Francesco Procopio at Teatro Cilea, Reggio Calabria: “Nemici come prima” 2026

Teatro Francesco Cilea · Reggio Calabria, Costa Viola, Calabria

19 December 2026

On Saturday 19 December 2026 at 8:45pm Neapolitan actor Francesco Procopio brings “Nemici come prima” (Enemies as Before) to Teatro Francesco Cilea in Reggio Calabria. He stars in and directs this comedy by Gianni Clementi, with Giosiano Felago, Carmen Landolei and Marianna Petronzi and a special appearance by Teresa Del Vecchio. A family waits for news of its hospitalised patriarch, and between old grudges and money matters the play looks with irony at the thin line between life and death. It is the third subscription show of Officina dell'Arte's “Cambio Stagione 2026-2027” season and is performed in Italian. Tickets on Ciaotickets cost from 18 to 33 euros, plus booking fees.

Saturday 19 December at the Cilea

“Nemici come prima” is on at 8:45pm on Saturday 19 December 2026 at Teatro Francesco Cilea in Reggio Calabria, the last Saturday before Christmas. It is show 03 of the subscription series of “Cambio Stagione 2026-2027”, the season run by Officina dell'Arte under artistic director Peppe Piromalli, built mainly around comedy.

The programme includes nine subscription shows, three outside the subscription and two special events; before Procopio come Ernesto Maria Ponte with “Il diverticolo” on 14 November and “La sorpresa di matrimonio” on 11 December. A practical note: the show page on Officina dell'Arte's website wrongly gives 14 November as the date, while the official poster and the Ciaotickets box office both say Saturday 19 December.

Gianni Clementi's comedy

The play is by Gianni Clementi. The official synopsis starts from something everyone faces sooner or later, the loss of a relative, an acquaintance or a friend, and shows how a painful situation can take absurd, paradoxical and even hilarious turns. Amid unlikely behaviour and a frantic pursuit of pleasure and happiness, the comedy looks with irony at the thin bond between life and death.

According to the tour presentation, the story is set in the waiting room of an intensive care unit, where family members wait for news of the patriarch, a wealthy man who built a business empire. Between grudges, jealousy and self-interest, a long-estranged daughter, a young carer and a very practical nurse turn up, while the patient keeps holding on. The play is performed in Italian.

Direction, cast and tour

Francesco Procopio both stars in and directs the show. According to the official poster, he is joined by Giosiano Felago, Carmen Landolei and Marianna Petronzi, with a special appearance by Teresa Del Vecchio. The individual roles have not been announced.

The comedy is touring this season. Besides the Reggio date, the calendar published by Il Tacco di Bacco lists Saturday 21 November 2026 at Cinema Sant'Aniello in Castel Volturno, Thursday 11 February 2027 at Teatro Ariston in Marcianise and Friday 5 March 2027 at Cinema Corona in Quarto, all in Campania.

Who is Francesco Procopio

Francesco Procopio is a Neapolitan actor who grew up on the stage before moving into film and television. TV audiences know him as one of the regular faces of “Stasera tutto è possibile”, the Rai 2 comedy show hosted by Stefano De Martino; he has also appeared in the series “Mare fuori”.

On the big screen, in 2023 he was in the cast of “C'è di nuovo la valigia sul letto”, the sequel to the 2010 comedy “La valigia sul letto”, alongside Biagio Izzo and Maurizio Casagrande. He plays an inspector's assistant who poses as the chef of a Japanese restaurant, a part Movieplayer's review singled out as the best thing in the film. In “Nemici come prima” he is both actor and director.

Tickets, seating areas and subscription

Tickets are sold on Ciaotickets, the official box office for the season, as e-tickets: show them on your phone at the door or print them. Advance prices are 33 euros in the poltronissima (front stalls), 28 in the poltrona (stalls), 26 in the central boxes, 23 in the side boxes and 18 in the third-tier boxes, booking fees excluded. Seats 4 and 5 in side boxes 1 to 7 and 19 to 25 are flagged as having a restricted view.

Italian culture cards (Carta della Cultura Giovani, Carta del Merito and Carta del Docente) are accepted. The show is included in the “Cambio Stagione” subscription to the season's nine shows, priced from 160 to 200 euros depending on the seat. Officina dell'Arte, at Via Fata Morgana 36, answers enquiries on +39 333 469 7412.

Teatro Cilea, the largest theatre in Calabria

Named after Francesco Cilea, the composer born in Palmi, Reggio's municipal theatre has about 1,500 seats and is the largest in the region. It was part of the city's reconstruction after the 1908 earthquake and opened in 1931; in the 1960s the auditorium was redesigned in a horseshoe shape, with three tiers of boxes and an upper gallery, and reopened on 25 February 1964 with “Il Trovatore”.

From 1985 part of the building was declared unsafe, and in 1996 the renovation and safety works began that eventually gave it back to the city. The theatre fills a whole block between Corso Garibaldi, Via Cattolica dei Greci, Via del Torrione and Via Osanna, and its first floor houses the Pinacoteca civica, the municipal art gallery.

Getting there and an evening in the centre

The Cilea stands on Corso Garibaldi, opposite Palazzo San Giorgio, the town hall. The Corso is pedestrianised in its central stretch: from Reggio Calabria Centrale station, in Piazza Garibaldi, you can walk north along it. The sources do not mention parking reserved for the theatre, so if you drive in on the A2 motorway you will need to park outside the pedestrian zone; if you come from Messina by hydrofoil, check the time of the last evening crossing.

The Lungomare Falcomatà, the seafront promenade on the Strait, runs parallel to the Corso just a short walk away. In Piazza De Nava, at the northern end of the Corso, the National Archaeological Museum displays the Riace Bronzes: plan your visit for the afternoon and check opening times. For other events in December, see the events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is “Nemici come prima” on in Reggio Calabria?

On Saturday 19 December 2026 at 8:45pm at Teatro Francesco Cilea. The 14 November date shown on Officina dell'Arte's show page is a mistake: the poster and Ciaotickets are correct.

How much are tickets?

From 18 euros in the third-tier boxes to 33 euros in the front stalls (poltronissima); stalls 28, central boxes 26 and side boxes 23 euros. Booking fees are extra.

Where can I buy tickets for Francesco Procopio at the Cilea?

On Ciaotickets, the season's official box office, as an e-ticket. Italian culture cards (Carta della Cultura Giovani, Carta del Merito, Carta del Docente) are accepted.

Who is in the cast of “Nemici come prima”?

Francesco Procopio, who also directs, with Giosiano Felago, Carmen Landolei and Marianna Petronzi and a special appearance by Teresa Del Vecchio. The play is by Gianni Clementi.

What is the comedy about?

A family waits in hospital for news of its wealthy patriarch, and the wait brings out grudges, jealousy and self-interest. The play looks with irony at the line between life and death; it is performed in Italian.

Is the show part of the subscription?

Yes, it is the third of the nine subscription shows in Officina dell'Arte's “Cambio Stagione 2026-2027”, which costs from 160 to 200 euros depending on the seat.

How do I get to Teatro Cilea and where can I park?

The theatre is on Corso Garibaldi, opposite Palazzo San Giorgio, within walking distance of Centrale station. The central stretch of the Corso is pedestrianised and the sources do not mention dedicated parking.

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