Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 at Teatro Ghione, October 30 and December 13, 2026

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0, the show based on John Gray's bestseller with Gianluca Ramazzotti and directed by Claudio Boccaccini, was staged at Teatro Ghione in Rome on Friday, October 30, 2026 at 20:30 and returns on Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 21:00. The theater is at Via delle Fornaci 37, a few steps from Piazza San Pietro. The nearest railway station is Roma San Pietro, served by the regional trains FL3 and FL5, and for buses it's best to consult the ATAC route planner. The Ghione's official site lists two prices, poltronissima di platea 30 euros and poltrona di platea and galleria 25.50 euros. Tickets are bought on the theater's official site. The show runs 100 minutes. For information the Ghione answers on 06 6372294 and at info@teatroghione.it.

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

The theater presents it as a show with almost 2,000,000 spectators worldwide, a hymn to mutual understanding between men and women that doesn't defend old clichés but takes its place in the fight for equality. This is the new updated version, signed by Paul Dewandre, which Ramazzotti adapts and performs alone on stage. Below you'll find the show, the book it comes from, the artists, the theater and everything you need to organize the evening.

Mars and Venus at Teatro Ghione at a glance

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 was staged at Teatro Ghione, Via delle Fornaci 37, on October 30, 2026 at 20:30 and returns on December 13, 2026 at 21:00, with a running time of 100 minutes.

The two dates

The Ghione's site devotes a page to each date. The first is Friday, October 30, 2026 at 20:30, the second Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 21:00. They are two separate evenings six weeks apart: anyone who missed the first has a second chance close to Christmas.

The prices

There are two tiers, identical for both dates: poltronissima di platea 30 euros, poltrona di platea and galleria 25.50 euros.

Credits

Author John Gray, new version by Paul Dewandre, on stage Gianluca Ramazzotti, directed by Claudio Boccaccini. Running time 100 minutes.

Contacts

Phone 06 6372294, email info@teatroghione.it. The theater's site has a section on accessibility and a page on parking.

What you see in Mars and Venus Next Generation 2.0

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 is a comic monologue performed by Gianluca Ramazzotti that explores, with irony, the differences in how men and women think and communicate.

A hymn to understanding

The Ghione's presentation starts from an observation: in an era when relationships between men and women are questioned, analyzed, even mistreated, the show offers an evening to smile and reflect. Not to defend old commonplaces, but to understand each other better.

The fight for equality

The theater insists on this point: far from defending clichés, the show takes its place fully in the fight for equality between women and men. Its success, it says, proves that whatever the cultural, biological or sexual singularities, everyone is chasing the same thing, love.

The audience in the hall

The presentation also describes the audience's reactions: glances exchanged, elbow nudges between partners, smiles and laughter, and the surprise of finding yourself reflecting. You navigate the labyrinths of male and female logic until you exclaim that, had you understood everything earlier, many things would have gone differently.

The 2.0 version

Ramazzotti brings to the stage a new updated version, already a success with audiences and critics in France, widening its content in form and substance to adapt it to what the theater calls the new 2.0 era. It is therefore a different show from the one seen in past years.

John Gray's book the show comes from

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is the bestseller by the American author John Gray, published in English by HarperCollins in 1992 under the title Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.

The metaphor of the two planets

The book analyzes the difficulties of romantic relationships between man and woman from a psychological point of view, underlining the differences between the sexes. The metaphor of Mars and Venus describes men and women as inhabitants of two different worlds who struggle to understand each other.

The Italian edition

In Italy the book came out in 1992 from Tea. Its success generated a whole series: Marte e Venere in camera da letto, Marte e Venere si reinnamorano, Marte e Venere si corteggiano, and later titles devoted to stress, children and the relationship between fire and ice.

A key concept

Among the best-known concepts introduced by Gray is the one describing the male tendency to withdraw and then return in relationships, set against female mood swings. In the psychology lectures he gives at the University of Houston, Gray often returns to these themes: differences in behavior, stages of courtship, techniques for overcoming misunderstandings.

Who John Gray is

John Gray, born in Houston on December 28, 1951, is an American author specializing in couples' problems, famous worldwide for the Mars and Venus series.

An unconventional path

After high school he enrolled at the University of St. Thomas and then at the University of Texas, without completing his studies. He left the United States for a spiritual retreat of nine years in a Hindu monastery in Switzerland, where he studied meditation and yoga.

