LANGUAGE: Italian
DURATION: 60 minutes
TICKET: € 5 single admission
AGE: 8+
At the end of the performance, children will receive a voucher for a juice at the Festival Bar.
Children’s games. War games.
Marionettes. Puppets. Old, beautiful things.
To be split in two with a sword’s blow.
Below: bodies, metal, love, and war.
Above: strings, thunderous voices, and a tragic fate.
Paladini di Francia reinterprets the epic adventures of Carlo Magno’s knights through large-scale puppetry.
Orlando, Angelica, and the other paladins come to life as contemporary puppets, caught between impossible loves and fierce battles.
Between play and tragedy, the performance shows how war can arise from desire and mistake, transforming great chivalric tales into a human and intimate story. The marionettes become symbols of fragility and beauty, suspended between fate and choice, illusion and truth.
A visually rich and poetic performance that combines entertainment and emotion, speaking to both adults and children through the power of figure theatre.
IN SHORT
Angelica, Orlando, and the knights of Charlemagne come to life as marionettes, recounting their adventures through love, battles, and intertwined destinies.
A story that blends play and tragedy, inviting audiences of all ages to reflect on war and humanity.
EOLO AWARDS for Best Show
Award of the National Association of Theatre Critics
Special Jury Prize for Best Performance supporting and developing traditions, The Great Petrushka International Puppet Festival 2014 – Yekaterinburg
Best Director Award, Harmony World Puppet Carnival 2014 – Bangkok
International Award “Il Teatro Nudo” Teresa Pomodoro – Milan, November 2016
Dedicated to What Are Clouds? by Pier Paolo Pasolini
By Francesco Niccolini
Directed by Enzo Toma
With Letizia Cartolaro, Carlo Durante, Emanuela Pisicchio, Enrico Stefanelli
Assistant director Valentina Impiglia
Set design Iole Cilento
Set construction Porziana Catalano, Iole Cilento
Original music Pasquale Loperfido
Voice of Charlemagne Fabrizio Saccomanno
Lighting design Angelo Piccinni
2024 revival curated by Carlo Durante, Silvia Ricciardelli, company technicians Alessandro Cardinale, Mario Daniele
Photo Eduardo de Matteis
Koreja is a theatre production centre focused on experimental theatre and performances for children and young people, based in Lecce and recognized by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Founded in 1985 in Aradeo under the direction of Salvatore Tramacere, it moved to Lecce in 1998, where it established the Cantieri Teatrali Koreja, transforming a former factory into a space dedicated to theatre, training, and performing arts.
Recognized as an Innovation Theatre and later as a Theatre Production Centre, Koreja has produced around 70 shows and toured its work in about 50 countries. The company combines artistic research with social engagement, developing inclusive projects for minors, vulnerable individuals, and disadvantaged communities.
Today, Koreja is an internationally active theatre organization rooted in its local territory, combining innovation, education, and a strong focus on social and cultural impact.
Accessible to
Available services
