L’imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria, December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027

L'imbarazzo della scelta, the interactive comedy in which the audience decides how the story goes on, plays Teatro Vittoria in Rome from December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027, at Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice 10, in the Testaccio district. The theater's calendar lists 17 performances, with shows at 17:30, 19:00 or 21:00 depending on the day, including New Year's Eve at 19:00. On stage are Stefano Messina, Carlo Lizzani, Chiara Bonome, Chiara David and Raffaele De Vita, with translation and direction by Virginia Acqua, produced by Attori e Tecnici. The full-price ticket costs 27 euros in the orchestra seats and 21 in the gallery, plus 3 euros presale. You buy it at the theater's box office or on the presale network indicated on the official website. You get to the theater by metro line B, Piramide stop, and about a 10-minute walk, or by tram 3 along Via Marmorata.

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

L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria in brief

L'imbarazzo della scelta is the Italian version of a comedy that has played in Paris since 2020, with more than 1,000 performances. It won the Les étoiles du Parisien award in 2020 and was nominated for the 2022 Molière award for best comedy.

The dates

Teatro Vittoria hosts the comedy from December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027, across Christmas, New Year's and Epiphany. The December performances are Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 at 17:30, Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 at 21:00, Wednesday 30 at 17:30 and Thursday 31 at 19:00.

The January performances

In January the shows are Friday 1 at 21:00, Saturday 2 at 19:00, Sunday 3 at 17:30, Tuesday 5 at 21:00, Wednesday 6 at 17:30, Thursday 7 and Friday 8 at 21:00, Saturday 9 at 19:00, Sunday 10 at 17:30, Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 at 21:00.

A note on the dates

The sources disagree on some performances: the calendar published by the theater stops at January 13, while the presale network lists shows up to January 17, 2027 and, for some evenings, different times. Before buying it is best to check the performance you choose directly with the box office.

The box office

The Teatro Vittoria box office answers at 06 5740170 and 06 5740598. It is open Monday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 19:00, Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 20:00, Sunday and holidays from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 19:00, but in the afternoon only if there is a show.

The comedy: what happens on stage

L'imbarazzo della scelta tells the story of Max, who on his birthday realizes he is living only half a life and would like to change the course of his destiny, but is paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice.

The audience decides

Max decides to ask his closest friends for advice: the audience in the hall. Love, work, friendship, family: at every crossroads it is the spectators who choose which road to take, and the actors perform the continuation decided by the hall.

Eight plots and 20 variables

According to the theater's presentation, the actors are ready to perform in real time all eight possible plots, plus about 20 other variables decided by the audience during the show. Every evening the comedy is different, and whoever comes back a second time can see another story. For the actors it means holding in mind a script that is really a tree of possibilities: every branch must be rehearsed, every passage from one branch to another must feel natural, and the comic rhythm cannot drop while the hall decides. It is actor's theater in the most technical sense of the term.

Comedy and reflection

The encounter with Max, the presentation says, gives rise to moments of great comedy but also of reflection, because deciding is not always easy. It is the mechanism that gives the show its title: every choice by the audience puts them in front of a new embarrassment.

The French authors and the Paris success

L'imbarazzo della scelta is written by Sébastien Azzopardi and Sacha Danino, and came to Italy in the translation and with the direction of Virginia Acqua.

Paris, since 2020

In Paris the comedy has been on since 2020 and has passed 1,000 performances, according to the Teatro Vittoria presentation. In the same year it won the Les étoiles du Parisien award, given by the Paris daily.

The Molière nomination

In 2022 the comedy was nominated for the Molière award for best comedy: a nomination that paired public success with recognition from the French theater world.

The interactive format

The strength of the text is in the format: a comedy built like a choose-your-path game, in which the audience is part of the dramaturgy. It is a mechanism that demands particular preparation from the actors, because they must know all the possible versions and move from one to another without hesitation.

Attori e Tecnici, the company on stage

L'imbarazzo della scelta is a production of Attori e Tecnici, the cooperative founded in 1977 by Attilio Corsini and Viviana Toniolo, which has had its home at Teatro Vittoria since 1986.

The cast

On stage are Stefano Messina, Carlo Lizzani, Chiara Bonome, Chiara David and Raffaele De Vita: five actors for all the possible plots and all the characters Max's story can meet.

