Ale e Franz in Capitol’ho at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, May 5 to 16, 2027

Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho, the Milanese comedy duo's new show, is at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, Via Guglielmo Pepe 43, in Esquilino (00185 Rome), from May 5 to 16, 2027, for 12 performances. The times published by the theater change from night to night: 21:00 on Wednesday the 5th, Friday the 7th, Tuesday the 11th, Thursday the 13th and Saturday the 15th, 19:30 on Thursday the 6th, Wednesday the 12th and Friday the 14th, two shows on Saturday the 8th, at 16:30 and 21:00, and matinees at 17:00 on Sunday the 9th and Sunday the 16th. Monday, May 10 is a day off. The theater is reached by Metro A, Vittorio Emanuele stop, a few minutes' walk away, or from Termini. Tickets are sold on the authorized presale network linked from the buy button on the show's official page and at the theater box office. Section prices are shown at checkout.

Language: performed in Italian. No English version or English surtitles are announced.

Written by Francesco Villa, Alessandro Besentini, Alberto Ferrari and Antonio De Santis, and directed by Alberto Ferrari, Capitol'ho looks back on the Milanese comedy duo's 30-year career and sets new guests beside their most iconic and surreal characters, guests willing to step into their oddball universe. It's produced by Dada and by Pierfrancesco Pisani and Isabella Borrettini for Infinito, in collaboration with Argot Produzioni.

Ale e Franz at Ambra Jovinelli: dates, times and tickets

Ale e Franz's show stays at Ambra Jovinelli for almost two weeks, from Wednesday the 5th to Sunday, May 16, 2027, with 12 performances and times that vary by day.

The first week

Wednesday, May 5 at 21:00, Thursday the 6th at 19:30, Friday the 7th at 21:00, Saturday the 8th two shows at 16:30 and 21:00, Sunday the 9th at 17:00. On Monday the 10th the theater is dark.

The second week

Tuesday, May 11 at 21:00, Wednesday the 12th at 19:30, Thursday the 13th at 21:00, Friday the 14th at 19:30, Saturday the 15th at 21:00 and closing on Sunday the 16th at 17:00.

Three time slots

The 19:30 shows suit those who want to go out early and eat after, the 21:00 ones those who'd rather eat first, and the Saturday and Sunday matinees families, people coming from outside Rome and anyone who doesn't like getting home late.

Where to buy tickets

The show's official page on the Ambra Jovinelli website has a buy button linking to the theater's authorized presale network. Alternatively there's the box office on Via Guglielmo Pepe. Section prices appear when you choose your seat.

Capitol'ho: the show

Capitol'ho is a new original show that, according to Ambra Jovinelli's presentation, looks back on Ale e Franz's 30-year career and marks the start of a new era for the duo.

Characters and guests

The presentation describes a work that sets new guests beside the duo's most iconic and surreal characters, guests willing to step into their oddball universe with the irony that has always set them apart. Audiences who have followed them since Zelig will find their usual characters, in the company of new figures.

Shuffling the cards

The duo, the theater writes, ups the ante with a show that shuffles the cards: another chapter of their story, hence the title's wordplay, which mixes the Italian for chapter with "I have". And to the question of what the evening's one constant will be, the presentation answers that the audience will find out.

Nothing to lose

The key the presentation offers is one sentence: there's no better condition for bringing out hidden talents than having nothing to lose. After 30 years of career, the idea sounds like a declaration of freedom.

The team

The script is signed by the two comedians with Alberto Ferrari and Antonio De Santis. Direction is by Ferrari, who has worked with Ale e Franz for a long time: in 2005 he directed them on screen in La terza stella, and in the 2024-2025 season on stage in La commedia.

Who Ale e Franz are

Ale e Franz are an Italian comedy duo made up of Alessandro Besentini, born in Rho on May 11, 1971, and Francesco Villa, born in Milan on January 29, 1967. The duo officially formed in 1994 and became famous in the 2000s with Zelig.

Meeting at CTA

Besentini and Villa met in 1992 at Centro Teatro Attivo in Milan, where they took professional training courses and workshops. Since 1995 the duo has used the name Ale e Franz, debuting in the show Dalla A alla Z. Their offbeat, surreal comedy ranges from mask to clowning, from comic to tragic.

Television

Besides Zelig, they appeared on Seven Show, Pippo Chennedy Show, Mai dire Gol and Convenscion. In 2007 they starred in Buona la prima! on Italia 1, improvising on suggestions from guests, and in 2010 and 2011 they hosted Ale e Franz Sketch Show and A&F Ale e Franz Show. For years they were guests on Che tempo che fa.

