Filippo Giardina at Teatro Brancaccio: La banalità del bene, April 26, 2027

Filippo Giardina at Teatro Brancaccio: the comedian brings La banalità del bene (The Banality of Good) to Rome on Monday, April 26, 2027 at 21:00, for one night only. The theater is at Via Merulana 244, 00185 Rome, in Esquilino, a few steps from the Vittorio Emanuele stop on Metro A, with the Cavour stop on Metro B as an alternative, and lines 16, 75, 714, 717 and C3 run along Via Merulana. Prices published on the presale network authorized by the organizers, presale fee included and service fees excluded, range from €23 in the limited-view first balcony to €40.20 in the Poltronissima Gold. Tickets are sold on the presale network authorized by the organizers and at the theater box office. The show is produced by Show Bees in collaboration with Talento and is restricted to ages 16 and up because of its themes and language.

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

The title borrows that of Hannah Arendt's most famous essay and flips it: instead of evil becoming ordinary, there's a good that is preached and never practiced, a society that shouts to exist and doesn't listen. That's the gist of a satirical monologue the official presentation describes as a clear-eyed, merciless look at the present. For the Roman comedian, who grew up in the city's clubs, it's also a home game, in the biggest hall on the tour. The show is in Italian.

La banalità del bene at the Brancaccio: date, time and prices

La banalità del bene is on at Teatro Brancaccio for one night, Monday, April 26, 2027, starting at 21:00.

One date in Rome

On the tour calendar the Rome stop is one of the last of the season: after Rome only Milan remains, at Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber, the following evening. With a single date, don't wait until the last weeks to choose your seat, especially in the orchestra.

Prices by section

On the authorized network, full prices including the presale fee set by the organizer are: Poltronissima Gold €40.20, Poltronissima A and Poltronissima B €36.80, Poltrona A and Poltrona B €34.50, first balcony sections A and B €28.70, first balcony section C, with limited view, €23. The second balcony is listed as not on sale. Online purchase service fees are added to these amounts.

Where to buy

Tickets are sold on the presale network authorized by the organizers, online or at physical outlets, and at the Teatro Brancaccio box office on Via Merulana. The listed organizer is Show Bees, a company based in Milan.

Ages 16 and up

The official warning is explicit: because of its themes and language, the show is restricted to ages 16 and up. It's not suitable for younger teens, and the theater may ask for ID.

What you'll see: a monologue on the banality of good

La banalità del bene is a satirical stand-up monologue written and performed by Filippo Giardina, which according to the official presentation digs into the contradictions of our time, turning irony into a tool of social inquiry.

A title turned upside down

The title echoes, and overturns, that of Hannah Arendt's famous essay. The choice announces the comedian's intent from the start: tackling the complexity of the present with the force of satire, which the presentation calls the only possible tool for not succumbing to the paradox of reality, without giving up the lightness of laughter.

The themes

The monologue is a journey through the dissonances of a civilization that seems to have lost its sense of measure. It explores a world where violence fascinates more than peace, arrogance disguises itself as awareness and individualism masks loneliness. Giardina examines the childishness of a Western society that fancies itself free while staying prisoner of its own algorithms and egos.

Laughter that unmasks

The presentation closes with a phrase that sums up the comedian's method: in his satire, laughter doesn't comfort, it unmasks. Giardina laughs at the tragic to make it recognizable, and turns the decadence of the present into material that's both comic and thoughtful. Those who know his previous shows know that, with him, the punchline is often the conclusion of an argument.

The show's journey

La banalità del bene premiered in March 2026 in Italy's main cities and from the fall also reached Europe. The 2026 and 2027 calendar includes Legnano, Trento, Mogliano, Catania, Bitritto near Bari, Naples, Bergamo, Turin, Bologna, Rome and Milan: 11 dates, from Teatro Galleria in Legnano on December 11, 2026 to Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber in Milan on April 27, 2027.

Filippo Giardina: biography

Filippo Giardina was born in Rome on April 11, 1974 and is one of the leading names in Italian satirical stand-up comedy: since 2001 he has performed in clubs and theaters as a monologuist.

Beginnings and Satiriasi

His first show dates from 2001. In 2009 he founded the satirical collective Satiriasi, which brought together comedians interested in direct satire, built on the monologue rather than on characters. It was an important step in the history of Italian stand-up, then still little practiced.

