INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL of THEATRE and PERFORMING ARTS

20th EDITION
Preserving the invisible
Running.
Consuming.
Accumulating, accumulating, accumulating. Accumulating images and experiences.
How much is there to see around us? And how much of all this do we actually see?
Often, we are no longer able to ‘encounter’ what lies before us. Even the body succumbs to this logic, becoming an image even before it becomes a presence. A body designed to be looked at, shaped, displayed and adjusted according to the aesthetics of others’ gaze. And yet every body, like a city, is a place to listen to, to walk through, to feel. It holds a secret geography of stories, memories and presences that goes far beyond the visible. There is so much to see that our gaze always ends up resting on the surface… we pass through landscapes and lives like distracted travellers. Things never end where we see them, but continue along an edge we cannot follow, hidden between a mirror we lack the courage to look into and a question we choose not to answer. Theatre, then, speaks to an ancient and revolutionary need: to pause. To look again. To look once more. To look more closely. To look in order to see. To pause for the space of a breath to allow the invisible to emerge.
This Festival inhabits the city’s spaces as an act of rediscovery and listening, transforming buildings, parks, forests, squares, alleyways and everyday places into thresholds between the visible and the invisible, where time cracks and the forgotten traces of a collective memory regain a form, a breath of life, a possibility of a future…

MONDAY 20 JULY
9.00 pm | PIAZZA CARDUCCI Teatro Tascabile, Bergamo
Accademia delle forme Sceniche
LA LUCE DEL NERO
The theme of the performance is a dance, or perhaps a prayer – physical and non-religious. An ordinary man, on foot, encounters or conjures up a group of shadowy figures, towering on stilts, bearing fragile points of light. At the heart of the soundscape is Ravel’s Boléro. The movements draw inspiration from Béjart’s famous choreography, Gurdjeff’s Mouvements and other forms of physical prayer: the concentric structures of mandalas and ouroboros, the dances of the whirling dervishes, and the practices of dhikr and candomblé.
Directed by Tiziana Barbiero; consultancy by Mirella Schino; featuring Alessia Baldassari, Ruben Manenti, Simone Noris, Alessandro Paganoni, Alessandro Rigoletti, Clara Rigoletti, Caterina Scotti, Marta Suardi, Stefano Ulivieri
10.00 pm | PALMIERI BOARDING SCHOOL CLOISTER
Dimitri/Canessa – Sosta Palmizi
HALLO! I’M JACKET
The Game of Nothingness
Welcome to the surreal ‘world performance championship’. In Hallo! I’m Jacket!, two clown-athletes compete in improbable contests, dances and endurance trials to achieve a success that is as coveted as it is hollow. With biting irony and infectious humour, the show satirises contemporary obsessions such as visibility, productivity and the quest for approval. A frenzied race towards nothingness that makes you laugh, surprises you and leaves you with a question: what remains when the content disappears?
Directed by Elisa Canessa; starring Federico Dimitri and Francesco Manenti; artistic assistants Stefano Cenci and Giorgio Rossi; lighting design by Marco Oliani
11.00 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA BumBumFritz
LIVE SET
Stranded lyrics, spoken word and electronic music blend in an ironic, poetic and irresistibly danceable concert-performance. The live set features tracks from the album Leave a Message After the Beep, reinvented each time according to the energy of the audience, the mood of the evening and the vibes of the moment. A sonic experience that oscillates between fun and melancholy, light-heartedness and depth, where words become music and music becomes storytelling.
with Michele Tonicello and Giovanni Frison

TUESDAY 21 JULY
7.00 pm AND 8.00 pm | MUSEO CASTROMEDIANO Francesca Grilli
SPARKS
The practice of palmistry entrusted to children, who guide the adults in the performance, overturns the traditional transmission of knowledge. Childhood becomes a performative subject and interpreter of the possible, in a gesture that is both poetic and political.
Conceived by Francesca Grilli; featuring boys and girls from the city of Lecce; text and workshops by Azzurra D’Agostino; sound by Roberto Rettura; movement by Benno Steinegger; palm reader Guido Rossetti; creative consultant Chiara Guidi; headdress design and creation by Paola Villani
An experiential performance for a group
of spectators, to be experienced individually.
The performance is intended for an adult-only audience

