Din Don Down with Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius at Teatro Brancaccio: March 27, 2027

Din Don Down, Paolo Ruffini's show with Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius, a company of actors with disabilities, is at Teatro Brancaccio on Saturday, March 27, 2027 at 21:00, at Via Merulana 244 (00185 Rome), in the Esquiline Hill district: subtitle "Alla ricerca di (D)io," directed by Lamberto Giannini, Claudia Campolongo on piano, produced by Vera, running time 110 minutes. The full prices published by the theater range from 30 euros in second balcony B to 50 euros in poltronissima A. Tickets are bought from the show page on the official Brancaccio website, which links to the authorized presale circuit, or at the box office on Via Merulana, open Tuesday to Saturday from 16:00 to 19:00, so also on the Saturday of the show. The nearest stop is Vittorio Emanuele on Metro A, buses 16, 75, 714, 717 and C3 run along Via Merulana.

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

The theater calls it the show of records: since its debut it has recorded more than 90 sell-outs in Italy and 200,000 tickets sold, and for the 2026-2027 season it already has more than 40 confirmed dates. The Rome evening closes the week that Brancaccio devotes to Ruffini's productions.

Din Don Down at Brancaccio in Brief

Din Don Down with Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius is at Teatro Brancaccio in Rome for one night only, Saturday, March 27, 2027 at 21:00, with a running time of 110 minutes and tickets from 30 to 50 euros.

Date and running time

Saturday, March 27, 2027, start at 21:00. The theater states 110 minutes of show: the exit is expected around 22:50.

Prices

The Brancaccio price list for full tickets: poltronissima A 50 euros, poltrona A 46 euros, poltrona B 40 euros, first balcony A 40 euros, first balcony B 35 euros, second balcony A 35 euros, second balcony B 30 euros. The sales circuit's fees are added to the purchase.

Tickets

They are bought from the purchase button on the show's official page, which leads to the authorized presale circuit, or at the box office at Via Merulana 244, open Tuesday to Saturday from 16:00 to 19:00. March 27 is a Saturday: the box office is open on the day of the show too.

The team

On stage Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius, artistic coordination by Rachele Casali, piano by Claudia Campolongo, direction by Lamberto Giannini, production by Vera. Brancaccio classifies the show as comedy and as a show for families.

Din Don Down: the Show and Its Theme

Din Don Down is presented by the theater as much more than a variety show: a collective rite, a comic and poetic exploration of the concept of God, in all the forms and possibilities with which one can seek or question it.

The sacred, with irony

Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius take on the sacred, the presentation says, with irony, disobedience and delicacy. The subtitle says it with a parenthesis: in search of God, but also in search of oneself. The spiritual search and the search for oneself, on stage, become the same thing.

Nothing is planned

The presentation insists on the unexpected: improvisations mix with poetry, rules are broken, the sense of normality is overturned with force and tenderness. It's the heart of the work with the company: the actors don't perform a rigid script, and every evening something changes.

Comedy, irreverence, depth

The theater sums up the formula in three words: comedy, irreverence and depth. You laugh, and a lot, you laugh even at things people usually don't joke about, and you leave, according to the presentation, with something more to think about.

Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius

Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius, directed by Lamberto Giannini, is a theater company made up in part of actors with disabilities, with whom Paolo Ruffini has worked since 2016.

Lamberto Giannini

Giannini directs the company and signs the direction of Din Don Down. He is the point of continuity in all the joint projects with Ruffini, from Un grande abbraccio to UP&Down to today's show.

Rachele Casali and Claudia Campolongo

Artistic coordination is by Rachele Casali. On piano is Claudia Campolongo, actress and musician, who directs Il babysitter, Ruffini's show on stage since 2024, and is in the cast of Le donne non fanno ridere, at Brancaccio five days earlier.

Actors, not testimonials

The company's strength, since the first collaboration, is the role of the actors with disabilities: protagonists on stage, not guests or cases to tell about. The presentation of Din Don Down speaks of a sense of normality that is overturned, and that is exactly what happens on stage.

The tour numbers

According to Teatro Brancaccio, since its debut Din Don Down has recorded more than 90 sell-outs in Italy and 200,000 tickets sold, and has been a headliner in arenas and summer festivals. For the 2026-2027 season the dates already confirmed are more than 40, in the main Italian theaters: the Rome evening of March 27 is one of the stops of this new round, which began in the fall.

From Un grande abbraccio to Din Don Down: the History of the Project

Paolo Ruffini's work with Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius begins in 2016 with Un grande abbraccio, continues from 2018 with UP&Down and arrives in 2024 at Din Don Down.