Film and dubbing

On screen they appeared in La grande prugna, Tutti gli uomini del deficiente, Soap opera and Un fidanzato per mia moglie, among others, and starred in La terza stella and Mi fido di te. More recently they worked with Gabriele Salvatores in Comedians and Il ritorno di Casanova and with Neri Marcorè in Zamora. They voiced Alex and Marty, the lion and the zebra of the Madagascar films, in the Italian version.

Books

The duo has published three books with Mondadori: E Larry? È morto! in 2001, È tanto che aspetti? in 2002, the same title as one of their stage shows, and Ale e Franz Live in 2010. Three ways of bringing to the page a comedy born for the stage, and a keepsake to look for if you want to revisit their dialogues after the show.

Awards and an asteroid

In 2001 they won the Premio Satira politica in Forte dei Marmi. And asteroid 15379 Alefranz, discovered on August 29, 1997, bears their name at the proposal of one of its discoverers, astronomer Paolo Chiavenna, a longtime friend of the two comedians.

Ale e Franz on stage, from Dalla A alla Z to Capitol'ho

Theater is Ale e Franz's home ground: their first show was Dalla A alla Z, in which the duo debuted under its current name, and since then Ale e Franz have never stopped performing. Sources disagree on the year: their bio puts the debut in 1995, the list of shows says 1997.

The comedy shows

After Dalla A alla Z came Due e venti, È tanto che aspetti?, the Ale e Franz tour, Aria precaria, also broadcast on television, Tanti Lati/Latitanti, Nel nostro piccolo and Comincium, which toured from 2021 to 2024.

Beyond comedy

In 2009 they took part in Folle amore, curated by Renato Sarti and Marco Di Stefano, and in 2019 they were in Nati sotto contraria stella, the reworking of Romeo and Juliet directed by Leo Muscato. In 2014 they toured with Enrico Ruggeri in C'era un tedesco, un francese e un italiano, playing music: Ale on acoustic guitar, Franz on keyboard.

Recent years

In the 2024-2025 season they staged La commedia, directed by Alberto Ferrari, and a Christmas show. Since 2025 Capitol'ho has been on tour, arriving at Ambra Jovinelli in May 2027 for almost two weeks.

What to expect from an evening with Ale e Franz

An evening with Ale e Franz is comic theater for two voices: rapid-fire dialogue, characters built on the contrast between the two personalities, and a comedy their bio describes as offbeat and surreal.

The duo as a form

Unlike stand-up, where one comedian talks alone to the audience, a duo lives on the exchange between two performers: the lines bounce back and forth, and one's silences set up the other's punch. If you're used to monologues you'll find a different rhythm, closer to straight theater.

Past and present

The presentation promises a journey through the duo's 30-year career, with their most iconic characters, but also a work that shuffles the cards and marks the start of a new era. Longtime fans will find familiar faces, and newcomers will get a summary of their story, enriched by the new guests.

Running time

The theater doesn't publish the show's running time. For the 21:00 performances, expect to leave late in the evening and plan your ride home on public transit accordingly.

A curious fact about Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, May 5 to 16, 2027

The most surprising curious fact is in the sky. There's an asteroid that bears their name: 15379 Alefranz, discovered on August 29, 1997 and named at the proposal of Paolo Chiavenna, one of its two discoverers, an astronomer and longtime friend of the comedians. Few Italian artists can claim a celestial body named after them, and fewer still owe it to a friendship.

The second curious fact concerns the Premio Satira in Forte dei Marmi. Ale e Franz won it in 2001, in the political satire section. 21 years later, in 2022, the same prize went to Eleazaro Rossi for stand-up comedy, and he's on stage at Ambra Jovinelli with Kamikaze on May 2 and 3, 2027. Two days later Ale e Franz take his place: two generations of comedians honored in Forte dei Marmi pass the baton in the same hall.

The third concerns music. In 2014 the duo toured with Enrico Ruggeri, not as comic guests but as musicians: Ale on acoustic guitar, Franz on keyboard. A little-known side of two artists used to making people laugh.

Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, Rome's home of comedy

Teatro Ambra Jovinelli is the only Roman theater built in Art Nouveau style: impresario Giuseppe Jovinelli, from Caserta, opened it on March 3, 1909 as a luxury variety theater on Via Guglielmo Pepe, in Esquilino.

