is talking about it; it’s a humorous look behind the scenes of psychotherapy.
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SHOWS WRITTEN BY ME AND FOR ME
“I’M NOT DRUNK”
“WAS FREUD A FOOL?”
“HOW CAN YOU FEEL LONELY WITH ALL THE NUISANCES AROUND?” (Written with Fabrizio Canciani)
“I’LL DO MY WORST”
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AS A WRITER (FOR OTHERS)
2000 –
Became one of the writers for “Zelig”. To date, he has collaborated with artists such as Ale and Franz, Mago Forest, Gabriele Cirilli, Beppe Braida, Angela Finocchiaro, Pali e Dispari, Gigi Rock, Il Gruppetto, Stefano Nosei, Flavio Oreglio, Massimo Bagnato, Sergio Sgrilli, Andrea Midena, Giorgio Zanetti, Cinzia Marseglia, Annalisa Aglioti, Francesco Paglionico, etc.
2002 –
He wrote the show: “Informashow” (featuring the news bulletins that made him famous… as for me, I earned a tenth of the credit by writing them), performed by Beppe Braida, whom he also worked with on the new series of Zelig TV (alongside Angela Finocchiaro and Pali e Dispari). He wrote the book “Attentato” for Beppe Braida, which I don’t think Braida and Bozzo ever read. Obviously, I can say this because I’d registered the copyright before giving it to anyone.
He collaborates, alongside other writers, on the script for Gabriele Cirilli’s new show *In Gippone sono alto*. He doesn’t like it; there were no jokes in it.
2002/03 –
He is the writer behind the new series of Zelig TV. He writes the book: “Special Edition: Mingozzi, are you there?” and, much to his regret, shares the royalties with Beppe Braida and Giancarlo Bozzo (just like with “Attentato”, for that matter, sigh). He registered the copyright before even submitting it to the publisher, just in case.
2004
– Writer for “Zelig Circus”. He is also the voice of Beppe Braida’s correspondent “Mingozzi”.
2005 –
Writer for “Zelig off” and the sitcom “Belli dentro” (three series).
2006–
Writer for “Zelig Circus”. For three series, he worked as a writer on “Buona la prima” with Ale and Franz, and on a couple of episodes of “Sketch Show”.
2007–
Writer for “Zelig off” and “Zelig Arcimboldi”.
2008–
Author of the book “Questione di Peeling” (Gorilla Crodino) for Kowalsky. “Zelig off” and “Zelig Arcimboldi”.
2008/2009/2010 – 2011 – 2012
Writer for “Zelig off” and “Zelig Arcimboldi”. Throughout these years, he also wrote several TV promos for a number of Zelig comedians.
March 2013–
Writer for “Zelig Circus”; he assisted the presenter (Mago Forest) and launched Francesco Paglionico (the ‘Ikea lad’).
October 2014
He left Zelig for good after being told that the money had run out and he would only be paid a quarter of his usual fee, so his time there automatically came to an end.
2014 – 2026
He becomes his own producer, creating various comedy web series for which he is the writer, director and actor, such as “Psychoanalysis in Pills”; “The New World Order”; “Stories of Unfaithful Lovers”; “ROMing Service”; and “Paradise is Just a Few Kilometres Away, in Switzerland”. He also produces a number of short films of a more
BOOKS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED (SOME UNDER OTHER PEOPLE’S NAMES)
19…? – Little books and booklets published for free on ‘Psicognagnola’ for the sake of brown-nosing and for free
2005–
“Attentato”, Kowalsky Editore. Also another book on Meetic, but never published due to financial issues. Ditto: “Manuale del Comico” with Lucio Wilson and Giancarlo Bozzo, but what a hassle writing it was…
2006–
“Special Edition: Mingozzi, are you there?” Kowalsky Editore
2008 –
“A Matter of Peeling” Kowalsky Editore (commissioned by Crodino/Campari; they kept the rights and paid me a ‘lump sum’, saying it would never be published – but it was! How nice of them)
2012–
“Healing the Mind by Learning to Bark Again”. The first book where I was able to state everywhere that I’d written it myself; no longer a comedy book for comedians, but the summary of a life in psychology. Emotionally, it was a great success (financially, I’ll have sold 200 copies, compared to over 200,000 for the others – perhaps I’d better carry on writing for others). But no, every now and then you’ve got to do something you believe in, haven’t you? No, money’s better – with that, you can do loads of things you believe in.
2016 – “Primitive Psychotherapy” (also available in English)
2023 – “Depression Doesn’t Exist: How Can You Feel Lonely With All the Pain-in-the-backs-of-the-neck People Around?”