His studies

Having resumed his studies, he earned a Bachelor's and a Master's in creative intelligence at Maharishi University of Management, in Iowa. In 1997 he obtained a correspondence degree in psychology from Columbia Pacific University, a private university not recognized by the US government and closed in 2000.

The books

Gray's bibliography begins in 1984 with What You Feel You Can Heal and includes dozens of titles, almost all built around the Mars and Venus metaphor: from love to diet, from work to children. In Italian they came out from Corbaccio, Tea and Rizzoli.

The Mars and Venus series, title by title

From the success of the 1992 book John Gray built a true publishing series, always founded on the metaphor of the two planets, which helps explain where the show's material comes from.

The 1990s

After Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, in 1992, came Men, Women and Relationships in 1993, Mars and Venus in the Bedroom in 1995, Mars and Venus Together Forever and Mars and Venus in Love in 1996, Mars and Venus on a Date in 1997, Mars and Venus Starting Over in 1998. In 1999 Gray widened his gaze to children with Children Are from Heaven.

The 2000s

In the new century the metaphor extended to work, with How to Get What You Want at Work in 2002, and even to diet, with The Mars and Venus Diet and Exercise Solution in 2003. In 2010 came Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice, translated into Italian by Rizzoli as Marte è di ghiaccio e Venere di fuoco.

From book to stage

The passage from page to stage turned a popular psychology manual into a comic monologue. It is the work that, in the Next Generation 2.0 version, Paul Dewandre, Gianluca Ramazzotti and Claudio Boccaccini do: keep the book's insights and translate them into situations the audience recognizes.

Gianluca Ramazzotti, alone on stage

Gianluca Ramazzotti, born in Rome in 1970, is an actor and comedian of theater, film and television, who grew up in the Bagaglino company and is today one of the faces of light comedy on Italian stages.

The training

He trained at the Accademia di Teatro di Calabria, with advanced courses at the Warsaw theater and in Paris, at the Théâtre du Soleil. He then joined Pier Francesco Pingitore's Bagaglino company, taking part in variety shows and TV dramas.

Television

On television he worked in Vivere, Un posto al sole, Distretto di Polizia and in Ricky Tognazzi's TV movie Il papa buono, as well as the Bagaglino programs on Canale 5, from Miconsenta to Torte in faccia. He also worked on radio, as a speaker and voice actor of Radiodue's morning radio dramas.

The theater

His theater repertoire is vast: Garinei and Giovannini's Rugantino at the Sistina, in the role of Bojetto. Ionesco's Il re muore with Giancarlo Sepe. Pasolini's Il Vantone with Paolo Ferrari. Cyrano with Anna Mazzamauro. Boeing Boeing and Taxi a due piazze with Gianluca Guidi. Jordi Galceran's Il prestito with Antonio Catania. Rupert Holmes's Complici with Ennio Coltorti.

Director and performer

Ramazzotti also signs directing credits: Kressmann Taylor's Destinatario sconosciuto, with Giampiero Ingrassia. Napoleone e il generale. 2.24 at the Teatro dell'Orologio in Rome in 2011. In Mars and Venus he adapts and performs: a one-man show that tests all the experience accumulated in comedy.

Claudio Boccaccini, the direction

Claudio Boccaccini, a Roman director born in 1953, has directed over 100 shows and since 1987 has run the theater school La Stazione.

The teachers

He began working in theater in the early 1970s as an actor, moving quickly toward directing. He was a student of Nikita Mikhalkov and Josef Svoboda and collaborated with Marcel Marceau. His first production dates from the mid-1980s.

The performers

He has directed, among others, Riccardo Garrone, Katia Ricciarelli, Arnoldo Foà, Riccardo Cucciolla, Nando Gazzolo, Francesco Pannofino, Antonella Steni and Maria Rosaria Omaggio, staging classics and contemporary authors such as Mario Moretti and Giuseppe Manfridi.

The manual and the festival

In 2008 Gremese published his manual La regia teatrale, dalla pagina alla scena, also distributed in France. He is the creator and artistic director of the festival Tuttinscena, devoted to emerging drama, held in Rome since 1987.

