The Italians in England
The Italians in England is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall. It has 9 performances listed, running from Fri 7 Aug, 12:55 to Sat 15 Aug, 12:55. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Early 1570s. Some years before Shakespeare. Commedia dell' Arte's combination of mask, comedy, wild plots, hilarious improvisation and women performing on stage is taking Europe by storm. Queen Elizabeth I insists on seeing the Italian players at her royal court. Following their success at the 2024 Fringe, the Italians are back in an adaptation of Flaminio Scala's canovaccio, The Jealous Old Man, featuring a ten-strong troupe, leather half masks, exquisite costumes, live music and four-part harmony. 'A rare chance to see such work done this well' (BritishTheatreGuide.info). * (GetYourCoatsOn.com).
Details
- Venue: theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall
- Space: Fleming Theatre
- Genre: THEATRE, Physical theatre, Comedy
- Country: ITALY
- Running time: 55 minutes
- Room size: about 117 seats (Fleming Theatre) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 9, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Wheelchair access: ramp
- Access features: Step-free access, Accessible toilet
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: Level access from the external courtyard, then level access into the theatre. Wheelchair access type:Permanent Ramp Stairs: None Number of stairs is provided as guidance and is not in addition to any wheelchair access type (lift/ramp etc) stated above.
What the reviewers said
We have captured 1 published review and 25 audience reviews for this show from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s own listing. The excerpts below are the reviewers’ words, not ours — follow each link for the full review.
For an hour, Action Theatre captures something of the exuberance, bawdiness and sheer theatrical energy of Commedia dell’Arte. It is chaotic, colourful and great fun.
— Rialto Arts (3 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Fri 7 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £10.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00
- Mon 10 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 12:55 — Already performed — £14.00