Le Maschere e i Volti: the 2027 season at Teatro Cilea, Reggio Calabria

Teatro Francesco Cilea · Reggio di Calabria, Costa Viola, Calabria

3 January 2027 – 26 April 2027

«Le Maschere e i Volti» is the 2027 season that Polis Cultura – Catonateatro brings to the Teatro Francesco Cilea in Reggio Calabria: ten shows from 3 January to 26 April 2027, from the musical «La vera storia di Topo Gigio» to Sergio Rubini's «I Fratelli De Filippo», from Eduardo's «Il Sindaco del Rione Sanità» with Geppy Gleijeses to «Aggiungi un posto a tavola» with Giovanni Scifoni and Lorella Cuccarini, closing with «Vasame» starring Marisa Laurito and Enzo Gragnaniello. Tickets from 27 euros, season passes from 262 euros.

Ten shows from 3 January to 26 April 2027

«Le Maschere e i Volti» (Masks and Faces) is the 2027 season that Polis Cultura – Catonateatro, the cultural cooperative based at the «Alberto Neri» arena in Catona, stages at the Teatro Francesco Cilea in Reggio Calabria. Artistic and organisational direction is by Lillo Chilà and Luciano Pensabene.

The official programme lists ten titles, from Sunday 3 January to Monday 26 April 2027: two musicals for families and a broad audience, drama by and about Eduardo De Filippo, Neapolitan and popular comedy, dance by Mvula Sungani, Danilo Rea's jazz piano and a concert-show with Marisa Laurito and Enzo Gragnaniello. Evening performances start at 9pm, with some afternoon shows for the musicals. Below is the programme month by month, with a link to each show's page.

January: Topo Gigio, the De Filippo siblings and Grazia Deledda

The season opens on Sunday 3 January with La vera storia di Topo Gigio – Il musical, performed twice, at 5.30pm and 9pm: Topo Gigio is voiced by Leo Valli, with music by Franco Fasano and direction by Maurizio Colombi. It is a musical fairy tale about the origins of the famous mouse and his bond with Maria Perego, who created him.

On Monday 4 January at 9pm comes I Fratelli De Filippo, written, directed and performed by Sergio Rubini, based on Maurizio Giammusso's book «Vita di Eduardo», with music by Nicola Piovani. On Wednesday 13 January at 9pm, Deledda – Cenere e le canzoni della rivoluzione silenziosa blends dance, music and words, conceived and directed by Mvula Sungani, with étoile Emanuela Bianchini, principal dancer Damiano Grifoni and Serena Pisa with a live band, a hundred years after Grazia Deledda's Nobel Prize.

February: Eduardo with Gleijeses and «Aggiungi un posto a tavola»

On Wednesday 3 February at 9pm, Il Sindaco del Rione Sanità by Eduardo De Filippo, directed by Geppy Gleijeses, who is on stage with Pino Micol and Ciro Capano: the play about Antonio Barracano, a man who administers his own justice as an alternative to the State's.

From Friday 19 to Sunday 21 February there are four performances of Aggiungi un posto a tavola, the musical comedy by Garinei and Giovannini, written with Jaja Fiastri and scored by Armando Trovajoli, now fifty years old: Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 5pm and 9pm, Sunday at 5.30pm. Giovanni Scifoni plays Don Silvestro and Lorella Cuccarini is the special guest as Consolazione; with them are Marco Simeoli, who also restages the original direction, Sofia Panizzi, Francesco Zaccaro and Francesca Nunzi.

March: the Umberto Tozzi musical, opera in jazz and the Esposito family

From Friday 5 to Sunday 7 March there are three performances of Gloria – Il Musical, at 9pm on Friday and Saturday and 5.30pm on Sunday: an original musical built on more than twenty hits by Umberto Tozzi, who is its musical director, from «Gloria» to «Ti amo». Directed by Andrea Maia and Toni Fornari.