Television

In 2013 Gregorio Paolini called on him to bring the Satiriasi collective onto Aggratis!, on Rai 2. He then became a writer on the first two editions of Nemico pubblico on Rai 3, and in the second he also appeared on screen, interviewed on current affairs by foreign journalists such as Udo Gumpel and Eric Joszef. From 2014, for three editions, he was comedian and coordinator of Stand Up Comedy on Comedy Central. In the 2016 and 2017 season he was a writer and panelist on the 55 episodes of Sbandati, on Rai 2.

The shows

From 2005 to 2023 a new show arrived every two years or so, with titles that announce the targets: the Constitution's free speech article on clearance sale, sex, politics, religion and other dirty things, soap bubbles and two-bit existentialism, then Sesto Potere, Contumelie, Lo ha già detto Gesù, Formiche, Dieci and Cabaret. La banalità del bene is the next chapter.

Free shows online

One choice sets him apart from many colleagues: Giardina has personally uploaded five complete shows to his channel, free to watch. Lo ha già detto Gesù has been online since 2018, Contumelie since 2019, Formiche, recorded in November 2020, since November 2021, Dieci since 2023 and Cabaret since 2025. Cabaret, according to the official presentation, sold out in many Italian cities between 2023 and 2024.

Behind the Joke

His career is the subject of the documentary Behind the Joke, Filippo Giardina, directed by Simone Trotta: an intimate account of the life and work of the Roman stand-up comedian, through his artistic and personal path.

A curious fact about Filippo Giardina at Teatro Brancaccio, April 26, 2027

The most interesting curious fact concerns Giardina's relationship with the audience that doesn't buy tickets. Few Italian comedians give their shows away: he has put five online, complete and free, and the presentation of La banalità del bene mentions it as part of the promotion. Cabaret, his last one-man show before this one, is available on his official channel precisely to build anticipation for the new one. It's a contrarian strategy: those arriving at the Brancaccio on April 26 may already have watched hours of Giardina for nothing, and they choose to pay for the one thing a screen can't give back, the hall.

The second curious fact is about his age. Giardina was born in Rome on April 11, 1974: the Brancaccio date falls 15 days after his 53rd birthday, and the comedian returns to his city after a tour that took him from Sicily to Trentino.

The third concerns the title. Hannah Arendt's The Banality of Evil was born from the trial of a Nazi criminal, and Giardina takes its structure and applies it to an age that, the presentation says, preaches good but doesn't practice it. Arriving in the hall knowing where the title comes from helps you catch the game from the first joke.

Teatro Brancaccio: the hall and its layout

Teatro Brancaccio, at Via Merulana 244, has had its current layout since 1937: two foyers, a large orchestra and two raised levels, the first and second balconies, for about 2,000 seats at the time.

Orchestra and balconies

The orchestra is divided into the Poltronissima and Poltrona sections, each in bands, and for this evening there's also a Gold band in front of the Poltronissima. Above are the first balcony, divided into sections A, B and C, and the second balcony. Section C of the first balcony is marked as limited view and is the cheapest.

Where to sit for a monologue

For a spoken-word show, with no sets to look at, what matters is seeing the comedian's face clearly. In our opinion the orchestra is the way to go, from the Poltronissima to Poltrona A: from the balconies you hear everything, but the play of expressions is lost. The balconies also have no elevator access.

The Brancaccio complex

The Brancaccio is the main hall of a larger complex that includes the Brancaccino, a theater of about 100 seats, a training area and a terrace over Via Merulana. The theater is home to the Viola Produzioni production center and hosts academies for acting, directing, musical theater and dance.

Something nobody tells you about Filippo Giardina at Teatro Brancaccio, April 26, 2027

What the presentations don't say openly is that Giardina's satire doesn't seek everyone's applause. The ban on under-16s isn't a formality: his previous shows, starting from their titles, have tackled religion, sex and politics in direct language, and some of those titles say so outright. If you bring a friend used to TV comedy, warn them: the evening isn't a variety show.

The second thing concerns the audience. Those who have seen the free shows online arrive in the hall knowing the style, the timing, even some of the comedian's obsessions. That creates a prepared crowd, laughing ahead of the setup of the jokes: a different experience from seeing a comedian for the first time.