9.00 pm | CHIOSTRO CONVITTO PALMIERI
Studio Doïz / Accademia Perduta Romagna Teatri GRAMSCI GAY
What would Gramsci say today to a generation that no longer believes in politics? On stage, two stories separated by a century intertwine: the young revolutionary who inspires the workers of Turin and a young man of our own time, caught vandalising a mural bearing his own face. From this unlikely encounter emerges an intense and surprising production, which explores commitment, disillusionment and indifference, and poses an urgent question: are we still capable of changing the world?
by Iacopo Gardelli; starring Mauro Lamantia; directed by Matteo Gatta; set design and costumes by Gaia Crespi – voice and technical direction by Mattia Sartoni. Under the patronage of the Gramsci Emilia Romagna Foundation

10.15 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA
BumBumFritz
DAD OR ALIVE
A spellbinding electronic live performance that transforms our deepest doubts into a show: is having a child today an act of courage or recklessness? Through personal accounts, real-life data and confessions, the stage becomes a DJ set of generational anxieties and desires. Music, projections and words blend together in a relentless rhythm that makes you dance whilst questioning the future. A hypnotic experience that leaves you with a question impossible to ignore.
with Michele Tonicello and Giovanni Frison

WEDNESDAY 22 JULY
6.30 pm | FORESTA URBANA Antonio Tagliarini / KLM PARAIDAËZA
Paradise, that utopian place dreamt of by all civilisations, is a garden; the word derives from the ancient Persian ‘paraidaëza’: a place where everyone is free and equal. By superimposing the stories, secrets and legends of the place onto his own life story, the performer will welcome the audience by recounting his garden, his paradise, where reality and imagination coexist and give substance to one another. A collective experience to imagine a different future together, a place of political and existential resistance.
by and with Antonio Tagliarini
A performance piece for 35 audience members at a time
8.00 pm | PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DI RUDIAE, Menoventi
VEGLIA
A ‘veglia’ is an evening spent in company telling stories, playing games and listening to music. But a vigil is also the state of those who stay awake, the watch: so, between one story and the next, we end up talking about power, lies and reality too. The stories come from all over the world – ancient and unsettling – gathered round a fake flame that warms us all the same, because what is real is that community sitting in a circle simply to be together.
by and with Consuelo Battiston and Gianni Farina, featuring MUNI; sculpture by Oscar Dominguez
10.00 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA Andrea Cosentino / Teatro Metastasio, Prato TRASH TEST
A theatrical happening that puts Artificial Intelligence to the test by asking it to generate, in real time and together with the audience, ever-changing scenes, dialogues and stories. A ‘destructive test’ of the text and authorship, where everything is dismantled and transformed into a theatrical game. Combining irony, improvisation and reflection on our digital present, the show turns the very idea of theatre on its head in the age of infinite content, turning creative chaos into a vivid and unpredictable experience.
by and with Andrea Cosentino; assistant director and dramaturg Andrea Milano; artistic consultant Margherita Masè; lighting designer Massimo Galardini