The architecture

The design was entrusted in 1907 to Ulderico Bencivenga, after contributions by Pietro Chiodelli and Giacomo Radiconcini: a two-story facade with wide openings, an arched crown, stucco pilasters with floral motifs and, at the center, a shell with a human face. The horseshoe hall originally held about 1,000 seats.

A century of ups and downs

Before World War I the Jovinelli was one of the most important variety theaters in Rome. In the 1950s it became a variety cinema under the name Ambra Jovinelli, and in the 1970s an adult movie theater. On April 29, 1982 a fire destroyed the building, which stayed abandoned until young artists occupied it in July 1996.

The rebirth

In 1997 the Ministry placed the facade under protection. On January 25, 2001 Ambra reopened as a comedy theater with Serena Dandini as artistic director, and since December 26, 2010 the director has been Fabrizia Pompilio. The restoration raised the hall by five meters and created the Piccolo Jovinelli and a bar beneath it. The original cast iron columns now hold up the two galleries.

Something nobody tells you about Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, May 5 to 16, 2027

What nobody tells you is that the times change every day, and the most common mistake is showing up at 21:00 for a 19:30 performance. On Thursday the 6th, Wednesday the 12th and Friday the 14th the show starts an hour and a half earlier than usual, on Saturday the 8th there are two shows, and on Sundays it's in the afternoon. Check the time on your ticket when you buy it, and again on the day.

The second thing concerns the less popular dates. With 12 performances in 12 days, weekend nights fill up first. The 19:30 weeknight shows are often the easiest to get, and they leave the whole evening free after the show.

The third concerns the audience. Ale e Franz are comedians who have crossed three decades of television, from Mai dire Gol to Zelig to Che tempo che fa: in the hall you meet people of very different ages, from parents who remember them from Zelig to kids who know them as the Italian voices in Madagascar. It's a show you can share across generations.

How to get to Ambra Jovinelli

Teatro Ambra Jovinelli is at Via Guglielmo Pepe 43, a short distance from Piazza Vittorio and Termini station: Metro A, Vittorio Emanuele stop, is the simplest option.

By metro

From the Vittorio Emanuele stop, Via Guglielmo Pepe is a few minutes' walk. Alternatively, get off at Termini, where lines A and B meet, and walk through Esquilino.

By train

If you're arriving by regional train, you can get off at Roma Laziali station, next to Termini, the closest to the theater. For the weekend matinees it's also the handiest option if you're heading home the same day.

By car

Street parking in Esquilino is hard: better to leave the car in a garage around Termini and walk. For surface lines, use the transit company's journey planner.

My tip for Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, May 5 to 16, 2027

My tip is to choose a performance in the second week, between Tuesday the 11th and Friday the 14th. By then the show has run for a week in the Roman hall, the actors know how the audience responds and the comic timing is polished, and weeknights are usually less crowded than opening night and the weekend. If you'd rather go out early, there are Wednesday and Friday at 19:30.

The second tip is about preparation. A show that looks back on 30 years of career is more enjoyable if you remember at least some of the duo's classic characters: a few minutes of old sketches is enough to tune into their language. In our opinion, though, the best of Capitol'ho is in the new part, in the guests and the shuffled cards the presentation promises.

The third is practical: if you're bringing kids, the matinees on Saturday the 8th and the two Sundays suit best. You come out at dinnertime, with time for a stroll in Piazza Vittorio.

Another well-known fact, yet one rarely mentioned

It's well known that Ale e Franz became famous with Zelig. Much less mentioned is that before television there was serious theater training: the two met in 1992 at Centro Teatro Attivo in Milan, where they took professional acting courses. Their comedy, their bios say, ranges from mask to clowning, from comic to tragic: a legacy of drama school more than of cabaret.

A second rarely mentioned fact concerns Alberto Ferrari, director and coauthor of Capitol'ho. His partnership with the duo isn't new: in 2005 Ferrari directed Ale e Franz in the film La terza stella, and in the 2024-2025 season he directed them on stage in La commedia. 20 years of collaboration, which explain the trust with which the duo hands him the story of their career.

The third concerns Ambra Jovinelli: its comic vocation wasn't born in 2001 with Serena Dandini, but at the start of the 20th century. In 1910 Ettore Petrolini signed the contract with Giuseppe Jovinelli that launched him, and between 1919 and 1921 Totò debuted here, presenting himself as an impersonator of Gustavo De Marco.

The right photo to take at Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, May 5 to 16, 2027

The photo to take is of the facade, from the opposite sidewalk of Via Guglielmo Pepe, with the show poster in view. The upper part keeps the 1909 Art Nouveau design: the wavy entablature, the floral stuccos, the shell with the human face at the center. For the matinees you arrive in full daylight, the best moment to photograph the stucco work.