The third is practical: Brancaccio house rules ban photos and filming during the show, even with a phone. In a satirical monologue, where a sentence taken out of context can be misunderstood, the rule also protects the artist.

My tip for Filippo Giardina at Teatro Brancaccio, April 26, 2027

My first tip is to watch, in the days before, at least part of Cabaret on Giardina's official channel. It's his last show before this one, and it's free: it lets you grasp the comedian's rhythm, the long build of his jokes, the tone that alternates reasoning and attack. If you arrive prepared you'll enjoy the evening more.

The second is to choose the orchestra and buy early. The difference between Poltrona B and Poltronissima A is just over two euros, and for a monologue closeness to the stage matters more than at a musical. Section C of the first balcony costs less, but the limited view weighs heavily when there's only one person on stage.

The third is to read, or reread, the first pages of Hannah Arendt's The Banality of Evil. You don't need it to laugh, but it helps you understand what the title overturns, and why Giardina chose it. The fourth is to arrive early, as the theater asks: entry after the show has started isn't allowed.

How to get to Teatro Brancaccio

Teatro Brancaccio is at Via Merulana 244, less than a kilometer from Termini station and a few steps from the Vittorio Emanuele stop on Metro A.

By metro

The theater lists two options. Metro A, Vittorio Emanuele stop, is the closest: you come out on Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and reach Via Merulana in a few minutes on foot. Metro B and B1, Cavour stop, are the alternative if you're coming from the Monti or Colosseum side.

By bus

On Via Merulana, at the Merulana/Brancaccio and Merulana/Mecenate stops, lines 16, 75, 714, 717 and C3 stop. At the Labicana/Merulana stop there are lines 3, 53, 75, 85, 87, 186, 571, 810, C3 and the N10 night bus, useful for getting home after the show.

By taxi

The nearest taxi stands listed by the theater are on Largo Brancaccio, at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 113, Via Principe Amedeo 138, Via Giolitti 6 and Via Venosta.

By car

The theater doesn't list partner garages, and parking in Esquilino in the evening is hard. If you're coming from outside Rome, leave the car near a metro station and continue to Vittorio Emanuele or Cavour.

Another well-known fact, yet one rarely mentioned

It's well known that stand-up comedy in Italy has exploded over the last 10 years, with dedicated clubs, TV shows and streaming platforms. Less often mentioned is that one of the decisive steps was on television and carries Giardina's name: from 2014, for three editions, Stand Up Comedy on Comedy Central had him as comedian and coordinator, and before that, in 2013, Aggratis! brought to Rai 2 the Satiriasi collective, founded by Giardina in 2009.

That explains why, among the generation of comedians who fill theaters today, Giardina's name often comes up as a forerunner. When he started performing as a satirical monologuist in 2001, American-style stand-up, a lone comedian at the mic with no characters or sketches, was a rarity in Italy.

There's a second well-known but rarely mentioned fact: Giardina was a TV writer before he was a TV face. The two editions of Nemico pubblico on Rai 3 and the 55 episodes of Sbandati on Rai 2 had him working on the writing, the least visible part of the job and the one you feel most in his monologues.

Around the Brancaccio: Esquilino, Via Merulana and Monti

Teatro Brancaccio faces Via Merulana, the street that links the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.

The two basilicas

On one side is Santa Maria Maggiore, on the other St. John Lateran. The theater is on the stretch between the two: from one end of the street to the other is about a 20-minute walk, and in late April, at 20:00, the facades are still in the evening light.

Palazzo Merulana and the Auditorium of Maecenas

On the same street are Palazzo Merulana, with its art collection, and a little farther on the Auditorium of Maecenas. The theater's name recalls the Brancaccio family palace, against whose garden the hall was built.

Piazza Vittorio and Monti

To the north is Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II with the Porta Alchemica, and to the west you head down into the Monti district, with trattorias, osterias and wine bars.

The right photo to take at Filippo Giardina at Teatro Brancaccio, April 26, 2027

The right photo is taken on Via Merulana, from the opposite sidewalk, with the Brancaccio facade lit up and the show poster at the entrance. It's the image of a theater that has been part of neighborhood life since 1916 and has hosted variety, opera, musicals and great comedy.

Inside, during the show, the rules ban photos and filming, with or without flash. Before the start, from the orchestra, it's worth taking a shot of the empty hall filling up, with its two balconies and the bare stage, a microphone and little else: the classic stand-up scene, in a hall born for variety.