Teatro Ghione, an actress's hall a stone's throw from St. Peter's

Teatro Ghione is a hall of about 500 seats at Via delle Fornaci 37, founded and directed for 25 years by the actress Ileana Ghione.

The program alternated for decades classic drama, with Wilde, Pirandello, Shakespeare and Goldoni, with concerts, dance and comedy. The full listing for the hall is on the page for Teatro Ghione.

The birth in 1980

On December 9, 1980 Ileana Ghione bought and refitted the old theater on Via delle Fornaci, which has borne her name since.

Ileana Ghione

Born in Cortemilia in 1931, she trained at the Accademia d'arte drammatica with Sergio Tofano among her teachers. She was a face of television dramas, from Jane Eyre to I Buddenbrook, and in 2001 was named Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic.

The services

Roma Capitale's tourism portal lists the Ghione as accessible to people with disabilities and indicates a dog-sitting service.

How to get to Teatro Ghione for Mars and Venus

The most convenient way to reach Teatro Ghione is the regional train to Roma San Pietro station, served by the FL3 and FL5 lines, a few minutes' walk from Via delle Fornaci.

By train

Roma San Pietro station opened in 1894 with the line to Viterbo. Today it is served by the regional trains FL3 and FL5, with a bus stop and a taxi stand. On Sunday evenings runs are less frequent: it's best to check the return times.

By bus

Several surface lines serve the area of San Pietro station and Porta Cavalleggeri. For the route it's best to use the ATAC planner.

By car

The theater's site lists a free open-air car park, the San Pietro car park and a garage in the area.

By taxi

At San Pietro station there is a taxi stand, the simplest solution for the return after 22:30.

Tickets for Mars and Venus at the Ghione

Tickets for Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus at Teatro Ghione are bought on the theater's official site, with two prices: 30 euros for the poltronissima di platea, 25.50 euros for the poltrona di platea and galleria.

Online

Each date has its own page on the Ghione's site, with the online purchase button. The upcoming date is December 13.

A gift idea

The December 13 date falls close to Christmas: a ticket for two is a gift suited to a couple, with a smile guaranteed.

Information

For availability and special needs you can call 06 6372294 or write to info@teatroghione.it.

A curiosity about Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 at Teatro Ghione, October 30 and December 13, 2026

The most singular curiosity concerns the biography of the book's author. John Gray, the man who taught millions of couples to communicate, spent nine years in a Hindu monastery in Switzerland, on a spiritual retreat, studying meditation and yoga. Only afterward did he return to his studies, with a Bachelor's and a Master's in creative intelligence at Maharishi University of Management in Iowa. His degree in psychology, obtained by correspondence in 1997, comes from a private university not recognized by the US government, later closed in 2000. The book's worldwide success came despite a far from conventional academic path.

The second curiosity concerns the show's title. Next Generation 2.0 indicates an updated version, signed by Paul Dewandre, which according to the Ghione has already been a success in France. The show on the Roman stage is therefore not the simple revival of an old monologue, but a text rethought for an era in which couples' relationships also pass through screens.

The third curiosity is about the director: Claudio Boccaccini was a student of Nikita Mikhalkov and Josef Svoboda, and collaborated with Marcel Marceau.

Something nobody tells you about Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 at Teatro Ghione, October 30 and December 13, 2026

What is rarely said about this show is that its heart is not the battle of the sexes, but the opposite. Anyone who knows the book only by name may expect a parade of commonplaces about the two sexes. The Ghione's presentation instead claims the opposite reading: the show doesn't defend old clichés and takes its place in the fight for equality. The metaphor of the two planets becomes a pretext to laugh at misunderstandings, not to justify them.

The second thing little said is that it's a monologue. A single actor, Gianluca Ramazzotti, must give voice to both planets, to male logic and female logic, for 100 minutes. It's a notable test for an actor, and Ramazzotti's experience, between the Bagaglino's variety shows and the light comedies with Gianluca Guidi, is just right to carry it.

Third point: the second date, December 13, is a Sunday evening, starting at 21:00 and out after 22:30. It's best to keep this in mind for the return, since the next day is a workday.

The advice I give you for visiting Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 at Teatro Ghione, October 30 and December 13, 2026

The advice is to go as a couple, and sit close together. The show's presentation says so openly: people exchange glances, nudge each other, smile and laugh recognizing themselves in the situations told. The best of the evening is precisely this game of complicity, and alone you lose a part of it. Two friends, two sisters, a father and a daughter can also enjoy themselves, but the formula is designed for those in a relationship.

