“Curre curre guaglio’,” the new season at Trianon Viviani

With the slogan “Curre curre guaglio’,” the new artistic director, Pierpaolo Sepe, presents the 2026–2027 season of the Trianon Viviani—the theater of Neapolitan song.
The season runs from September through June, with the official opening on October 16, and is dedicated to Gennarino Capuozzo, one of the youngest insurgents of the Four Days of Naples, who was killed at the age of eleven in September 1943; In his memory, he was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor.

PRODUCTIONS – The Trianon Viviani will present five theatrical productions, including one revival, plus a grand closing concert. The first is a revival of *Festa di Piedigrotta*, Raffaele Viviani’s choral masterpiece, directed by Nello Mascia with musical arrangements by Eugenio Bennato (September 8–13).

Next is *Le Quattro Giornate di Napoli. Ovvero della dignità perduta*, directed by Carlo Cerciello (January 14–24), a reinterpretation of the Neapolitan people’s uprising to reflect on the liberal homogenization of the present.

*Mala-Mente*, written and performed by Peppe Lanzetta and directed by Raffaele Di Florio (February 25–March 7), is a “work-in-progress” sceneggiata, exploring redemption, love, and betrayal, blending 20th-century musical repertoire with original compositions.

From April 16 to 25, Na meza buscia by Alessio Forgione will be staged, starring Francesco Di Leva, Rosario Giglio, Daniele Vicorito, and Anna Carla Broegg, directed by Pino Carbone. This production explores memory, truth, and legend, focusing on the poet and lyricist Vincenzo D’Agostino, Annarella—the object of his tormented love—Gigi D’Alessio, and Mario Merola.

Dedicated to the “under-35s,” *Pulcinella. Ovvero una cosa che somiglia al mondo*—a production written and directed by Noemi Francesca, starring Giovanni Ludeno and Riccardo Festa—strips away the mask of folklore and the highbrow approach; it runs from May 14 to 23.

The final production, which also closes out the season’s program, is the Festa finale – La scena rap napoletana (June 10): a concert featuring the leading figures of the city’s new rap and urban music scene, coordinated by Polo (Alberto Cretara) of the group La Famiglia.

RAFFAELE VIVIANI – Sepe reaffirms its focus on the great playwright—after whom the theater has been named for twenty years—not only with *Festa di Piedigrotta*, but also with *Viviani libero*, the first Campania Prison Theater Festival, promoted by the Campania Prison Theater Coordination, which features performances and discussions dedicated to him (June 3 and 4).

RADIO TRIANON – This is the central theme framing the season, transforming the Neapolitan Song Theater into a living radio station, where the popular repertoire returns to the airwaves through the voices of today.

Under this banner, the program features the opening event on October 16, showcasing the Neapolitan indie rock scene, and Simona Boo’s concert (January 28), both curated by Ernesto Nobili, as well as the aforementioned closing festival in the square featuring the Neapolitan rap scene.

MUSICAL THEATER AND OPERA – The Christmas season features the customary performance of the major traditional sacred play, *La Cantata dei Pastori*, starring Peppe Barra-Razzullo and Lalla Esposito-Sarchiapone (December 19 through January 3).

Scheduled for April 29 is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera *Così fan tutte*, the composer’s tribute to Naples and his *opera buffa*, featuring the Ensemble Mercadante conducted by Benedikt Sauer.

THEATER and READINGS – This section opens with *Esercizi di Fantasia 2026*, a festival for families and schools that uses fairy tales and play to introduce children to theater, curated by Teatrini under the direction of Luigi Marsano (September 15–October 7).

Next, *Officina*, the presentation of the *Teatro delle Persone* project, curated by Davide Iodice (October 29), and *Venere vs Adone* by Enzo Cosimi (October 31 and November 1).

In November, *Il figlio della tempesta* by Armando Punzo and Andrea Salvadori, featuring the Compagnia della Fortezza, which has been active for over thirty years at the Volterra prison (November 7 and 8); *Le fiabe di donna Ruvia* by Dadà, one of the most original voices on the new Neapolitan scene (November 14 and 15); *Pinocchio. Che cos’è una persona?* by Davide Iodice with the Scuola elementare del teatro, winner of the 2024 Ubu Special Prize (November 20–22); and *Week-end* by Annibale Ruccello with Sabrina Scuccimarra, directed by Martino D’Amico (28 and 29).

In December, Mimmo Borrelli—author with his vivid style, director, and performer—presents *Napucalisse* (5 and 6); followed by *Natale in casa Cupiello*, the Eduardo De Filippo classic reimagined by Luca Saccoia (from the 8th to the 13th); and finally *Nummere. Scostumatissima Tombola, with Gino Curcione transforming the holiday game into an irreverent show blending numbers, grimaces, and folk tradition (22 and 23).

In the new year, the section presents *Hamlet Travestie*. From John Poole and Antonio Petito to William Shakespeare, written and performed by Emanuele Valenti and Gianni Vastarella, a dark farce about the staging of Shakespeare’s drama, featuring gags, melodrama, and hints of the Camorra (January 30 and 31).