Un grande abbraccio

In 2016 and 2017 Ruffini took Un grande abbraccio on tour, a comic variety show in which he is joined by some actors from Giannini's company. It's the first step of a collaboration that would become his most recognizable project.

UP&Down

In March 2018 UP&Down debuted, a comic happening with five young people with Down syndrome and one autistic young man as protagonists. The show toured the main Italian theaters for two years. From it came the documentary UP&Down, Un film normale, directed by Ruffini with Francesco Pacini and awarded the Kineo prize at the 75th Venice Film Festival, and the book La sindrome di UP, published by Mondadori in 2019.

Television

From the theater came a television version, Up & Down, Uno spettacolo normale, recorded at Teatro Verdi in Florence and broadcast on Christmas night in prime time on Italia 1. The format was repeated in 2019, with the title Una favola normale, and in 2020, with theaters closed by the pandemic, in the studios of Cologno Monzese with the title Un talk normale.

The Diversity Show

In 2021 Ruffini hosted the Paolo Ruffini Diversity Show on Comedy Central, another television chapter of the work on inclusion born from the theater, alongside the three Christmas specials of UP&Down.

The social enterprise

In 2023 Ruffini founded Up Impresa Sociale, which takes its name from the show and deals with events and shows on the theme of the inclusion of every kind of diversity. Since 2025 he also hosts Radio Up&Down on Radio24.

The Vera Week at Brancaccio Closes with Din Don Down

Din Don Down is the last of the five evenings that Teatro Brancaccio devotes, from March 22 to 27, 2027, to the shows produced by Vera, Paolo Ruffini's company: all begin at 21:00.

The five evenings

Monday, March 22, Le donne non fanno ridere, with Ruffini and five comedians, Tuesday the 23rd, Ti lascio andare by Daniel Lumera, Wednesday the 24th, Viaggio al centro della fisica by Vincenzo Schettini, also written by Ruffini, who directs it, Thursday the 25th, Inimitabile by Ubaldo Pantani, Saturday the 27th, Din Don Down.

Ruffini twice

Ruffini is on stage twice in one week: on Monday as a host overwhelmed by the comedians, on Saturday alongside the actors of Giannini's company. Anyone who wants to see both evenings finds two very different shows, with one artist in common, Claudia Campolongo.

Prices

Din Don Down has the highest price list of the week, from 30 to 50 euros, Inimitabile the lowest, from 23 to 35. Le donne non fanno ridere and Viaggio al centro della fisica run from 27 to 40 euros, Ti lascio andare from 27 to 45.

Who Is Paolo Ruffini

Paolo Ruffini, born in Livorno on November 26, 1978, is an actor, TV host, director, screenwriter and comedian, he is the founder of Vera, the company that produces Din Don Down and the other shows of the week at Brancaccio.

From the provinces to MTV

After classical high school in Livorno he worked as an entertainer in vacation villages and for two years as a municipal clerk, he made his film debut in Ovosodo by Paolo Virzì. In 2002 he won MTV's Cercasi VJ contest and for three years hosted programs on the music channel.

Colorado and film

Since 2011 he has hosted Colorado on Italia 1, first with Belén Rodríguez and then with Diana Del Bufalo. In film he acts in comedies like La prima cosa bella, C'è chi dice no and Natale col boss, in 2013 he made his directing debut with Fuga di cervelli, then directed Tutto molto bello, Ragazzaccio and Rido perché ti amo.

The documentaries

Alongside the comedies there is a more personal cinema: Resilienza in 2017, the co-direction of UP&Down, Un film normale in 2018 and PerdutaMente in 2022, a documentary on Alzheimer's directed with Ivana Di Biase.

The producer

In 2020 he founded Vera, an agency for theater production, talent management and communication. With Vera he produces and directs shows by other artists, from Vincenzo Schettini to Max Angioni and Herbert Ballerina, between 2025 and 2026 he hosts Zelig On on Italia 1 with Lodovica Comello.

Laughing at the Sacred: What to Expect from Din Don Down

Din Don Down takes on a theme that Italian comic theater rarely touches, the relationship with God, and does it with actors whom the audience is used to seeing talked about rather than as protagonists: two choices that, together, define the tone of the evening.

Neither sermon nor parody

The presentation speaks of irony, disobedience and delicacy. Three words that exclude both the sermon and easy parody: God is sought and questioned in all forms and possibilities, with no preset answer.

Improvisation

Part of the show is born on the spot every evening. It's one of the traits of the company's work since the days of UP&Down, and it makes every performance different from the last: even those who have already seen Din Don Down in another city will find new moments.