Inside, during the show, no photos or filming, out of respect for the performers and the people sitting next to you. Before it starts, if staff allow it, look up toward the proscenium arch, where a plaque still reads G. Jovinelli, 1909, and at the cast iron columns holding up the galleries.

If you love the night sky there's one more photo, entirely off the program: on a clear May night, after the show, a look at the sky over Piazza Vittorio while thinking of the asteroid that bears the duo's name. It's the right story to tell along with the shot.

Esquilino around Ambra Jovinelli

Esquilino is the district between Termini, Santa Maria Maggiore and Porta Maggiore, with the late 19th-century buildings put up after Italian unification around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II: one of Rome's most multiethnic neighborhoods.

Piazza Vittorio

Piazza Vittorio is a large square surrounded by porticoes. In the gardens at the center stands the Porta Alchemica, with its enigmatic inscriptions. Under the porticoes, in the evening, the neighborhood's languages and cuisines mingle.

The market and the basilicas

A few steps away is the Nuovo Mercato Esquilino, with spices and products from half the world, best visited in the morning. Heading uphill you reach Santa Maria Maggiore, with the Esquiline obelisk behind the apse.

Toward Monti

Beyond the basilica begins Monti, the district of workshops and small squares between Santa Maria Maggiore and the Forums: our page on the Monti district helps you pick a route before or after the show.

Some important events that happened here in history

The history of Ambra Jovinelli reads in dates. On March 3, 1909 the theater opened with Raffaele Viviani and his sister Luisella, brought in by Giuseppe Jovinelli. In 1910 Ettore Petrolini signed the contract with Jovinelli that launched him, and the documents of that relationship are kept in the Fondo Petrolini of the Biblioteca e Museo teatrale del Burcardo. Between 1919 and 1921 Totò debuted and became the audience's favorite. In the 1940s and 1950s the hall also hosted boxing matches, with the ring set up in the theater.

In the 1950s it became a variety cinema under its current name, and in the 1970s an adult movie theater. On April 29, 1982 a fire destroyed the building. In July 1996 young artists occupied it, in 1997 the Ministry protected the facade, and on January 25, 2001 it reopened as a comedy theater with Serena Dandini. On December 26, 2010 Fabrizia Pompilio's management began.

Capitol'ho enters this story as a show that looks back and forward at the same time, like the theater that hosts it: a duo looking back on 30 years of comedy in a hall that has seen more than 100.

Who has passed through Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, May 5 to 16, 2027

The Ambra Jovinelli stage has seen more than a century of Italian comedy. In the Jovinelli family era came Raffaele Viviani, Ettore Petrolini, Gustavo De Marco and Totò, then Gennaro Pasquariello, Romolo Balzani, Claudio Villa, the De Rege brothers, Nino Taranto, Lino Banfi, Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia, Alberto Sordi and Fanfulla. The De Rege brothers and the Franchi and Ingrassia pair are illustrious ancestors of today's comedy duos.

After the 2001 reopening came Ascanio Celestini, Marco Paolini, Lillo e Greg, Neri Marcorè, Valerio Mastandrea, Sabina and Corrado Guzzanti, Vincenzo Salemme, Lella Costa and Paolo Rossi, and under Fabrizia Pompilio Virginia Raffaele, Paola Cortellesi, Pierfrancesco Favino and the works of Mattia Torre. In the 2026/2027 season, among others, come Luca Bizzarri, Arianna Porcelli Safonov and Dino Abbrescia and Massimo De Lorenzo.

Ale e Franz's career has crossed paths with Enzo Jannacci, Enrico Ruggeri, Diego Abatantuono, Gabriele Salvatores, Neri Marcorè and Leo Muscato. From May 5 to 16, 2027 the duo born at Centro Teatro Attivo in Milan comes to Via Guglielmo Pepe, with 30 years of characters and a few new guests.

How to plan your evening

With 12 performances at different times, Capitol'ho fits almost any schedule: just pick the right slot.

If you work

The 19:30 shows, Thursday the 6th, Wednesday the 12th and Friday the 14th, let you leave the office, take the metro to Vittorio Emanuele and eat after the show. The 21:00 ones leave time for an early dinner in Esquilino.

If you're coming from out of town

The weekend matinees, Saturday the 8th at 16:30 and the Sundays at 17:00, are the handiest if you arrive by train and head home the same day. Being close to Termini and Roma Laziali makes Ambra one of the easiest theaters to reach.

