Favolando – Tales at snack time, theatre at breakfast

A festival that starts at breakfast and ends at snack time

Favolando – Tales at snack time, theatre at breakfast is a festival of performances, children's literature, and animated readings held at Fortezza Est, an independent theatre located at via Francesco Laparelli 62, in Municipality V of Rome, in the Tor Pignattara district. The philosophy behind it is simple and generous: to give children a full day dedicated to stories, from the morning stage performance to the afternoon book corner. The title is no mere play on words—you go to the theatre at breakfast time and return for a snack.

How the programme is structured

Each production has its own dedicated weekend, with performances every Saturday and Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. In the afternoon, at 5:00 PM, Tales at snack time begins: a space dedicated to books, featuring read-aloud sessions, reflections, and insights into the themes explored on stage. This is the moment when children can ask questions, identify characters, and discover the books that inspired the show they just watched. The dialogue between young spectators and adults is an integral part of the project, not an afterthought.

Companies and performances

• Plutone e Proserpina — Divisoperzero company, with Francesco Picciotti and Francesca Villa: an ancient myth told to children as a story of nature's continuous renewal (ages 5+).
• Molto cattivi? — Fortezza Est Company, with Alessandro Di Somma and Eleonora Turco: tales featuring animal protagonists that help demystify fear (ages 4+).
• Favole degli alberi — Carpet company, with Alessia D'Anna and Diego Venditti: funny characters and amazing adventures among the branches (ages 5+).
• Fiabe da tavolo — Teatro delle Apparizioni, with Fabrizio Pallara and Desy Gialuz: four miniature fairy tales, from The Teapot to The Ugly Duckling, from Little Red Riding Hood to The Three Little Pigs (ages 4+).
• Pezzettino — Fortezza Est Company: the story of a character searching for their true identity (ages 4+).

A public project, free by choice

Favolando is promoted by Rome Capital – Department of Culture and curated by the cultural association LaRocca ETS, which manages Fortezza Est. The project won a public tender for private theatre spaces with a capacity of fewer than one hundred seats: a measure specifically designed to support local theatres that serve as cultural hubs within their neighbourhoods. This led to the festival's defining feature: total free admission—no tickets, no economic barriers, only mandatory reservations due to limited capacity.

Tor Pignattara, a neighbourhood that fosters culture

Fortezza Est is located in eastern Rome, between Tor Pignattara and Tor Sapienza, one of the city's most densely populated and multicultural areas. For years, the venue has been a reference point for the independent Roman theatre scene, with a programme that alternates contemporary drama, training, and projects aimed at schools and families in the Lazio region. Favolando is its natural extension to a younger audience: a way to bring children to the theatre who might never have been before, while involving their parents too.

Why it's worth attending

This is not just a simple children's programme: it is a festival that treats young spectators as true interlocutors. The stories chosen—myths, children's literature classics, picture books—do not simplify the world; they make it relatable. And the ritual of snack time with books, which closes every day, restores a sense of community that has almost been lost in big cities.