In 2026, three major anniversaries bring together Saint Francis of Assisi and Dario Fo: eight hundred years since the death of Italy’s patron saint, one of the best-known and most beloved saints in the world, and one hundred years since the birth and ten since the death of the Nobel Prize-winning actor and playwright. Matthias Martelli, Fo’s artistic heir, comes to Teatro Gobetti with his new version of Lu Santo Jullàre Françesco, conveying the power of Francis’s revolutionary message and the radical spirit of Fo’s writing following an extensive world tour across five continents, applauded by thousands. But who is Francis of Assisi? And why talk about him today? In this work, Fo the jester tells the story of Francis the jester: a rebellious, courageous man, joyfully unconstrained by the conventions of power and expediency. Far from an untouchable figure on a laminated holy card, he is an unsettling, living presence, capable of holding a mirror up to every age. The result is a monologue of many voices: there is only one actor on stage, yet the audience encounters a vivid panorama teeming with bodies, characters and voices.

by Dario Fo and Franca Rame
directed and performed by Matthias Martelli
assistant director Ornella Matranga
set design Fabio Carpene
costume design Giovanna Fiorentini
lighting design Alberto Ciafardoni
sound design Marco Ava
original music by Andrea Chenna
language consultants Flavia Chiacchella and Roberto Imperato
Teatro Stabile Torino – Teatro Nazionale
Teatro Stabile dell’Umbria

This production is part of the programme celebrating the centenary of Dario Fo’s birth, promoted by the Fondazione Fo Rame.

 

The performances on 4 and 5 October at 7.30 pm are not included in season tickets. All tickets are priced at €35. Proceeds from these evenings will be donated to the Fondo Alberto e Angelica Musy, which supports and promotes education and pathways back into employment for people in prison.