The creative team

Translation and direction are by Virginia Acqua, sets by Fabiana Di Marco, costumes by Isabella Rizza, lighting design by Umile Vainieri. The assistant director is Virginia Bonacini.

A company that signs with its own name

In its history the cooperative has always bet on the Attori e Tecnici brand more than on the name of a single star actor, with a way of making theater that democratically involves all its members. The company's actors, according to the theater, are professionals trained at the best Italian academies, with years of theater and film behind them.

Rumori fuori scena

The company's signature title is Rumori fuori scena, called by the theater a huge hit. On the Vittoria website it is listed as the next show on the calendar after L'imbarazzo della scelta.

How to plan the evening or the afternoon

L'imbarazzo della scelta has three different times, 17:30, 19:00 and 21:00, and each leads you to organize the day differently in Testaccio.

The 17:30 performance

It is the performance on Sundays and some holidays: December 27, December 30, January 3, 6 and 10, plus Saturday, December 26. You have a leisurely lunch, take a walk on the Aventine or at the Non-Catholic Cemetery in the last light, go into the theater and come out at dinner time.

The 19:00 performance

It is the performance on some Saturdays and on New Year's Eve. You come out around nine, in time for dinner in Testaccio or, on December 31, to reach the New Year's Eve dinner or the square chosen for midnight.

The 21:00 performance

It is the performance on weekdays and on Friday, January 1. You have an early dinner, around 19:00, and arrive at the theater without rushing. On the way back it is best to check the last metro.

L'imbarazzo della scelta with children and teenagers

L'imbarazzo della scelta is a comedy about adult life, love, work, family, but the mechanism of voting and choosing involves younger people too. The theater offers a reduced ticket for those under 18, at 13 euros in the orchestra seats and 11 in the gallery plus presale, except on December 31.

The right age

No recommended age range is published. In our view the comedy suits kids from middle school up, who can follow the plot and take part in the choices. For younger ones it is best to ask the box office.

Performances for families

The 17:30 performances on holidays are the best suited to families: a convenient time, an early return home, dinner together after the show.

A curiosity about L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria, December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027

The curiosity concerns the number of possible shows. In an ordinary comedy the audience sees the same text every evening. In L'imbarazzo della scelta the actors must have eight complete plots and about 20 variants ready, but each evening they perform only one. All the rest, most of the work done in rehearsal, stays invisible. Someone who goes to the theater once sees a fraction of the show. To see it all would take at least eight evenings.

It is a paradox that the company turns into an invitation: come back. With 17 performances on the calendar between Christmas and mid-January, whoever gets hooked can see the comedy again and choose, this time, the opposite road.

The second curiosity concerns New Year's Eve. On December 31 the performance is at 19:00, a time meant for those who want to begin the last evening of the year at the theater and finish it at dinner. The prices that evening do not follow the ordinary price list, as the theater warns, and must be asked at the box office.

Something nobody tells you about L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria, December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027

What nobody says is that in an interactive comedy your seat in the hall matters more than usual. The audience votes on Max's choices, and the whole hall takes part. Those seated in the orchestra are closer to the action and to the dialogue with the protagonist, those in the gallery see the whole better. The gallery price is lower, but the experience is a little different.

The second thing concerns discounts. The reduced ticket for under 35, over 65, people with disabilities and members of affiliated organizations is valid only Tuesday to Friday, while promotional seats last, and not on December 31. The reduced ticket for those under 18 costs 13 euros in the orchestra and 11 in the gallery, plus 2 euros presale, and is also excluded on New Year's Eve.

The third concerns the period. Between Christmas and Epiphany many families look for a show to see together: the 17:30 afternoon performances are the first to fill. Whoever can, book those.

Teatro Vittoria, the Testaccio hall

Teatro Vittoria is Testaccio's playhouse, at Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice 10, opened in its present form in December 1986 with 560 red velvet seats in front of a large stage.

From variety to cinema

From the early 1900s the Vittoria was Testaccio's theater: a two-story building facing an unpaved square, with a majestic, brand-new church opposite. They staged variety, what would later be called avanspettacolo. After the war the building was torn down and in its place rose an apartment building with a large cinema on the ground floor, with orchestra and balcony, built by the entrepreneur Amati.

