Theatre play in Italian - Lu santo jullare Francesco

Lu santo Jullare Francesco by Dario Fo is a fabulation on the life of the saint from Assisi that takes up the styles and forms of narration of the mythical Mistero Buffo in the theatrical language of grammelot. Working on popular legends, canonical texts from the 14th century and documents that have emerged in recent decades, the Nobel Prize winner constructs a powerful, playful and certainly not hagiographic narration of the “Jester of God”, as Saint Francis liked to call himself. Fo's tale is - at one and the same time - spirituality and myth, fable and satire, and sketches a Francis as a man who strips himself of all wealth to approach the dispossessed, to preach to men, wolves or birds a message of brotherhood and peace, to compose and set to music his Canticle of the Creatures. Giving voice to this tightrope walk on the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi will be Ugo Dighero, actor-actor, already the interpreter for years of Mistero Buffo on the ‘blessing’ and urging of Fo himself, perfect histrion and jester of today. 2026 is also a special year to remember Dario Fo: it is the anniversary of his birth and ten years since his death. It is impossible not to celebrate his extraordinary theatrical career. Bringing this marvellous jester to the stage today cannot but take into account that in 2013 the late Cardinal Bergoglio, who became Pope, chose, emblematically, politically and for the first time in history, the name of Francis: the saint of peace and smile, of the custody of creation, of the poor church for the poor. Following Fo's lesson, the performance will thus move along two parallel paths, retracing the historical reality of Francis' journey in the Christian world and at the same time recounting the reforming revolution that Pope Francis has sought to implement in the Church of our time. By Dario Fo With Ugo Dighero Adaptation and direction by Giorgio Gallione Scenes and costumes Lorenza Gioberti Lighting design Aldo Mantovani Co-production Teatro Stabile di Genova, CMC/ Nidodiragno With the collaboration of Teatro della Juta