The second piece of advice concerns the date. After Friday, October 30, there remains December 13, a pre-Christmas Sunday evening, with the San Pietro area lit for the holidays. In our judgment, paired with a stroll in the square, it's a date with something extra.

Third piece of advice: the poltronissima di platea, at 30 euros, is worth the four and a half euros of difference. In a monologue the actor's face is everything, and Ramazzotti's expressions are better appreciated up close.

Another well-known fact, and yet rarely mentioned

It's well known that Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is an international bestseller. It's less often mentioned that the book generated a whole publishing industry: Gray published dozens of titles with the same metaphor, from Marte e Venere in camera da letto to Marte e Venere si corteggiano, up to volumes on stress, diet, work and children. In Italy the series moved from Tea to Rizzoli, with titles such as Gli uomini vengono da Marte, le donne da Venere e sono tutti sotto stress and Marte è di ghiaccio e Venere di fuoco.

A second little-cited fact concerns the theater: according to the Ghione's presentation, the show based on the book has reached almost 2,000,000 spectators worldwide. A popular psychology essay turned into an international theatrical success is a rare case.

Third fact, about the Ghione: Ileana Ghione had been a student of Sergio Tofano, the inventor of Signor Bonaventura, at the Accademia d'arte drammatica. A master of gentle comedy, far from aggressive satire, as this show wants to be.

The right photo to take at Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 at Teatro Ghione, October 30 and December 13, 2026

The right photo is taken before the show, from Largo di Porta Cavalleggeri, with the dome of St. Peter's rising above the Leonine Walls: a side frame, with the walls in the foreground and without the crowd of the square. Both on October 30 and on December 13, at show time, it's dark and the dome is lit.

For the December date the photo to take is in Piazza San Pietro, a few minutes' walk away, during Advent: a couple's selfie in front of the colonnade is the perfect memento of an evening devoted to Mars and Venus.

The third photo is in front of the Ghione's facade, with the show's poster, before going in. During the show no photos or videos, out of respect for the actor and the audience. At the end, during the applause, one shot of Ramazzotti on stage, without flash, closes the evening.

Some important events that happened here in history

The area of Teatro Ghione has an ancient history. Here ran the Leonine Walls, built to protect the basilica of St. Peter's. Porta Cavalleggeri, one of the openings in the circuit, was restored under Alexander VI Borgia, and the family's coats of arms are still visible on the arch.

On April 30, 1849 at Porta Cavalleggeri the first attack of the French troops against the Roman Republic was fought. Among the defenders was a young actor, Tommaso Salvini, destined to become one of the greatest performers of the 19th century. That day the French were repulsed.

In 1894 San Pietro station was opened, on the line to Viterbo. On December 9, 1980 Ileana Ghione bought the old theater on Via delle Fornaci and reopened it under her name. On November 25, 1986 George Bernard Shaw's Candida was staged there, directed by Silverio Blasi. On December 3, 2005 Ileana Ghione, while performing Euripides's Hecuba on her stage, was taken ill and died shortly after. The funeral chamber was set up in the theater. In the autumn and winter of 2026 the same stage hosts, for two evenings, the misunderstandings between Mars and Venus.

Who has passed through Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 at Teatro Ghione, October 30 and December 13, 2026

The name that dominates the theater's history is that of Ileana Ghione: a student of Sergio Tofano, a face of television dramas, stage partner of Tino Carraro, founder and director of the hall for 25 years. On her stage have passed the classics, from Shaw to Greek tragedies.

Around the theater have passed the Borgias, who restored Porta Cavalleggeri, and the defenders of the Roman Republic of 1849, among them Tommaso Salvini. At San Pietro station Totò, Alberto Sordi and Virna Lisi shot scenes.

Through the Mars and Venus show many names pass ideally: John Gray, who made it possible with his 1992 book. Paul Dewandre, author of the new version. Gianluca Ramazzotti, who has shared the stage with Anna Mazzamauro, Paolo Ferrari, Gianluca Guidi and Antonio Catania. Claudio Boccaccini, who has directed Arnoldo Foà, Katia Ricciarelli and Francesco Pannofino. This season the Ghione also hosts shows such as I Fantastici and FlaMENcos.

