From November 5 to 9, 2025, the stage of the Teatro Goldoni will host Bestiario Idrico, the latest theatrical creation by Marco Paolini, produced by Jolefilm and TSV – Teatro Nazionale, and written in collaboration with Giulio Boccaletti.
This new work by Paolini, one of Italy’s most acclaimed storytellers, explores the world of rivers and beasts—not only animals, but the complex network of lives, human and non-human, that flow along Italy’s waterways. With his distinctive narrative voice, Paolini gives shape to a bestiary that is both biological and social, where water is the true protagonist: a vital element, a resource, and often a cause of conflict.
Bestiario Idrico retraces the stories, contracts, and clashes that have defined the relationship between people and rivers, showing how systems of water governance have shaped the landscapes we inhabit today. By bringing these narratives to the stage, Paolini makes visible the deep interdependence between environmental balance and the well-being of entire communities.
The play is at once poetic and political, a reflection on sustainability, coexistence, and responsibility, reminding us that rivers do not belong to a single species, but to the entire ecosystem. With his trademark mix of rigor, irony, and empathy, Paolini invites the audience to look at familiar landscapes with new eyes, and to recognize in the flow of water the thread that unites past, present, and future.
A powerful theatrical journey, Bestiario Idrico is a hymn to life as seen through the ever-changing course of rivers.
Website: www.teatrostabileveneto.it
Location: Goldoni Theater, Venice
Schedule: November 5 – 9, 2025