As a family

An Ale e Franz show is one of the few comedy nights that please grandparents, parents and kids alike. If you're buying for several people, do it in a single purchase to get seats together.

Where to eat before or after the show

Esquilino is the right neighborhood for Chinese, Indian, Bengali, Ethiopian or Middle Eastern food at moderate prices. For a Roman trattoria, head up toward Santa Maria Maggiore or over to Monti.

With the 19:30 shows

You come out around 21:00, just right for dinner: in mid-May evenings are mild and the outdoor tables of Monti are the natural way to end.

With the 21:00 shows

Better an early dinner, around 19:00, at one of the places near Piazza Vittorio, or an aperitivo before and a quick bite after the show.

Accessibility, age and practical information

Since the restoration the Ambra Jovinelli hall sits five meters above street level: if you have accessibility needs, contact the theater before buying for directions on routes and suitable seats.

Age

Ale e Franz's surreal comedy has always suited a broad audience. In our opinion Capitol'ho is easy to follow from age eight or 10 up, especially at the matinees.

Arriving on time

The foyer fills up quickly on sold-out nights: be at the theater a quarter of an hour early, and double-check the time, which changes from day to day.

May in Rome: comedy, opera and tennis

Ale e Franz's 12 performances fall in two very busy weeks for live performance in Rome.

Other comedians in town

From May 7 to 15 Lillo e Greg, another duo that has passed through Ambra, are at Teatro Olimpico. On May 7 Edoardo Leo is at Palazzo dello Sport, and from May 4 Vincenzo Salemme is at Teatro Sistina with E fuori nevica.

Tennis and opera

Until May 16, the same day as the last performance, the Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2027 are played at Foro Italico, and from May 14 to 22 Teatro dell'Opera presents Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.

Frequently asked questions about Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho

When are Ale e Franz on at Ambra Jovinelli?

Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho are at Teatro Ambra Jovinelli in Rome from May 5 to 16, 2027, for 12 performances. On Monday, May 10 the theater is dark, and on Saturday the 8th there are two shows, at 16:30 and 21:00.

What time does Ale e Franz's show start in Rome?

The times of Capitol'ho at Ambra Jovinelli vary: 21:00 on May 5, 7, 11, 13 and 15, 19:30 on May 6, 12 and 14, 16:30 and 21:00 on Saturday the 8th, and 17:00 on Sunday the 9th and Sunday the 16th.

Where can I buy tickets for Capitol'ho?

Tickets for Ale e Franz in Capitol'ho are sold through the buy button on Ambra Jovinelli's official page, which links to the authorized presale network, or at the theater box office on Via Guglielmo Pepe.

What is Capitol'ho about?

Capitol'ho is a new Ale e Franz show that looks back on their 30-year career and sets new guests beside the duo's most iconic and surreal characters. It's written with Alberto Ferrari and Antonio De Santis and directed by Ferrari.

Who are Ale e Franz?

Ale e Franz are the comedy duo formed by Alessandro Besentini and Francesco Villa, who met at Centro Teatro Attivo in Milan in 1992. Known for Zelig and Buona la prima!, they voiced Alex and Marty in the Italian version of Madagascar.

Is Ale e Franz's show suitable for kids?

Ale e Franz's surreal comedy suits a broad audience: in our opinion Capitol'ho at Ambra Jovinelli is easy to follow from age eight or 10, preferably at the Saturday and Sunday matinees.

How do you get to Teatro Ambra Jovinelli?

Teatro Ambra Jovinelli is at Via Guglielmo Pepe 43, in Esquilino. It's reached by Metro A, Vittorio Emanuele stop, or on foot from Termini and Roma Laziali station in a few minutes.

What day is Ale e Franz's show dark?

During the two weeks of Capitol'ho at Ambra Jovinelli the only day off is Monday, May 10, 2027. Otherwise the show runs every day from May 5 to 16, with two performances on Saturday the 8th.

Final tip on Capitol'ho at Ambra Jovinelli

30 years of sketches and surreal characters, a director who has worked with them for 20 years, an asteroid with their name and an Art Nouveau theater where Petrolini and Totò debuted: Capitol'ho is the birthday party of a duo that left its mark on Italian TV comedy. My tip is to choose a weeknight in the second week, check the time carefully and bring someone from another generation: Ale e Franz are among the few comedians who make both of you laugh.

Article written by the editorial team of Tour Leader Pro, contact them for Private/Corporate/V.I.P. Tours and Experiences.

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