How to organize the Mars and Venus evening

With a running time of 100 minutes, the show at the Ghione ends around 22:10 on October 30 and around 22:40 on December 13.

October 30

Friday evening, start at 20:30. For this date, already past, the formula was an aperitivo in the neighborhood beforehand, dinner in Borgo or Prati afterward.

December 13

Sunday evening, start at 21:00: there's time for an early dinner and a stroll at St. Peter's before going in. The next day is Monday, and it's best to organize the return in advance.

As a couple

An evening devoted to couples' relationships ends well with a table for two: booking ahead is prudent, especially in December.

What to see around Teatro Ghione

Teatro Ghione is between St. Peter's, Borgo and the Janiculum: anyone who arrives early has many possibilities for a stroll.

St. Peter's Square and Basilica

St. Peter's Square is a few minutes' walk away, and in the evening the lit colonnade is one of the most beautiful sights in Rome. The Basilica of St. Peter has daytime visiting hours.

Borgo and Castel Sant'Angelo

Between St. Peter's and the Tiber stretches the rione Borgo, up to Castel Sant'Angelo.

The Janiculum

Behind the theater rises the Janiculum, with its terrace over the city.

Where to eat before or after the show

Around Teatro Ghione the offering is the typical one of the Vatican area: tourist dining near the square, more authentic places in the residential streets.

In the neighborhood

In the streets between Via delle Fornaci, Via Gregorio VII and the slopes of the Janiculum you find pizzerias, trattorias and bars frequented by locals.

Farther away

After the show Borgo and Prati, toward Via Cola di Rienzo, offer more choice. Trastevere is within taxi reach.

Accessibility and practical information

Teatro Ghione is listed as accessible to people with disabilities by Roma Capitale's tourism portal, and the theater's site has a section devoted to accessibility.

People with disabilities

For those who use a wheelchair or need assistance it's useful to call the theater before the evening, on 06 6372294.

Teenagers

The show talks about couples' relationships in comic tones: it's designed for an adult audience, but older teenagers can follow it without problems.

The weather

In late October the evenings are still mild. In mid-December you need a coat and scarf for the walk.

Frequently asked questions about Mars and Venus at Teatro Ghione

When is Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus staged in Rome?

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 was staged at Teatro Ghione in Rome on Friday, October 30, 2026 at 20:30 and returns on Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 21:00. They are two separate dates, each with its own sales page on the theater's official site.

How much is a ticket for Mars and Venus at the Ghione?

A ticket for Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus at Teatro Ghione costs 30 euros in poltronissima di platea and 25.50 euros in poltrona di platea and galleria, according to the theater's official site. The prices are the same for the two dates.

Who acts in Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus?

On stage, alone, is Gianluca Ramazzotti, a Roman actor who grew up in the Bagaglino and a performer in many light comedies, who adapts and performs Paul Dewandre's new version. The direction is by Claudio Boccaccini. The show is based on John Gray's book.

How long is the show?

The show Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 runs 100 minutes, according to Teatro Ghione's site. On December 13 you therefore come out around 22:40.

What is the difference from the previous version?

Next Generation 2.0 is the new updated version of the show based on John Gray, signed by Paul Dewandre and already presented with success in France according to Teatro Ghione. Ramazzotti widens its content in form and substance, adapting it to today's couples' relationships.

Is the show suitable for an evening as a couple?

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is designed precisely for couples: the Ghione's presentation speaks of glances exchanged, elbow nudges and shared laughter. The subject is the misunderstandings between men and women, treated with irony and with the aim of understanding each other better.

Where is Teatro Ghione?

Teatro Ghione is at Via delle Fornaci 37, in Rome, a few minutes' walk from Piazza San Pietro. The nearest station is Roma San Pietro, served by the regional trains FL3 and FL5. The theater's site also lists the parking options in the area.

The final advice on Mars and Venus at Teatro Ghione

The final advice is the December 13 date, for those looking for a couple's outing in the holiday mood. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, Next Generation 2.0 offers 100 minutes of comedy on a theme that concerns everyone, entrusted to an actor of long experience like Gianluca Ramazzotti and to Claudio Boccaccini's direction. In our judgment the poltronissima di platea and a dinner for two in Borgo are the natural completion of the evening.

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 guides for visiting the city are on ItalyPlanner.com.