The birth of the playhouse

In May 1986 work began to turn the cinema into a playhouse, designed by the architect Enrico Nespega and wanted by Attilio Corsini. The work was finished in record time: in December of the same year the new Vittoria opened its doors to the public.

The direction

After the sudden death of Attilio Corsini, in 2008, the artistic direction passed to Viviana Toniolo, who had founded the cooperative with him in 1977 and carried on its path.

Accessibility

People with disabilities of at least 75 percent can get discounted tickets at the Vittoria for themselves and for the person assisting them. For some shows the theater offers an audio description service. To find out if it is planned for this comedy, it is best to ask the box office.

The advice I give you for visiting L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria, December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027

My advice is to choose a weekday performance, Tuesday to Friday, if you are entitled to the reduced price: the saving is five euros in the orchestra and four in the gallery compared with the full price. For those under 35 or over 65, for members of affiliated clubs and for people with disabilities, the difference is worth choosing the day.

In our view it is best to sit in the orchestra, in the center rows. In a comedy where the audience steps in, the orchestra is the heart of participation: you hear the dialogue with Max better and you live the moment of choice firsthand.

If you come as a family, the right performance is the one at 17:30: Sunday, December 27, Wednesday the 30th, Sunday, January 3, Wednesday the 6th for Epiphany, Sunday the 10th. You come out at dinner time and the trattorias of Testaccio are right there, a few steps away.

Finally, arrive in Testaccio half an hour early, coming out of the metro at Piramide and crossing the district on foot to the tree-lined square with the church of Santa Maria Liberatrice. It is the best way to get into the atmosphere of the neighborhood.

Tickets and prices for L'imbarazzo della scelta

The full-price ticket for L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria costs 27 euros in the orchestra and 21 in the gallery, plus 3 euros presale, according to the 2026-2027 season price list published by the theater.

The reduced ticket

The reduced ticket costs 22 euros in the orchestra and 17 in the gallery, plus 3 euros presale. It is reserved for under 35, over 65, people with disabilities of at least 75 percent, members of clubs and holders of cards from affiliated organizations, one ticket per card. It is valid Tuesday to Friday, while promotional seats last, and not on December 31.

The reduced ticket for young people

For those not yet 18 the ticket costs 13 euros in the orchestra and 11 in the gallery, plus 2 euros presale, except on December 31.

Presale and refunds

The presale fee applies to reservations and purchases up to one hour before the start of the show. Tickets are not refundable, except in case of cancellation or replacement of the show. The theater does not accept American Express and Diners.

Carta del Docente and 18app

Those who want to use the Carta del Docente or the youth vouchers must contact the box office at 06 5740170 and send the voucher by email by 16:30, Tuesday to Saturday.

How to get to Teatro Vittoria

The simplest way to reach Teatro Vittoria is metro line B, Piramide stop, about a 10-minute walk away.

Metro line B, Piramide stop

From the Piramide stop you cross Piazzale Ostiense, take Via Marmorata and turn toward the center of Testaccio as far as Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice. The stop is also the hub for Roma Ostiense station and the little train to the Lido.

Tram 3

Tram 3 runs along Via Marmorata and leaves you a few steps from the heart of the district. For the buses that pass along the Lungotevere and Via Marmorata, it is best to use the transit company's route planner.

By car

Parking in the evening in Testaccio is difficult, especially on weekends and holidays, when the district fills up for the trattorias. Better to leave the car and use the metro.

During the holidays

Between Christmas and Epiphany public transport follows holiday schedules on several days, starting with January 1. Before going out it is best to check the runs on the transit company's website.

Another well-known fact, yet rarely mentioned

That Testaccio is the slaughterhouse district everyone knows. Less often remembered is how much that slaughterhouse shaped the social life of the neighborhood, theater included. Across from the Vittoria, in the early 1900s, rose the first public housing in Rome that was the subject of an international architecture competition, assigned mostly to the carters and workers of the nearby slaughterhouse. The variety audience was that: neighborhood people, brisk and noisy, with a genuine humor, as the theater's official history describes it.

And on that variety stage, with no great pretensions, performed actors and actresses who would later write the history of Italian theater and film: Aldo Fabrizi, Totò, Anna Magnani. Today's Vittoria, with its red seats and large stage, is no longer that building, torn down after the war. But the vocation has remained the same, to make the audience of Testaccio and of Rome laugh.