The third photo is the one afterward: Via Merulana at night, with the perspective running toward a lit Santa Maria Maggiore, is one of the most beautiful views in Esquilino, and at 23:00 on a Monday the street is almost empty.

Some important events that happened here in history

The history of Teatro Brancaccio begins in January 1916, when the hall opened under the name Teatro Morgana.

1916, Teatro Morgana

The hall was built against the embankment of the gardens of the palace of the Field-Brancaccio, the noble family named after Isabella Field, who married Prince Brancaccio. The link with the palace is physical even before it's a matter of name.

1937, Teatro Brancaccio

After several rebuilds, in 1937 the hall reopened in its current layout, with two foyers, a large orchestra and two balconies for about 2,000 seats at the time, and took the name Teatro Brancaccio.

From 1985 to today

From 1985 to 2000 the hall was home to the Rome Opera Foundation. Then the City entrusted its direction to Gigi Proietti until 2007, followed by Maurizio Costanzo until 2010 and Stage Entertainment Italia until 2012. Since September 2012 the artistic director has been Alessandro Longobardi, and the theater has become a cultural hub with the Brancaccino, the academies and, since 2014, Spazio Impero.

Who has passed through Filippo Giardina at Teatro Brancaccio, April 26, 2027

Some of the biggest names in Italian and international entertainment have crossed the Brancaccio stage. The theater itself recalls a few: Totò, Anna Magnani, Aldo Fabrizi and Gigi Proietti among actors, Fabrizio De André, Louis Armstrong and Jimi Hendrix among musicians.

Giardina has been here before, too. The theater's website archive lists Dieci in the 2021 and 2022 season, the show the comedian later uploaded for free in 2023. So La banalità del bene is a return: the same hall, five years and two shows later.

In the 2026 and 2027 season the Brancaccio hosts, among others, Marco Travaglio with Cornuti e contenti, another monologue on the present with a different angle, and Filippo Caccamo. A few days before Giardina, on April 21, comes L'arte della truffa with Biagio Izzo: in the same week Via Merulana hall goes from Neapolitan comedy to the harshest satire.

House rules at Teatro Brancaccio

Teatro Brancaccio's house rules apply to every show: arrive early, no entry once the show has started, no photos or filming during the show, no food in the hall.

Arrival and seats

The rules ask you to sit only in your assigned seat: for safety reasons you can't move, not even to empty seats. House staff may ask to see your ticket at any time.

Bags, umbrellas and coat check

The theater has a coat check and a bar. Umbrellas aren't allowed in the hall, and plastic bottles over half a liter, glass containers, motorcycle helmets, professional cameras, tripods and selfie sticks are banned. Food and drinks are consumed only at the bar.

Phones and dress

The rules ask you to switch off your phone before the start and to dress in keeping with the hall's decorum, without a real dress code: for a Monday evening monologue, regular city clothes are fine.

Accessibility at Teatro Brancaccio

Teatro Brancaccio states that there are no architectural barriers to reaching the orchestra: there's a ramp, a wheelchair area and an accessible restroom on the ground floor, reached from the orchestra foyer.

Reserved seats

For performances organized by the management, the theater offers, while they last, orchestra seats for wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties, to be booked with the dedicated form. The balconies aren't wheelchair accessible. For a visiting production like this one, check the conditions with the box office.

Visual and hearing impairments

For spectators with visual and hearing impairments the theater reserves orchestra seats on request, while they last.

Who La banalità del bene is for

La banalità del bene is restricted to ages 16 and up: it's an evening for adults, made for those who love direct satire and monologues that start from current events.

If you know stand-up

For anyone who follows Italian stand-up, Giardina is a reference point, and seeing him live in a big hall is a chance to understand how stand-up moved from clubs to theaters.

If it's your first time

If you don't know the comedian, start with the free videos. If satire on religion, politics and social mores amuses you, the evening is for you, and if you prefer lighter comedy, the Brancaccio has other options in the same season.

Where to eat before or after the show

The Brancaccio area offers three different options: the bars and spots on Via Merulana, multiethnic Esquilino around Piazza Vittorio, and the trattorias of the Monti district.