THURSDAY 23 JULY
6.30 pm | FORESTA URBANA Antonio Tagliarini / KLM PARAIDAËZA (REPLY)
9.00 pm | CHIOSTRO CONVITTO PALMIERI Carrozzeria Orfeo
CUORE DI PORCO
Set against the backdrop of a transplanted pig’s heart, an endless pregnancy and the rise of a sporting idol, a visionary tale takes shape about the metamorphoses of the body and identity. On stage, everything comes into being and transforms in real time: images, sounds and narration intertwine before the audience’s eyes. A journey between the human and the non-human, faith and technology, which questions our notion of salvation in a fragile and ever-changing world. An immersive performance that weaves together theatre, electronic music, poetry and live visuals.
by Chiara Arrigoni, Filippo Capobianco, Francesco Petruzzelli; dramaturgical supervision by Gabriele Di Luca, with Matteo Berardinelli, Massimiliano Setti, Federico Bassi; directed by Gabriele Di Luca, Massimiliano Setti
10.30 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA Cristiano Godano
MUSICA E PAROLE
Lead vocalist of Marlene Kuntz and solo artist, Cristiano Godano weaves together songs, stories and reflections in an intimate and unsettling manner. An emotional journey through live music, words, poetry, memory and the present. A direct dialogue with the audience, where every song becomes a narrative and every story a revelation.
by Cristiano Godano
FRIDAY 24 JULY
9.00 pm | CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA
Ermanna Montanari / Albe-Ravenna Teatro / Ravenna Festival LUṢ
Through the voice and body of Ermanna Montanari, Bêlda—seer and healer, the protagonist of Luṣ, light—comes to life on stage. A marginalised and untouchable Christ-like figure who, at night, placing her body amongst the sick, welcomes both the poor and the rich, all equal in the face of life’s hardships. Montanari, alone on stage in this new production of Luṣ, accompanied by Daniele Roccato on double bass, brings to life the character from the short poem written for her by Nevio Spadoni, who once again calls for light to shine upon herself and the world, taking upon herself the darkness of our times.
Concept, set design and direction: Ermanna Montanari and Marco Martinelli; voice: Ermanna Montanari; music, double bass and live electronics: Daniele Roccato; text: Nevio Spadoni; sound design: Andrea Veneri; lighting design: Luca Pagliano; costumes: Ermanna Montanari
10.15 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA Jacopo Tealdi
U.MANI.TA’ Handcrafted cabaret
Jacopo Tealdi, a pioneer of Manual Theatre, transforms a simple illuminated frame into a surprising universe where fingers, gestures and movements bring unforgettable characters to life: the endearing Mr Piccolino, the irreverent Luis Daimon and the seductive Lady Wanda. Blending comedy, poetry and wonder, this unique show demonstrates how just two hands can convey the full complexity of the human condition.
Written and performed by Jacopo Tealdi

SATURDAY 25 JULY
8.00 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA
Pegah Moshir Pour
LA CASA DIMNETICATA – TALK
In the book The Forgotten House (Garzanti, 2026), the author presents a different perspective on her country, showcasing its rich culture and evocative landscapes.
Three women take centre stage in this story, each with their own individual stories and different pasts. The characters in the novel are individuals fully integrated into their society, not merely victims of a war greater than themselves… because a country’s true wealth lies in the people who fight for the future.
The Iranian writer, engineer and human and digital rights activist will be in conversation with Gabriella Morelli, Artistic Director of CsF; Katia Lotteria, President of Casa delle Donne; and Alessandra Caiulo, activist.
In collaboration with Nel Frattempo – Conversations on the Future, a widespread festival promoted by the association Diffondiamo idee di valore with the support of the Regional Council of Puglia and in partnership with Coolclub

7.00 pm | MEETING POINT: PIAZZA MAZZINI – FOUNTAIN 8.00 pm | MEETING POINT: TEATRO APOLLO
Les Établissements Lafaille (FR)
VERY LOST
Two British explorers set out on an impossible expedition: to discover a world where no unknown lands remain. A wild odyssey through the heart of public space to rediscover the value of imagination… amongst monuments and buildings, bus shelters, lampposts, benches and other precipices. A story of survival… but above all of existence.
with Tony Noyers, David Robichon, Julien Cheray, Arnaud Nedelec, Hugo Latté; conceived, written and directed by Tony Noyers; costumes by Tony Noyers; assistant director David Robichon

9.30 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA Lino Musella
STATO D’ASSEDIO

A theatrical reading performed by the Neapolitan actor and director Lino Musella – winner of the David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2026 – based on the poem of the same name written in Ramallah in 2002 by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. An intense journey through memory, exile and identity, in which poetry becomes resistance and proves stronger than the violence of history. The words of the great Palestinian poet cut through collective pain to open up a space of humanity, beauty and hope.
with Lino Musella

SUNDAY 26 JULY
6.00 pm | CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA
Teatro Koreja

PALADINI DI FRANCIA

The comic and tragic tale of Charlemagne’s paladins recounts the beauty and cruelty of life. Ariosto’s characters, like marionettes, come back to life, each one different from the other, recounting the consequences of war and love, destiny and the daily quest for one’s own dignity. Rinaldo, Astolfo, Angelica, Bradamante, Orlando and, finally, the massacre at Roncesvalles: an absurd, blood-soaked wasteland where all those bodies lay dead and abandoned, eyes turned skywards, wondering what the clouds are.
Dedicated to What Are the Clouds? by Pier Paolo Pasolini
by Francesco Niccolini; directed by Enzo Toma; starring Letizia Cartolaro, Carlo Durante, Emanuela Pisicchio, Enrico Stefanelli