On Sunday 14 March at 9pm, La Grande Opera in Jazz: Danilo Rea's piano converses with restored recordings of Caruso, Callas, Tito Schipa, Gigli and Del Monaco, while videos play and works by the painter Rossella Fumasoni are projected on stage. On Tuesday 23 March at 9pm, Benvenuti in casa Esposito, a comedy based on Pino Imperatore's novel, with Giovanni Esposito and Nunzia Schiano, directed by Alessandro Siani.

April: Enrico Guarneri and the «Vasame» finale

On Thursday 8 April at 9pm, Fiat Voluntas Dei, a comedy by Giuseppe Macrì starring Enrico Guarneri as Father Paolo, the parish priest of a small village caught up in the gossip, small deceptions and family dramas of his parishioners. Directed by Plinio Milazzo.

The season closes on Monday 26 April at 9pm with Vasame – L'amore è rivoluzionario: Marisa Laurito sings and acts out love through songs written and arranged by Enzo Gragnaniello, who is on stage with her together with Piero Gallo on mandolin, Erasmo Petrigna on cello and Marco Caliguri on percussion. Directed by Massimo Venturiello.

Tickets, season passes and times

For seven of the shows a ticket costs 39 euros in the stalls and the central boxes on the first and second tiers, 35 euros in the side boxes on the first and second tiers and the central box on the third, and 27 euros in the side boxes on the third tier. Topo Gigio costs 45, 40 and 35 euros, with 5 euros off for children up to 12; «Aggiungi un posto a tavola» and «Gloria» cost 55, 45 and 35 euros. A pass for the whole season costs 396, 343 or 262 euros depending on the section.

Tickets are sold through Catonateatro's online box office or at Kintya Viaggi, Via Plebiscito 26 (Monday to Friday 10am-12pm and 5-7pm, Saturday mornings only); information on 0965 301092 or WhatsApp 327 3518347. Theatre rules do not admit children under five, and latecomers are not let in once the show has started.

The Teatro Cilea and how to get there

The municipal Teatro Francesco Cilea, named after the composer born in Palmi, stands on Corso Garibaldi, opposite Palazzo San Giorgio, the city hall. Opened in 1931, when the city was rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake, it seats about 1,500 in a horseshoe-shaped hall with three tiers of boxes and a gallery; its north wing houses the Pinacoteca civica, the city art gallery. The city council lists it as accessible to people with disabilities.

The Corso, largely pedestrianised, runs through the centre from Piazza De Nava to Piazza Garibaldi, where the Central railway station stands: visitors arriving by train can walk to the theatre along it. For dinner before or after the show, see our selection of restaurants in Reggio Calabria.

Frequently asked questions

When does the «Le Maschere e i Volti» season run?

From 3 January to 26 April 2027, with ten shows at the Teatro Francesco Cilea in Reggio Calabria. It opens with the Topo Gigio musical and closes with «Vasame» by Marisa Laurito and Enzo Gragnaniello.

How much does a ticket cost?

From 27 to 39 euros for drama, dance and concerts; from 35 to 45 euros for Topo Gigio, with 5 euros off for children up to 12; from 35 to 55 euros for «Aggiungi un posto a tavola» and «Gloria».

How much is a season pass?

A pass for the whole season costs 396 euros in the stalls and central boxes on the first and second tiers, 343 euros in the first- and second-tier side boxes and the third-tier central box, and 262 euros in the third-tier side boxes.

Where can I buy tickets?

Online on the Catonateatro website or at the Kintya Viaggi sales point, Via Plebiscito 26, Reggio Calabria. Information: 0965 301092 or WhatsApp 327 3518347.

Can I bring a small child?

Catonateatro's rules do not admit children under five, even with a ticket. For Topo Gigio there is a 5-euro reduction for children up to 12.

What time do the shows start?

The programme gives 9pm for evening shows and 5pm or 5.30pm for the afternoon performances of the three musicals. The box office page mentions a 9.15pm start: the time printed on the ticket is what counts, and latecomers are not admitted.

Is «Frida Opera Musical» part of the season?

No. Frida Opera Musical, at the Cilea from 15 to 17 April 2027, is promoted by Ruggero Pegna's Show Net with tickets on TicketOne and is not included in the «Le Maschere e i Volti» season pass.

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