Before the show

Via Merulana and the streets around the theater have neighborhood bars and spots, good for an aperitivo or a quick meal before 21:00. The streets around Piazza Vittorio offer cuisines from half the world at moderate prices.

After the show

The Monti district, a quarter of an hour on foot, has trattorias, osterias and wine bars, and it's the best choice for dinner after the show. On Monday evenings many kitchens close earlier: book ahead.

How to plan the evening of April 26

With a single show, on a Monday at 21:00, the evening revolves around three moments: a walk in the neighborhood, the show, and dinner or the trip home.

The afternoon

If you arrive early you can start from Santa Maria Maggiore, walk down Via Merulana and stop at Palazzo Merulana, or come up from Monti to Piazza Vittorio. They're 20 or 30 minute routes, with plenty of reasons to stop.

Before going in

The theater asks you to arrive early: for a 21:00 show, be on Via Merulana around 20:15, leave your jacket and umbrella at the coat check and take your seat calmly.

After the show

For the trip home, Metro A from Vittorio Emanuele and the N10 night bus from Via Labicana cover much of the city, and the taxi stands on Largo Brancaccio and Piazza Vittorio are a few steps away.

Late April in Rome

Giardina's evening falls in late April, a few days after Rome's birthday on April 21 and right after the April 25 holiday, when the city fills with visitors and the days are already long.

The weather

In late April the evenings are mild but can be rainy: a folding umbrella helps between the metro and the theater, and at the Brancaccio it goes to the coat check.

Monday evening

On Monday, after a busy weekend, the city calms down: tables in Monti restaurants are easier to find, the metro is less crowded on the way out and the walk along Via Merulana after the show is almost solitary. For a monologue that leaves plenty to discuss, it's the right time to talk it over while walking.

A week of shows

In the same week Rome offers more: a few minutes' walk away, Teatro Ambra Jovinelli has another stand-up night on the program, and on Thursday, April 29 Palazzo dello Sport hosts Elodie. If you're staying a few days you can make Esquilino your theater district.

Frequently asked questions about La banalità del bene

When is Filippo Giardina's La banalità del bene on in Rome?

Filippo Giardina's La banalità del bene is on at Teatro Brancaccio in Rome on Monday, April 26, 2027 at 21:00, for one night only. It's the last stop of the tour before Milan, where the show arrives the following evening at Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber.

How much are tickets for Filippo Giardina at the Brancaccio?

Tickets for La banalità del bene at Teatro Brancaccio range from €23, first balcony section C with limited view, to €40.20, Poltronissima Gold, presale fee included. The orchestra costs between €34.50 and €36.80. Online purchase fees are added.

Is Filippo Giardina's show suitable for teens?

La banalità del bene isn't suitable for younger teens: because of its themes and language the show is restricted to ages 16 and up, as the organizers' official warning states. It's an evening of satire for an adult audience.

What is La banalità del bene about?

La banalità del bene is a satirical monologue that echoes and overturns the title of Hannah Arendt's essay: Giardina portrays a society that preaches good but doesn't practice it, amid violence that fascinates, arrogance disguised as awareness, individualism and algorithms.

Where is Teatro Brancaccio?

Teatro Brancaccio is at Via Merulana 244, in Esquilino. The nearest stop is Vittorio Emanuele on Metro A, with the Cavour stop on Metro B as an alternative. Lines 16, 75, 714, 717 and C3 run along Via Merulana.

Who is Filippo Giardina?

Filippo Giardina is a Roman comedian born in 1974, a satirical monologuist since 2001, founder of the Satiriasi collective in 2009 and coordinator of Stand Up Comedy on Comedy Central. He wrote for Nemico pubblico and Sbandati and has put five shows online for free.

How long is Giardina's show?

The organizers don't publish the running time of La banalità del bene. With a 21:00 start, a stand-up monologue in a theater usually ends in time to catch Metro A from Vittorio Emanuele, but check the time of the last run anyway.

Final tip on La banalità del bene

My tip is to book an orchestra seat early, watch Cabaret in the days before and get to the Brancaccio with a bit of Hannah Arendt in your head. La banalità del bene is one night, a Monday in late April, with a Roman comedian returning to his city and to a hall that has hosted him before. In our opinion it's the right evening if you want satire that doesn't comfort or flatter, and that after the laugh leaves you something to argue about all the way to the metro.

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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