A Curiosity About Din Don Down with Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius at Teatro Brancaccio, March 27, 2027

The most interesting curiosity is in the title. Din Don Down sounds like a doorbell and like church bells, and inside it holds the word Down: in three syllables there are the sacred, play and the actors of the company. The subtitle, "Alla ricerca di (D)io," does the same with a parenthesis, and turns the search for God into a search for oneself. It's a play on words that says the whole spirit of the show: the sacred approached with lightness, disability approached without pity.

The second curiosity is about the numbers. According to the theater, Din Don Down has passed 200,000 tickets sold and 90 sold-out evenings. For a show with actors with disabilities these are the numbers of a large commercial production, and the presence in arenas and summer festivals confirms it.

The third is about the week. Din Don Down closes, on Saturday, March 27, five evenings produced by Vera at Brancaccio: on Monday Le donne non fanno ridere, then Daniel Lumera, Vincenzo Schettini and Ubaldo Pantani. Claudia Campolongo, at the piano on Saturday, is on stage on Monday too: the same artist opens and closes the week.

Teatro Brancaccio, the Hall of Din Don Down

Teatro Brancaccio, at Via Merulana 244, is one of the great halls of Rome: born in 1916 as Teatro Morgana, it has had its current form since 1937, with two foyers, a large orchestra level and two balconies. It is managed by Viola Produzioni.

A hall for a collective rite

A show that the presentation calls a collective rite needs a large, full hall. Brancaccio, with its deep orchestra level and its two balconies, has the right size for the sense of community that Din Don Down looks for.

The sections

The orchestra level is divided into poltronissima A and poltrona A and B, above are the first and second balconies, in bands A and B. The balconies are reached only on foot: the theater has no elevators.

The complex

Next to the main hall is the Brancaccino, about a hundred seats, with spaces for training. The page for the venue is that of Teatro Brancaccio.

Something Nobody Tells You About Din Don Down with Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius at Teatro Brancaccio, March 27, 2027

What is rarely said is that Din Don Down is really funny, and not out of politeness. Anyone who goes to the theater expecting a show to applaud out of kindness toward the actors with disabilities finds a comic variety show with real timing, jokes and improvisations, in which the laughter comes from the stage. It's the difference that Giannini's company has claimed for years, and that the sold-out audiences have rewarded.

The second thing is about the theme. The show talks about God, the sacred and faith with irony and disobedience, in the words of the presentation. Believers will find questions, not attacks, nonbelievers will find a reflection that doesn't demand answers. But it's good to know that the sacred, here, is not treated in the tone of a sermon.

The third is practical. Din Don Down is the most expensive evening of the Vera week, from 30 to 50 euros, and it's on a Saturday: it's probably also the most in demand. The theater cites more than 90 sell-outs in Italy, and it's best to buy the ticket well in advance.

Finally, the theater classifies the show as suitable for families: it is one of the few comedy evenings of the season that the theater expressly indicates for families too.

My Advice for Visiting Din Don Down with Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius at Teatro Brancaccio, March 27, 2027

My advice is to buy right away, and to choose first balcony A, at 40 euros: the same price as poltrona B, but with a full view of the stage, where a whole company moves and where improvisation can arise in any corner. Poltronissima A, at 50 euros, is worth the cost for anyone who wants to catch every expression.

The second piece of advice is to go with the kids. The theater lists the show for families too, and in our view Din Don Down is one of the best occasions to talk with your children about disability, diversity and faith, starting from an evening in which you laughed together.

The third is about the time: it starts at 21:00 on Saturday and you leave around 22:50. The next day is Sunday, and the evening can stretch with a post-theater dinner in Monti.

Finally, for anyone with time during the week: Monday's Le donne non fanno ridere, with Claudia Campolongo on stage, is the natural complement, to see Ruffini in two different roles.

How to Get to Teatro Brancaccio

Teatro Brancaccio is at Via Merulana 244, in the Esquiline Hill district, a few minutes on foot from the Vittorio Emanuele stop on Metro A and less than a kilometer from Termini.

Metro A and B

From the Vittorio Emanuele stop, Line A, you come out on Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and get to Via Merulana in a few minutes. From Line B you get off at Cavour. From Termini you can continue on foot, passing Santa Maria Maggiore.

Bus

The stops listed by the theater are Merulana/Brancaccio and Merulana/Mecenate, served by lines 16, 75, 714, 717 and C3, and Labicana/Merulana, where 3, 53, 75, 85, 87, 186, 571, 810, C3 and the night bus N10 pass.

Taxi

The theater lists the stands at Largo Brancaccio, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 113, Via Principe Amedeo 138, Via Giolitti 6 and Via Venosta.

