As Edinburgh hosts the biggest arts festival on the planet, with acts arriving from any number of countries, this article focuses on some – though of course not all – of the shows and people at this year’s Fringe with an Italian connection.

Piedmont-based Tom Corradini is no stranger to Edinburgh, having brought various shows here over the years. This time out, it is his Mussolini production, and the likeness is a little unnerving, his eyes bulging as he talks about global domination. His show is not a historical lecture; instead, his Lecoq training is evident as he uses clowning to introduce this infamous and influential figure from 20th-century history. A gifted linguist, Tom has performed in many countries and languages and is also, among other things, an artistic agent.

The Grand Guignol de Milan company takes its name from the theatre genre inspired by real crime stories, portraying characters with questionable moral standards. The genre died out shortly after the second world war but has been resurrected in recent times by Grand Guignol de Milan. They performed Italian Horror Stories at the beginning of the Fringe, reimagining the Italian inspirations behind Dracula, Frankenstein and The Woman in Black. They will perform at Milan Fringe in October and return to Edinburgh next year with their Prague Fringe double award-winning production Tales of the Boudoir.

I met Lucia Mallardi, writer and performer of The FootballActress. Her story is remarkable: economics undergraduate, turned footballer for Lazio in Rome and then playing semi-professionally in Berlin, turned street artist. As a teenager she struggled even to be able to play football, such was the gender inequality during that era in Italy. Times are changing, and readers may recall the Italian women’s national team losing very narrowly to England in the recent European Championship semi-final. Lucia hopes to inspire other girls and women and to speak for the marginalised.

Rome resident Miriam Cappa wrote and performed her one-woman show Home Sweet Home. This production will easily speak to generationally disadvantaged renters, its message of frustration and unfairness hardly limited to any one country. Her comedy-drama, performed here for the first time in English, draws attention to the plight of Gen Z everywhere. Her production is a showcase for her Lecoq training, mime and comedy, with sharp societal observations.

Batisfera Theatre company from Sardinia attracted much attention with their show Gummy Bears’ Great War last year. They brought it back to Edinburgh this year, together with Tale of a Potato. The company wishes to explore the sphere of human emotion – drama and comedy – through the idea that humans set out daily knowing they may face defeat or failure. It also alludes to the futility of war. The potato tale is performed in a similar vein, casting a light on the seasonal and circular nature of life.

The Gaudeamus Artistic Company was formed two years ago in Aberdeen. Its stated intention is to offer the Italian community in Scotland the means to reconnect with or discover Italian culture. They performed No Shakespeare at the iconic Italian venue Valvona & Crolla. The company wishes to preserve and promote the Italian language and culture in Scotland, fostering intercultural dialogue through theatre. Each production is a journey through Italy’s traditions and stories, while also offering a space to explore contemporary themes such as identity, integration and collective memory.

I caught up with Francesca Romana Vitale. She is not performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, though. She organises two Fringes in Italy: in Milan and in Catania, Sicily. Francesca is busy scouting for shows for these Fringes – not just in Edinburgh but also at other mainland Europe Fringes in Prague and Avignon, France. Her goal is to develop Milan and Catania into truly international Fringes. They are both on in October and well worth a visit.

The final word lies with Gaudeamus Artistic Company’s message from Three Bandits And Three Donkeys: if someone is willing to listen, literature and art will always live on. Edinburgh is listening.

Roger Kay, August 2025