An interactive comedy, in which the audience decides and reacts out loud, is at bottom the contemporary version of that popular theater: the hall that takes part, comments, chooses.

The right photo to take at L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria, December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027

The right photo is the theater's facade with the season's posters, taken from the garden of Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice when the entrance lights come on. Between Christmas and New Year's, with the square lit up for the holidays, it is an image of neighborhood Rome that no postcard gives back.

In the hall, before the lights go down, the full red velvet orchestra and the still-empty stage are the other image of the evening. During the show, no photos: in an interactive comedy the audience's attention is part of the game.

On the way out, if the performance is the one at 17:30, the illuminated church of Santa Maria Liberatrice on the other side of the square closes the sequence.

Some important events that took place here in history

The history of Teatro Vittoria follows that of Testaccio. In the early 1900s the Vittoria is a two-story building on a still unpaved square, in front of a newly built church and the first public housing of the district, the subject of an international architecture competition. They stage variety, and on that stage perform Aldo Fabrizi, Totò and Anna Magnani.

After World War II, in the years of the capital's great building expansion, the old theater is torn down. The entrepreneur Amati, owner of many halls, builds in its place an apartment building with Cinema Vittoria on the ground floor, a large hall with orchestra and balcony that for years is the reference point for the leisure of the Testaccio locals.

In May 1986 work begins to turn the cinema into a playhouse, wanted by Attilio Corsini and the Attori e Tecnici cooperative, founded in 1977 with Viviana Toniolo, to a design by the architect Enrico Nespega. In December of the same year the new Vittoria opens with 560 red velvet seats. In 2008, after Corsini's sudden death, the artistic direction passes to Viviana Toniolo.

Who has passed through L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria, December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027

Aldo Fabrizi, Totò and Anna Magnani passed through the stage of the first Vittoria, the variety one, before becoming faces of Italian cinema. Since 1986 the new Vittoria has seen international guests, prestigious companies, great stage stars and the Attori e Tecnici productions, starting with Rumori fuori scena.

In the theater's history are Attilio Corsini, actor, author and director, at the head of the cooperative until 2008, remembered after his death in an article by Gianni Minà. And Viviana Toniolo, cofounder and then artistic director.

In the 2026-2027 season, the Vittoria sees, among others, Addue by Appiccicaticci and Happy Birthday, in the October series. After L'imbarazzo della scelta come Rumori fuori scena, L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù, Donna non rieducabile and Di isole e di città.

And there are the five actors of this comedy, Stefano Messina, Carlo Lizzani, Chiara Bonome, Chiara David and Raffaele De Vita, who for 17 evenings will change the story according to the audience's choices.

Teatro Vittoria beyond plays

Teatro Vittoria is not only a playhouse: it organizes series, meetings and an acting school that involves the audience of Testaccio and of the city.

The literary teas

For 30 years the theater has hosted the literary teas, meetings with their own prices: 11 euros for a single entry, 8 reduced for over 65 and under 35.

Salviamo i Talenti

The series Salviamo i Talenti, with the award named after Attilio Corsini, is devoted to new companies. The winning show of the 2026 edition is included in the season's program.

The school for spettAttori

The Vittoria's acting school is aimed at an audience from age 5 to 105, according to the formula chosen by the theater: a way to turn spectators into actors, at least for a few hours a week. An interactive comedy like L'imbarazzo della scelta is, at bottom, the first step on that path.

Around Teatro Vittoria: Testaccio

Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice is the center of Testaccio, the working-class district born in the late 1800s between the Tiber, the Aventine and Monte dei Cocci. An overview of the district is on our page about what to see in Testaccio.

Monte dei Cocci and the Mattatoio

A few minutes from the theater are Monte dei Cocci and the former Mattatoio, today a space for contemporary art: the place that gave the district its working-class identity.

The Pyramid and the Non-Catholic Cemetery

On the way to the metro you pass the Pyramid of Cestius and, right behind it, the Non-Catholic Cemetery, one of the quietest places in Rome.

The district museum

The Museo diffuso del Rione Testaccio tells the story of the district through its places, from the public housing to the market.

Where to eat before or after the show

Testaccio is the district of traditional Roman cooking, known for its quinto quarto dishes, a legacy of the nearby slaughterhouse: coda alla vaccinara, tripe, rigatoni with pajata.