Car

There is no partner parking listed by the theater and on Saturday evening parking in the Esquiline Hill district is particularly difficult. It's best to leave the car near a metro station and check the route on the Atac journey planner.

Another Well-Known Fact, Yet Rarely Mentioned

It's well known that Paolo Ruffini is a face of television comedy, from Colorado to Zelig On. It's less often remembered that the project with Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius also won recognition in art-house cinema: the documentary UP&Down, Un film normale, directed by Ruffini with Francesco Pacini, won the Kineo prize at the 75th Venice Film Festival. The show also became a book for Mondadori, La sindrome di UP, and three Christmas specials on Italia 1.

The second little-cited fact is about Ruffini's commitment beyond the company. In 2017 he directed Resilienza, a docufilm inspired by the true story of a young man, Alessandro, and his ability to turn a limit into an opportunity, in 2022 he signed with Ivana Di Biase PerdutaMente, on Alzheimer's. In 2023 he founded Up Impresa Sociale, dedicated to shows on the theme of inclusion. Din Don Down is the most visible point of a long path.

The third is about Brancaccio: from 1985 to 2000 it was the home of the Rome Opera Foundation, then it was directed by Gigi Proietti until 2007 and by Maurizio Costanzo until 2010. It was in a show conceived by Costanzo with Enrico Vaime, Portami tante rose.it, that Ruffini was on stage in 2008.

The Right Photo to Take at Din Don Down with Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius at Teatro Brancaccio, March 27, 2027

During the show Brancaccio's rules forbid photos and recording, even with a phone. The photo is taken beforehand, in front of the lit facade of the theater, with the title on the poster: on a Saturday evening, at the end of March, the street is lively and the sign looks good.

The second photo, in our view the most fitting for the theme, is the facade of Santa Maria Maggiore, at the start of Via Merulana, to take when arriving on foot from Termini. A show in search of God starts well with a basilica behind you.

The third is taken on the way out, at the far end of Via Merulana, toward San Giovanni in Laterano: the two basilicas mark the two ends of the street where the theater is.

Around Brancaccio: Via Merulana and the Two Basilicas

Teatro Brancaccio is on Via Merulana, in the Esquiline Hill district, along the street that links two papal basilicas, among Umbertine buildings and historic gardens.

Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni

To the north is Santa Maria Maggiore, to the south St. John Lateran. For a show that seeks God with irony, they are the two most obvious landmarks of the neighborhood.

Museums and antiquities

Along the street is Palazzo Merulana, with the collection of twentieth-century art, a little further on, the Auditorium of Maecenas. The theater borders the gardens of Palazzo Brancaccio.

Piazza Vittorio and Monti

To the north opens Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, with the Porta Alchemica, to the west the Monti district, with trattorias and wine bars for Saturday night.

Some Important Events That Happened Here in History

Teatro Brancaccio was inaugurated in January 1916 under the name Teatro Morgana, next to the gardens of the palace of the Field Brancaccio family, the family tied to Isabella Field and to Prince Brancaccio. In 1937 it took its current form, with two foyers, a large orchestra level and two balconies, and the name Teatro Brancaccio.

From 1985 to 2000 it was the home of the Rome Opera Foundation. Then the city entrusted its direction to Gigi Proietti until 2007, to Maurizio Costanzo until 2010 and to Stage Entertainment Italia until 2012. Since September 2012 the artistic direction has been Alessandro Longobardi's, and the theater is managed by Viola Produzioni.

In the history of the Ruffini and Giannini project the dates are 2016 for Un grande abbraccio, March 2018 for the debut of UP&Down, the prize in Venice, the Christmases on Italia 1, 2023 for Up Impresa Sociale and 2024 for Din Don Down. On March 27, 2027 the show arrives at Brancaccio with more than 40 dates on the calendar for the season.

Who Has Passed Through Din Don Down with Paolo Ruffini and Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius at Teatro Brancaccio, March 27, 2027

Totò, Anna Magnani, Aldo Fabrizi and Gigi Proietti have passed through Brancaccio's stage, among musicians, Fabrizio De André, Louis Armstrong and Jimi Hendrix. For 15 years the hall belonged to the Rome Opera.

In the 2026-2027 season Paolo Ruffini already came through Brancaccio in December with Il Babysitter and with Il badante. In the week of Din Don Down, for the same production, the comedians of Le donne non fanno ridere pass through Via Merulana on March 22, Daniel Lumera on the 23rd, Vincenzo Schettini on the 24th, Ubaldo Pantani on the 25th. Before, from March 17 to 21, there is Frida Opera Musical, Viva la Vida, after, from March 31, Mrs Doubtfire il Musical.

