Teatro in Movimento

Great theatre comes to the cinema

Teatro in Movimento is the theatre festival of Lioni, a town in the Alta Irpinia area of the province of Avellino, in Campania. The concept is as simple as it is successful: using the screening room of the Multisala Cinema Nuovo on Via Pietro Nittoli as a proper stage, bringing live performances to a town that, like many inland centres in Campania, lacks a permanent theatre. The result is a compact season, spread across the colder months, alternating between Neapolitan comedy, auteur theatre, storytelling, and contemporary comedy.

A young but well-established festival

The first season took place in 2025, from 6 February to 8 May, with five evening appointments curated by the Multisala Cinema Nuovo and the Municipality of Lioni, together with the Culture and School Commission and the AltraForma APS association. The debut was entrusted to «La malattia dell'ostrica» by and with Claudio Morici; this was followed by «La vostra invidia è la mia forza» by Marina Salvetti, two plays by Eduardo De Filippo — «Uomo e galantuomo» and «Le bugie con le gambe lunghe» — and a live show by Neapolitan comedian Vincenzo Comunale.

The audience response convinced the organisers to relaunch: the second edition, promoted by the Municipality of Lioni with the NexuScore association, was extended to six shows and raised the curtain as early as December, concluding in April.

What to see at Teatro in Movimento

The programme does not follow a single theme: it blends the traditional Neapolitan repertoire, contemporary monologues, musical theatre, and experimental comedy. This is a deliberate choice, designed for a diverse local audience, where the same evening can attract families, students, and enthusiasts arriving from the neighbouring towns of the Ofanto valley.

• Neapolitan comedy — from Antonio Petito to Eduardo De Filippo, performed by companies that carry on their legacy
• Stand-up comedy and auteur comedy, featuring faces already known to television audiences
• Storytelling and monologues, where the actor remains alone on stage to maintain the rhythm of the narrative
• Theatre-concerts, with live musicians accompanying the spoken word

Affordable prices and subscription options

One of the festival's distinctive features is its accessibility: single tickets have been kept between 10 and 12 euros, while full-season subscriptions offer even greater savings. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased directly at the Multisala Cinema Nuovo box office, open daily from 5:00 PM, or by booking over the phone. Shows start promptly at 9:00 PM.

Lioni, gateway to Alta Irpinia

Lioni has just over six thousand inhabitants and stretches along the banks of the Ofanto river, along the axis connecting Avellino to Basilicata. Rebuilt after the 1980 earthquake, which hit this part of Irpinia very hard, it is now a service hub for the inland area and hosts various cultural initiatives throughout the year, from the theatre festival to events held at the railway station. As Anna D'Amelio, the Municipality's delegate for Culture, highlighted at the close of the second season, the stated goal is to "build a cultural community" in inland territories: an audience that does not just watch, but stays to discuss the performance they have just seen.

When to go

The festival occupies the colder months — between December and April or February and May depending on the edition — with events scheduled about once a month. It is a great excuse to discover Irpinia out of season, combining a theatre evening with a food and wine stop in the towns of Taurasi, Aglianico, and Fiano di Avellino, just a few kilometres away. Those arriving from outside the province will find Lioni a convenient base for also visiting Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, Nusco, and the lake of Conza della Campania.