Then, on March 21, *Donne con la folla nel cuore* (Women with the Crowd in Their Hearts), the celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the *La Scena delle Donne* project. Theatrical Journeys with the Women of Forcella, conceived and curated by Marina Rippa, Monica Costagliola, and Fiorella Orazzo for f.pl. (femminile plurale), featuring screenings, an exhibition of materials, archives, props, and discussions. The 20th anniversary of the project also features a screening of the documentary film *Si dice di me* by Isabella Mari, in which Rippa participated alongside the women from the theater workshop (October 18).

The theater program also features two readings.

The first, again on the theme of the Four Days of Naples in 1943, is *Tempo che fu di Scioscia* by Enzo Moscato, a project by Imma Villa, who also appears on stage with Cecilia Lupoli, with incidental music by Paolo Coletta (January 27).

The second is a staged reading, directed by Marcello Cotugno, of *Undici*. Don’t Forget by Andrej Longo—eleven stories featuring all-female casts, set in Naples and its vast suburbs—performed by Valentina Acca, Chiara Baffi, Clara Bocchino, Nadia Carlomagno, Valentina Curatoli, Rosaria De Cicco, Cristina Donadio, Marianna Fontana, Bianca Nappi, Chiarastella Sorrentino, and Dalal Suleiman (February 7).

MUSIC – The section dedicated to concerts is particularly rich and varied, opening with a collaboration between Teho Teardo, one of Italy’s most original contemporary composers, and Blixa Bargeld, the longtime vocalist of Einstürzende Neubauten and former collaborator with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (November 12).

Next up are two much-loved vocalists: on November 25 and 26, Ivan Granatino in “’80, ’90 e Mo’,” and, on December 2, Franco Ricciardi.

More music with Giovanni Truppi, in a solo piano recital (December 16).

Then two symphonic music events with the Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti: on January 1, the New Year’s Concert, which, for its 30th edition, is dedicated to “Naples, Vienna, and Paris”—the three great musical capitals of the 19th century; and, on May 27, a Tribute to Beethoven.

Next up are two tributes: on February 4, Calibro 35 pays homage to Napoli Centrale, James Senese’s legendary band, while on March 13, in “Naples Sings De André,” Maldestro, Barbara Buonaiuto, Flo, Irene Scarpato (Suonno d’Ajere), Francesco Di Bella (24 Grana), and Dario Sansone (Foja) will reinterpret the songs of the great poet of Italian music in Neapolitan.

Enzo Avitabile and Peppe Servillo will perform together on March 19, blending world music, jazz, folk traditions, and singer-songwriter music.

Then comes the return of Lina Sastri, in a recital (April 9 and 10), and of the EbbaneSis (Viviana Cangiano and Serena Pisa) in “Ebbanepolis” (May 7).

DANCE – This section features the TrianonDanza 2026 festival (September 25–October 13), a showcase of new forms of physical expression and contemporary dance, and a residency by choreographer Enzo Cosimi (March 9–April 4).

The residency, titled *Pasolini. Il corpo originario*, is a journey through the performative act, from training to choreographic action. The goal is to build an authentic relationship with the local community by involving dancers and performers from Campania.

EVENT – The program also features a unique and original award: the Nappo Prize ( May 28). Monica Nappo honors a group of artists, with a simple set of rules: “I am the jury, and the only requirement to win is to be my friend.”

TRAINING – One of the cornerstones of Sepe’s artistic direction isthe Accademia dei Mestieri: from October 20 to June 13, stagehands, technicians, sound engineers, and prop masters undergo training that is interwoven with real-world work and focuses on the most vulnerable segments of the local community.

SEASON TICKETS – The season ticket campaign begins on Tuesday, July 7.

The Trianon Viviani has set up two types of season tickets for this season.

The first type is “Choose Your Package”: subscribers can select 5, 10, or 20 performances from the lineup, starting at 80 €. The second is “Vertical Theme,” which allows subscribers to choose 5 or 10 titles from the theater, music, or dance programs, starting at €70. For both types, discounts are available for “under 25s,” “over 65s,” employee recreational associations (CRALs), and affiliated organizations.

A special discount on ticket prices will be offered to residents of Forcella.

Season tickets are on sale at the theater, online via AzzurroService, and at the usual ticket outlets. Season tickets purchased at the theater box office are exempt from booking fees.

The box office is open during the summer from Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Phone: 081 0128663. Email: boxoffice@teatrotrianon.org

TRIANON VIVIANI – The historic theater in Forcella, inaugurated in 1911 by Vincenzo Scarpetta, is the home of Neapolitan song. It is owned and managed by the foundation of the same name, in which the Campania Region and the Metropolitan City of Naples hold stakes.

It receives support from the Ministry of Culture and is sponsored by Rai Campania.

The Trianon Viviani can be found online at teatrotrianon.org and is active on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.