Summer Theatre Review of Ragazzola Theatre

A summer review in the Bassa Parmense

The Summer Theatre Review of Ragazzola Theatre takes place every year, on late June evenings, at the Corte Le Giare in Ragazzola, a hamlet of the Municipality of Roccabianca, in the province of Parma, in the heart of the Bassa Parmense and Emilia-Romagna. The courtyard, a rural complex of great charm that has hosted contemporary art exhibitions and festivals in the past, transforms for a few evenings into an open-air stage where theatre meets the public in an intimate and familiar atmosphere.

Author's theatre under the stars

The review's programming favors narrative theatre, civil monologues, and intelligent comedy, bringing leading actors and authors from the national scene to this corner of the plain. The Teatro di Ragazzola, a cultural entity rooted in the territory, builds a short but curated program every summer, capable of attracting spectators from all over the province of Parma and beyond.

The 2026 edition

The 2026 edition features two great protagonists of contemporary Italian theatre. Stefano Massini, one of the most acclaimed and translated playwrights and storytellers abroad, presents Alfabeto delle emozioni, an ironic and profound journey into the labyrinth of human feelings. Andrea Pennacchi, a well-known face in theatre and television, presents Alieni in laguna, a visionary story about the impact of alien species on biodiversity, accompanied by live music by Giorgio Gobbo.

A village cultural experience

What makes the review special is precisely its intimate dimension: no large arenas, but a country courtyard where the relationship between actor and spectator becomes direct and authentic. It is a virtuous example of how quality theatrical culture can live and thrive even in small towns, enhancing the rural heritage of Emilia-Romagna and offering the public evenings of great value during the summer.

Tradition and regional identity

Roccabianca and its hamlet Ragazzola belong to that Bassa Parmense made famous by the writings of Giovannino Guareschi: a land of mists, the Po River, and deep popular culture. The summer review fits into this context as a moment of meeting and community, where theatre becomes an occasion for social interaction and reflection, under the open sky of summer evenings.