From February 28 to March 4, 2025, the Goldoni Theater presents “Buffoni all’Inferno” by Marco Zoppello, featuring Matteo Cremon, Michele Mori, and Stefano Rota, a new production of Stivalaccio Teatro. This darkly comedic production takes audiences deep into the desolate lands of hell, where even eternal torment is disrupted by chaos and laughter.
The story unfolds in Hades, where a sudden influx of souls—victims of a devastating plague—causes bedlam. Minos, the merciless judge of the dead, struggles to keep up with the overwhelming caseload, while frustrated spirits protest, rebel, and hurl insults. Amidst the uproar, Beelzebub devises a cunning plan: three infamous buffoons—Zuan Polo, Domenico Tagliacalze, and Pietro Gonnella—are tasked with doing what they did best in life: entertaining the masses. In exchange, they receive a reprieve from their eternal punishment.
The show draws from the ancient art of buffoonery, the fifteenth-century precursor to the great tradition of commedia dell’arte. Expect grotesque disguises, demonic masks, bizarre songs, and obscene improvisations as these outcast entertainers create a hilarious and tragic Decameron-style narrative. The performance combines folklore, forgotten stories, and theatrical daring to delve into the very heart of hell itself.
Cremon, Mori, and Rota, seasoned masters of popular theater and commedia dell’arte, bring this riotous tale to life with skill and irreverence. “Buffoni all’Inferno” is a celebration of laughter as rebellion and art as salvation—a uniquely grotesque, yet profoundly human, theatrical experience.
Website: www.teatrostabileveneto.it
Location: Goldoni Theater, Venice
Schedule: February 28 – March 4, 2025