Before 21:00

For the 21:00 performances, a dinner at 19:00 leaves enough margin. Between Christmas and New Year's the district's trattorias fill up: booking is essential.

After 17:30

For the afternoon performances the solution is dinner after the show, a few steps from the theater.

The market

For a lunch before the afternoon performance, the Nuovo Mercato Testaccio is a good idea, on the days it is open.

Christmas and New Year's in Rome, at the theater

Between December 26 and January 13, Rome lives through the busiest stretch of the holidays: lights on the streets of the center, nativity scenes in the churches, visitors from all over Italy. An interactive comedy, to see with family or friends, is one of the easiest evenings to organize: no preparation, no plot to know, just the desire to choose. Those who stay in town for the Epiphany long weekend find an afternoon performance on January 6 at 17:30. Those in Rome for New Year's have the performance on the 31st at 19:00 and the one on January 1 at 21:00. For those with time during the day, a walk on the Aventine before the show completes the day.

Frequently asked questions about L'imbarazzo della scelta in Rome

When is L'imbarazzo della scelta on at Teatro Vittoria?

L'imbarazzo della scelta is on at Teatro Vittoria in Rome from December 26, 2026 to January 13, 2027, according to the theater's calendar, with performances at 17:30, 19:00 or 21:00. The presale network lists dates up to January 17: it is best to check with the box office.

How much does a ticket for L'imbarazzo della scelta cost?

The full-price ticket for L'imbarazzo della scelta at Teatro Vittoria costs 27 euros in the orchestra and 21 in the gallery, plus 3 euros presale. The reduced ticket costs 22 and 17 euros, Tuesday to Friday. For under 18, 13 and 11 euros plus 2 presale. On December 31 the prices are different.

How does L'imbarazzo della scelta work?

L'imbarazzo della scelta is an interactive comedy: the protagonist, Max, asks the audience for advice at every crossroads of his life, and the hall chooses how the story continues. The actors are ready to perform eight possible plots and about 20 variants.

Who are the actors of L'imbarazzo della scelta at the Vittoria?

On stage at Teatro Vittoria are Stefano Messina, Carlo Lizzani, Chiara Bonome, Chiara David and Raffaele De Vita. Translation and direction are by Virginia Acqua. The production is by Attori e Tecnici, the theater's company.

Who wrote L'imbarazzo della scelta?

L'imbarazzo della scelta is written by Sébastien Azzopardi and Sacha Danino. In Paris it has been on since 2020 with more than 1,000 performances, won the Les étoiles du Parisien 2020 award and was nominated for the 2022 Molière for best comedy.

Is there a performance of L'imbarazzo della scelta on New Year's?

Yes, Teatro Vittoria has a performance of L'imbarazzo della scelta on Thursday, December 31, 2026 at 19:00, and one on Friday, January 1, 2027 at 21:00. For the evening of the 31st the ordinary prices do not apply: ask the box office.

How do you get to Teatro Vittoria?

Teatro Vittoria, at Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice 10 in Testaccio, is reached by metro line B, Piramide stop, and about a 10-minute walk, or by tram 3 along Via Marmorata.

Are there discounts for people with disabilities at Teatro Vittoria?

Yes, at Teatro Vittoria people with disabilities of at least 75 percent are entitled to the reduced ticket, for themselves and for the person assisting them, for L'imbarazzo della scelta as well. For some shows the theater also offers audio description: it is best to ask the box office, at 06 5740170.

Can you use the Carta del Docente and 18app at Teatro Vittoria?

Yes, Teatro Vittoria accepts the Carta del Docente and 18app vouchers. You need to contact the box office at 06 5740170 and send the voucher by email, with a phone number, by 16:30 Tuesday to Saturday.

The final advice on L'imbarazzo della scelta

L'imbarazzo della scelta is the right comedy for the holidays: light, different every evening, built so that the audience feels part of the show. At Teatro Vittoria it arrives with a company that has had its home in Testaccio since 1986, in a hall descended from the variety of Fabrizi, Totò and Magnani. The advice is to choose the most suitable performance, an afternoon one for families, a weekday one for those entitled to the reduced price, sit in the orchestra and vote without shyness. In our view whoever enjoys it will do well to come back a second time: with eight possible plots, Max's story can change completely.

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

Planning a trip to Rome? The English-language guides to visiting the city are on ItalyPlanner.com.