Per un pugno di voti - Western Comedy at the Motta Open-Air Theatre

Teatro all'aperto località Motta · Palmi, Costa Viola, Calabria

13 August 2026

On Thursday 13 August 2026 at 9:00 pm the open-air theatre in the Motta district of Palmi hosts «Per un pugno di voti», the new comedy by the local company I Sikalindi, directed by Salvatore Panetta. The title plays on Sergio Leone's «A Fistful of Dollars» and the poster spells out the theme — «your vote is worth more than gold»: a small-town election campaign told through the codes of the Spaghetti Western, with promises, sheriffs and turncoats. Thirteen performers take the stage, including the characters «u bonu», «u bruttu» and «u stortu» already seen in the company's previous Leone parody. Sound is by Mirko Barbaro and set design by Marcello Scarcella. The show is part of the official «Agosto Palmese 2026» programme of the Municipality of Palmi, and tickets are sold in advance at Smack.

An election-season western at the Motta theatre

«Per un pugno di voti» ("For a Fistful of Votes") is the new comedy by the theatre company I Sikalindi, on stage on Thursday 13 August 2026 at 9:00 pm at the open-air theatre in the Motta district of Palmi. The title is an open parody of Sergio Leone's «A Fistful of Dollars», and the line across the poster — «your vote is worth more than gold» — sets out the subject: a small-town election campaign told through the codes of the Spaghetti Western, complete with posters, promises, sheriffs and improvised gunslingers. The show is directed by Salvatore Panetta, with sound by Mirko Barbaro and set design by Marcello Scarcella.

Who are I Sikalindi

I Sikalindi are the cultural association from Palmi that in August 2023, on the same open-air stage and again under the direction of Salvatore Panetta, staged «U bonu, u bruttu e u stortu», a Calabrian-dialect parody of Leone's western that mixed acting, video inserts and live music, with set design by Marcello Scarcella. «Per un pugno di voti» continues that vein and brings back the three characters that became the company's trademark: «u bruttu» (Gianpiero Managò), «u bonu» (Giuseppe Calvo) and «u stortu» (Marco Melissari).

The cast

Thirteen performers take the stage: Gianpiero Managò, Giuseppe Calvo, Roberta Eva, Francesco Pio Ceravolo, Serena Melissari, Filippo Falcone, Patrizia Bruno, Marco Melissari, Claudia Fazio, Riccardo Chiappalone, Filippo Saffioti, Marcello Scarcella and Giorgia Loprevite. As is the company's habit, the roles carry dialect nicknames — «u bonu», «u bruttu», «u stortu», «a sceriffa» — that place the characters straight into a small-town western imagery.

The open-air theatre in Motta

Palmi's open-air theatre stands in the Motta district, along via Marinella, on the coastal side of the town. Built on the model of ancient Greek amphitheatres, it faces the sea and is surrounded by the green slopes of Sant'Elia and by olive trees, with a capacity of around one thousand seats; opened in the early 2000s, every summer it hosts the town's season of opera, symphonic music, cabaret and songwriting. Since it is an uncovered amphitheatre by the sea, an August evening at 9:00 pm is pleasant but the sea breeze is noticeable: a light sweatshirt is a good idea.

Tickets and admission

The show is ticketed and the poster lists Smack as the advance sales point. The ticket price does not appear either on the poster or in the municipal programme, so it has to be asked directly at the sales point. For a mid-August evening in a theatre seating around a thousand people, buying in advance is the safer option.

Palmi on 13 August 2026

The Sikalindi show is one of the events in the official «Agosto Palmese 2026» programme of the Municipality of Palmi, which for the same day also lists street artists between piazza Cavour and piazza Libertà from 8:00 pm, the photography exhibition by Francesco Iannelli in via Augimeri from 7:00 pm and live music along corso Tenente Aldo Barbaro from 10:00 pm: anyone arriving in the afternoon has plenty to fill the day before heading up to Motta. For dinner before the show, start from where to eat in Palmi and from the businesses in Palmi; if you are staying a few days on the Costa Viola, you will find holiday rentals here.

Frequently asked questions

When does «Per un pugno di voti» take place?

On Thursday 13 August 2026 at 9:00 pm, at the open-air theatre in the Motta district of Palmi. It is a one-night show: no repeat performances appear in the Agosto Palmese 2026 programme.

What is the show about?

It is a comedy that turns a small-town election campaign into a Spaghetti Western: the title parodies «A Fistful of Dollars» and the poster tagline, «your vote is worth more than gold», sums up the comic device, with candidates, sheriffs, turncoats and saloon-style promises.

Who are I Sikalindi and who directs the show?

I Sikalindi are the cultural association from Palmi that in 2023 brought «U bonu, u bruttu e u stortu» to the same stage, a Calabrian-dialect parody of Sergio Leone's western. The director, then as now, is Salvatore Panetta; sound is by Mirko Barbaro and set design by Marcello Scarcella.

Where can I buy tickets?

The advance sales point listed on the poster is Smack. The ticket price is published neither on the poster nor in the municipal programme, so it has to be asked at the sales point when buying.

Where is the Motta open-air theatre and how do I get there?

It is in the Motta district, along via Marinella, on the coastal side of Palmi, a few minutes by car from the town centre: it is the open-air amphitheatre facing the sea that hosts Palmi's summer season, with around one thousand seats.

What else is happening in Palmi on 13 August 2026?

The «Agosto Palmese 2026» programme lists, on the same day, the Francesco Iannelli photography exhibition in via Augimeri from 7:00 pm, street artists between piazza Cavour and piazza Libertà from 8:00 pm and live music along corso Tenente Aldo Barbaro from 10:00 pm, after the show. To plan dinner before the theatre, see [where to eat in Palmi](/dove-mangiare-a-palmi).

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