It has already been dubbed “the world’s smallest theatre” and, with just six seats, is aiming for a place in the Guinness World Records.
Since its launch just a few days ago, the unusual venue has attracted hundreds of curious visitors, queuing to watch performances scheduled every 15 minutes inside a former abandoned newsstand in San Severo, near Foggia.
The idea behind the Edicola Teatro comes from Francesco Gravino, director and artistic director of Teatro Foyer 97, a theatre company active for nearly 30 years. He explains that the concept was inspired by Edicola Fiore, the cult show by Italian entertainer Fiorello. “He was our source of inspiration because he was the first to bring entertainment into a newsstand in Rome,” Gravino says, referring to a project that evolved from the web into a successful TV program.
Another key aspect, Gravino adds, is urban regeneration. The initiative has brought new life to a space that had been unused for around six years, transforming it into an intimate and surprising stage where actors and audience are less than a metre apart.
The company now plans to take the format beyond the borders of Puglia. “We want to bring theatre and culture outside traditional venues, into unconventional spaces,” Gravino explains.
At a time when many newsstands in town centres are being turned into kiosks, flower shops or souvenir stalls, the Edicola Teatro reconnects with the original spirit of these spaces—as places of knowledge, where newspapers and books were once sold.
From Goldoni to Comencini, from Euripides to Gaber, works by great names will take turns on the tiny stage.
At the entrance, a sign and a QR code warn visitors: “Attention. This QR Code turns passers-by into actors. Scan only if you are ready.”