7.00 pm | MEETING POINT: FELTRINELLI BOOKSHOP

8.00 pm | MEETING POINT: CHURCH OF SANTA CHIARA
Les Établissements Lafaille (FR)
VERY LOST

9.00 pm | CASA DELLA CARITÀ – CORTE GAETANO STELLA
Daniele Roccato
ULTIMO PARADISO
Concert
In a space of welcome and closeness, Daniele Roccato’s visionary double bass becomes the centre of a sonic journey that traverses memory, spirituality and exploration. Accompanying this journey are the voices of Enza Pagliara and Dario Muci, guardians of folk tradition. The space becomes a shared listening experience and the music becomes a community narrative, creating an intense experience that unites past and future in a single vibration of humanity.
with Daniele Roccato, Dario Muci, Enza Pagliara
Dedicated to Brizia Minerva

10.15 pm | ORTALE, CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA
MISSPIA
Vintage DJ
CLOSING PARTY
From Edith Piaf to Etta James, from Sha Na Na to Chuck Berry, from Buscaglione to the Primitives and the Rokes, Misspia weaves together soundscapes with a vintage and cinematic flavour. Her carefully curated musical selection brings to life ever-changing and tongue-in-cheek atmospheres. Vinyl serves as the common thread running through the evening, making for a truly one-of-a-kind event.

24–25–26 July, Cantieri Teatrali Koreja
SUOLE DI VENTO
EXERCISES ON THE PRESENT
A primary school for learning to practise art
Three days to return to school, as a space for learning fundamental knowledge through the narrative of a practice. The Koreja Theatre becomes a venue for a class discussing the present, where knowledge takes shape and is built within a shared timeframe, thanks to the presence of leading figures from journalism and fiction, the visual arts and the performing arts, who will share the reasons behind their vocations and the fundamentals of their craft. Suole di Vento is directed by Salvatore Tramacere and coordinated by Alessandro Toppi

PARTNERS AND ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTORS:
Silvia Mei, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”
Maria Chiara Provenzano, UniPegaso
Luca Ruzza, Sapienza University of Rome Valentina Venturini, Roma Tre University
Luca Bandirali, University of Salento
Alma Mileto, University of Siena
Francesco Scasciamacchia, POLIS University, Tirana

MONDAY 20 JULY
7.00 pm | CANTIERI TEATRALI KOREJA
OPENING
Marco Caselli Nirmal
La Tregua
SPREAD-OUT PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION
Preserving the invisible; time holds on to and remembers. We ourselves, as beings of time, exist within this alternation between memory and oblivion.
Theatre traverses it. Photography captures it.
In a present marked by wars, divisions and disorientation, La Tregua is a passageway: a moment suspended between the clamour of the world and that which still endures in the gaze. A space where pausing is not about withdrawing, but about remaining. And, perhaps, seeing.
Marco Caselli Nirmal (Ferrara, 1957), a photographer active since 1977, has for over forty years been a visual witness to the great experiences of contemporary performing arts, spanning dance, music and theatre. His work explores the heart of the performing arts: the moment in which gesture, light, body and space coalesce into an experience. His images do not

Single admission €12
Adisu concession €5
(students of the University of Salento, ‘Tito Schipa’ Conservatoire)
PERFORMANCES WITH SPECIAL-RATE TICKETS
Sparks €5
Stato d’assedio €15
All proceeds will be donated in full to the Gazzella OdV Association in support of
civilians and children in the Gaza Strip
FREE-ENTRY PERFORMANCES
La luce del nero, Live set, Very Lost, Paladini di Francia, Ultimo paradiso, Misspia
FREE ENTRY EVENTS
La Casa Dimenticata
Tickets are available in advance in accordance with the purchasing methods indicated.
Any remaining tickets may be purchased on the day of the performance: the on-site ticket office opens one hour before the start time.
NO BOOKINGS ACCEPTED
The programme is subject to change beyond our control. Please ensure you arrive on time.