And on March 27 the actors of Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius pass through the stage, with Lamberto Giannini directing, Rachele Casali on artistic coordination and Claudia Campolongo on piano: they are the real protagonists of the evening.

House Rules at Brancaccio

The rules of Teatro Brancaccio ask you to arrive well ahead of time, don't allow entry once the show has started and forbid photos, recording and food in the hall.

Items not allowed

Umbrellas, plastic bottles over half a liter, glass containers, helmets, professional cameras, tripods and selfie sticks don't get into the hall. The theater has a coat check and a bar.

With kids

Every spectator takes the assigned seat. For families it's best to buy the seats together, in a single transaction, to sit side by side.

Accessibility at Teatro Brancaccio

Teatro Brancaccio states that the orchestra level is accessible without architectural barriers, with a ramp, an area for wheelchairs and an accessible restroom on the ground floor, reachable from the foyer.

Orchestra seats

The balconies are not accessible by wheelchair, because there are no elevators. For Din Don Down, as for every evening at the theater, anyone who needs an accessible seat does well to write to the box office in good time and arrange seats in the orchestra.

For families

The theater classifies the show as suitable for families. The running time of 110 minutes and the evening hour make it in any case better suited to kids who can handle a long evening.

How to Plan the Saturday of Din Don Down

With the start at 21:00 on Saturday and the exit around 22:50, the evening of Din Don Down lends itself to a whole day in the Esquiline Hill district, with an early dinner or a post-theater drink in Monti.

The afternoon

The box office on Via Merulana is open on Saturday from 16:00 to 19:00. The afternoon can be devoted to Santa Maria Maggiore or to Palazzo Merulana, during opening hours, before dinner.

Getting home

Metro A at Vittorio Emanuele is a few minutes on foot, at the Labicana/Merulana stop the night bus N10 passes. The Atac journey planner shows the runs on Saturday night.

Where to Eat Before or After the Show

Around Brancaccio you find the places on Via Merulana, the cuisines of many countries of the world around Piazza Vittorio and, a quarter of an hour on foot away, the trattorias and wine bars of the Monti district.

Before

With the start at 21:00, dinner should be moved up to 19:00 or 19:30. On Saturday evening the places fill up fast: for families and for anyone arriving in a larger group it's best to book a few days ahead.

After

On Saturday Monti stays lively until late: leaving around 23:00 you still find places open for a post-theater drink.

Frequently Asked Questions About Din Don Down in Rome

When is Paolo Ruffini's Din Don Down in Rome?

Paolo Ruffini's Din Don Down with Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius is at Teatro Brancaccio in Rome on Saturday, March 27, 2027 at 21:00, at Via Merulana 244, with a running time of 110 minutes.

How much do tickets for Din Don Down cost?

Full tickets for Din Don Down at Teatro Brancaccio cost 50 euros in poltronissima A, 46 euros in poltrona A, 40 euros in poltrona B and in first balcony A, 35 euros in first balcony B and second balcony A, 30 euros in second balcony B.

What is Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius?

Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius is a theater company directed by Lamberto Giannini, made up in part of actors with disabilities, with whom Paolo Ruffini has worked since 2016, from Un grande abbraccio to UP&Down to Din Don Down.

What is Din Don Down about?

Din Don Down, subtitle "Alla ricerca di (D)io," is a comic variety show that explores with irony and delicacy the concept of God and the sacred, mixing improvisation and poetry and overturning the sense of normality.

Is Din Don Down suitable for children?

Teatro Brancaccio classifies Din Don Down also as a show for families. The start at 21:00 and the running time of 110 minutes make it better suited to kids used to a long evening.

Who is on stage in Din Don Down?

In Din Don Down there are Paolo Ruffini and the actors of Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius, with Claudia Campolongo on piano, the artistic coordination is by Rachele Casali and the direction by Lamberto Giannini.

How do you get to Teatro Brancaccio?

Teatro Brancaccio is reached by Metro A, Vittorio Emanuele stop, a few minutes on foot, buses 16, 75, 714, 717 and C3 run along Via Merulana, and the night bus N10 also stops at Labicana/Merulana.

Final Advice on Din Don Down

Din Don Down is the most anticipated evening of Ruffini's week at Brancaccio: a comic variety show in which the actors with disabilities of Compagnia Mayor Von Frinzius are the protagonists, and in which the sacred becomes material for laughter and questions. My advice is to buy the ticket well in advance, choose first balcony A to see the whole stage or poltronissima to sit close, bring the kids and leave room, afterward, for a dinner in which to talk about what you saw.

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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