La bottega dei giocattoli (The Toy Shop) is the perfect show to experience the magic of Christmas.
The great book of fairy tales opens, bringing to life a story of toys with voices and souls, of enchanted nights where a young shop assistant is allowed to cross the thresholds of the impossible and become the champion of a universe threatened by a dark, faceless master.
Recommended age: 3 years and up
Text and direction: Sandra Novellino and Delia De Marco
With Delia De Marco / Antonio Guadalupi, Savino Maria Italiano, Sara Pagliaro
Recorded voices by Anna Ferruzzo and Giovanni Guarino
Set, costumes, and lighting design by Maria Pascale
Original music by Mirko Lodedo
Stage technician Vito Marra / Walter Mirabile
Special thanks to Chiara Calò
Production by Crest
Recommended age: 3 years and up | Technique: actor theater and dance | Duration: 55 minutes
Stories about toys that come to life have always inhabited the fantasies of children, who naturally play by giving a soul to objects.
Our story takes place in a toy shop, and aren’t toy shops like little cities where toys live like people? Or perhaps, aren’t cities like toy shops where people live like toys? There’s always a more beautiful doll and an envious doll, a teddy bear that falls in love and a jealous toy soldier, a bad mother and a good fairy, carousels and toy cars that never tire of spinning. A parallel world that helps children experience emotions, learning not to “lose their way,” moving from joy to disappointment, from melancholy to cheerfulness, from love to resentment. A city usually alive at night, because it dwells deep within emotions. Not just childhood ones.
Aimed at younger children, the production is the result of years of work by Crest’s team, even in preschools, exploring the most effective theatrical language for such a unique and challenging audience. The goal is to test languages and techniques that naturally leave little room for words, favoring images, music, and… play.
The show also comes to life through the original music of Mirko Lodedo, a true soundscape for the actions, dance, and storytelling that bring the toys to life. Or perhaps it’s the toys that bring the actors to life? You’ll only find out by visiting our shop.
Born in Taranto in 1977, Crest—an acronym for “Collettivo di Ricerche Espressive e Sperimentazione Teatrale” (Collective for Expressive Research and Theatrical Experimentation)—was initially led by Gianni Solazzo, Mauro Maggioni, and Gaetano Colella, and later by Clara Cottino, Giovanni Guarino, and Sandra Novellino. The company has maintained a coherent and innovative theatrical discourse in a challenging environment—both socially and culturally—by telling stories of complicated lives, stubborn dreams, and encounters between different cultures and conditions. Crest strives to blend traditional theatrical languages with contemporary research.
Since 1992, Crest has been listed by the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers among the “…companies that perform at a high and qualified level in the field of theater for children and youth.” The company has chosen children, adolescents, and young people as its primary audience, aiming to create a strong cultural and professional reference point. Crest’s goal has always been to bridge the gap between different audiences. Its productions are presented in evening programs, school events, research schedules, and drama seasons, as well as in specialized festivals.
Notably, Crest was a finalist for the ETI-Stregagatto Prize with the plays “La neve era bianca” in 1999, “La mattanza” in 2000, and “Cane nero” in 2001. The company also produced the winning play of the 2005 Premio Scenario, “Il deficiente.” Crest won three editions of the “L’uccellino azzurro” Award (at the “Ti fiabo e ti racconto” festival in Molfetta) with the plays “La storia di Hansel e Gretel” (2009 and 2015) and “Sposa sirena” (2013). Additionally, the company received the Eolo Award in 2018 and the 2017 Padova Prize – Friends of Emanuele Luzzati (XXXVI National Festival of Theater for Children) with the play “Biancaneve, la vera storia.”
In 2023, Crest won the National Association of Theater Critics Award “for its significant commitment to working in an environmentally critical area.”
Single ticket: 6 euros
PURCHASING TICKETS
- ONLINE: https://www.biglietteriafonderia39.it/home.aspx
- Fonderia Box Office: the box office opens one hour before the start of the show (via della Costituzione 39, Reggio Emilia).
Tickets are not numbered.
CONTACT FOR RESERVATIONS
Phone and WhatsApp: 3341023554
Email: biglietteria@aterballetto.it
