L’idiota - Circo di voci per attore solo

From 6 to 8 November 2026, Teatri di Vita presents L’idiota - Circo di voci per attore solo (The Idiot - A Circus of Voices for One Actor), based on the work by Fyodor M. Dostoevsky, written and performed by Valerio Pietrovita.

Prince Myshkin is Dostoevsky’s “idiot”, a man who is still childlike, suddenly thrust into a world that is far too adult. The novel’s most famous phrase is Mir spaset krasotà: “beauty will save the world”, which is precisely what its protagonist tries, unsuccessfully, to do. The character was conceived as an alter ego of Christ, a completely good man cast into a dark present populated by crimes, corrupt officials and young nihilists. And yet, the novel always contains a comic dimension, with everything filtered through an almost farcical lens. Events unfold like a detective story or a fairy tale, but here the prince is not a charming one: he is poor, ill, awkward and at times grotesque, a sort of Chaplin or Keaton before their time. Metatheatrical elements and references to contemporary life are already present in the Russian classic. In the background, the current situation of theatre workers may also emerge: a professional category whose working and economic conditions in Italy can only provoke reflection or astonishment, perhaps even a little amusement, and prompt a half-whispered comment under one’s breath: “idiots”.

Valerio Pietrovita, 33, from Naples, discovered theatre through director Adriana Follieri, working with her as both actor and assistant director. Since 2017 he has worked with Elena Bucci and Marco Sgrosso, appearing in L’anima buona del Sezuan, La canzone di Giasone e Medea, La Romagnola and La casa dei Rosmer. He also appears in La Tempesta, directed by Alessandro Serra. His text Palazzi di cristallo won the Nuove sensibilità 2.0 award for Campania-based authors under 40.

Lighting design and stage photography: Davide Scognamiglio
Lighting operator: Sebastiano Cautiero
Music and sound: Simone Ottaviano, Carla Pastore
Voice: Laura Popescu
Stage elements: Giuditta Papale
Costume collaboration: Daniela Montella, Yesey Cappelli
Production: Galleria Toledo
In collaboration with: Archètipo | Teatro Comunale Di Antella
With the support of Le Belle Bandiere and Centro Teatrale Umbro, Manovalanza

Running time: 70 minutes