MATCH! Teatro Torlonia Festival

MATCH!, the new Italian scene at Teatro Torlonia

MATCH! is the new project that the Teatro di Roma – Teatro Nazionale dedicates to emerging creativity, hosted at the Teatro Torlonia in Rome, in the heart of the Nomentano district (Municipio II), from July 14 to 29, 2026. Part of the Roman Summer calendar and the "Roma Theatrum Mundi" programme, the festival was created to provide concrete support to the under-35 scene: for an entire month, the theatre transforms into a creative residency space where four selected companies develop and rehearse their shows.

A festival "against mutual praise"

Curated by Niccolò Fettarappa and Leonardo Manzan, MATCH! overturns the reassuring idea of industry showcases. Its theme is theatrical agonism, performative debate, and the vertigo of disagreement: hence the subtitle, "a festival against mutual praise." Alongside the performances by the resident companies, the heart of the project lies in the fierce duels, close-encounter debates inspired by the famous television format by Alberto Arbasino, where two different personalities from the Italian theatre world publicly confront each other, without a safety net, on a common theme.

The 2026 edition programme

The festival opens on Tuesday, July 14 with a preview and continues with four productions presented in double performances, alternating with the duels and free events. The scheduled shows are:

• «Pesce rosso aggredito dalla solitudine» by the Fratelli Sinigaglia (July 17 and 18);
• «Vita di San Genesio Reloaded» by Alessandro Paschitto (July 21 and 22);
• «Odio extra-vergine» by Lidia Margiotta (July 24 and 25);
• «16:9», a performative installation by Danilo Maglio (July 28 and 29).

The fierce duels

The verbal matches are the most anticipated attraction and are free to attend. It begins on July 14 with the preview between Stefano Massini and Luca De Fusco; on July 25, "Cosa resterà di questi anni '80?" takes the stage with Emanuele Aldrovandi, Nicola Borghesi, Licia Lanera, and Federica Rosellini; the grand finale is on July 29 with the "Fight Club" between Antonio Rezza and Gabriele Vacis.

Theatrical football and workshops

MATCH! brings the theme of play and challenge outside the theatre hall: on July 17 and 24, in the greenhouse of Teatro Torlonia, "Non vinceremo mai i mondiali" will be performed—a theatrical football match that is the result of an advanced training workshop for under-27 actors and actresses led by the two curators. Completing the project is a theatre criticism workshop led by Graziano Graziani, designed to foster a new perspective on the contemporary scene.

Teatro Torlonia, a jewel in the capital's greenery

The setting is the Teatro Torlonia, a small Italian-style theatre nestled in the park of Villa Torlonia, one of the most evocative corners of Rome. Its intimate atmosphere is ideal for a festival that focuses on the closeness between artists and the public and the search for new dramaturgy. With MATCH!, the Municipality of Rome and the Lazio Region confirm their commitment to emerging languages and a summer programme capable of speaking to new generations.