Balenando in Burrasca Festival: Ismene per sempre (Ismene Forever)

Castello Aragonese · Reggio di Calabria, Costa Viola, Calabria

21 October 2026

On Wednesday 21 October 2026 the Aragonese Castle in Reggio Calabria hosts two performances, at 7pm and 9pm, of “Ismene per sempre” (Ismene Forever), part of the eighth Balenando in Burrasca Festival. The play is written by Katia Colica and directed by Matteo Tarasco, with Arianna Ilari as Ismene and Giulia Carrara as Antigone, music by Antonio Aprile and lighting by Antonella Bellocchio. It revisits the Theban myth of the two sisters and places the audience inside a space that evokes a prison cell. The production is by Adexo Arti Creative, and the poster credits English subtitles and libretto. Tickets cost 8 euros per performance, on sale on Liveticket and at the box office before the show; information on +39 376 031 9612, 3pm to 7pm.

The play: Ismene and Antigone face to face

“Ismene per sempre” retells the Theban myth from the point of view of the sister left in the shadows. In Sophocles' tragedy Ismene is the one who does not follow Antigone into disobedience, refusing to help her bury their brother Polynices against Creon's ban. Here the two sisters meet in a suspended space for one last confrontation, about responsibility, compassion, sacrifice and freedom, and about the consequences of each one's choices.

The staging involves the audience directly: spectators share with the actors a space inspired by the dungeons of ancient Thebes, which sharpens the sense of isolation. The production photo chosen for the poster shows the two performers shut inside a wire-mesh cage.

Writer, director and cast

The text is by Katia Colica, a writer and playwright involved in many of the festival's productions; the director is Matteo Tarasco, who has worked extensively abroad, as Resident Director at LAMDA in London and as the first Italian director named a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab in New York. Arianna Ilari plays Ismene and Giulia Carrara plays Antigone; Carrara, who trained at the Cassiopea drama academy, won the audience award at the Fantasio Festival in Trento in 2024.

Music and soundscape are by Antonio Aprile, a bass player and composer who has scored several Adexo productions, and lighting design is by Antonella Bellocchio. The poster also credits English subtitles and libretto by CC Winning and Mary Piccolo.

From a first study in 2023 to festival selections

The play is an Adexo Arti Creative production created in 2023. In September that year Balenando in Burrasca presented a first study at the De Gasperi school auditorium in Reggio Calabria, as part of a triptych on Thebes and the family of Oedipus, with the same team: text by Katia Colica, direction by Matteo Tarasco, Arianna Ilari and Giulia Carrara on stage and sound by Antonio Aprile.

Since then “Ismene per sempre” has been selected for the Polis Teatro Festival and the International Fringe Festival, as both the regional listing and this year's poster point out. The performance at the Aragonese Castle brings it back to the city where the project took shape.

Balenando in Burrasca, eighth edition

Balenando in Burrasca is a theatre, readings and music festival run in Reggio Calabria by Adexo, a non-profit cultural association, and in 2026 it reached its eighth edition. After the summer evenings at the seafront arena in Pellaro, the autumn programme began on 23 September at the Lega Navale in Pellaro and has moved through the Aragonese Castle, the Cine Teatro Metropolitano, the Griso-Laboccetta archaeological area and the De Gasperi auditorium.

“Ismene per sempre” is day eight of the October programme, titled “Leggende contemporanee” (Contemporary legends). The evening before, Tuesday 20 October at 7pm, the castle hosts “Edipo Soundscape”, created and performed by Matteo Tarasco with live music by Antonio Aprile: if you are following the Theban thread, you can see both pieces on consecutive nights.

Tickets, times and practical information

There are two performances, at 7pm and 9pm, and tickets cost 8 euros. Advance sales are on Liveticket, where you choose the time. The festival's ticketing page for the eighth edition also mentions box-office sales before each show, a reduced 5-euro ticket for under-16s and free entry for people with severe disabilities and a companion, to be booked by email at adexo.it@gmail.com. Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled outright.

For information the festival answers on +39 376 031 9612 between 3pm and 7pm. The organisers warn that times and venues may change, so check the festival website or social media before you set off.

The Aragonese Castle and getting there

The Aragonese Castle is Reggio Calabria's main fortress, standing in Piazza Castello between Via Aschenez and Via Possidonea, right in the city centre. A fortification on this rise is documented as early as 536; its present look owes most to the works of 1458 under King Ferrante of Aragon, which added the two large crenellated towers facing south. According to Liveticket the play is staged on the castle's second level.

By car, the A2 motorway ends in Reggio Calabria and leads into the centre; by train, the nearest stations are Reggio Calabria Centrale and Reggio Calabria Lido. The sources do not mention reserved parking. For dinner or a place to stay, see the businesses in Reggio Calabria.

Frequently asked questions

When is “Ismene per sempre” on in Reggio Calabria?

On Wednesday 21 October 2026, with two performances: at 7pm and at 9pm.

How much are tickets?

8 euros per performance. The eighth edition's ticketing page also lists a reduced 5-euro ticket for under-16s and free entry for people with severe disabilities and a companion, booked by email.

Where can I buy tickets?

In advance on Liveticket, on the Adexo Arti Creative page, or at the box office before the show. Information on +39 376 031 9612, 3pm to 7pm.

Where in the Aragonese Castle does it take place?

The castle is in Piazza Castello in central Reggio Calabria; according to Liveticket the play is staged on the fortress’s second level.

Who is in the cast?

Arianna Ilari plays Ismene and Giulia Carrara plays Antigone. Text by Katia Colica, direction by Matteo Tarasco, music by Antonio Aprile, lighting by Antonella Bellocchio.

Can non-Italian speakers follow the play?

The poster credits English subtitles and libretto by CC Winning and Mary Piccolo. Ask the organisers how they will be provided at this performance.

What is the Balenando in Burrasca Festival?

A theatre, readings and music festival run in Reggio Calabria by the Adexo association, in its eighth edition in 2026, with a summer programme in Pellaro and an autumn one in venues around the city.

Related events and news

All Costa Viola events