Toponomastica

If city mice could speak, what would they say about our city? And if they could sing, with what songs would they tell its story?

Duration: 60–75 minutes (Full Theatre & Festival Version)
Format & cast: Musical-Theatre Clown Duo: Marta Pistocchi & Alessandro Sicardi
Stage & set design: Set & Costumes by Ilaria Ariemme • Adaptable to theatres & cultural venues
Instruments on stage: Violin, Vocals, Guitar, Electric Upright Bass (L. Aurelio), Foot Bells, Megaphone

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“If city mice could speak, what would they say about our (and their) city? And if they could sing, with what songs would they tell its story?” From this provocative question springs Toponomastica: an imaginative theatrical conference of two city mice—played by Marta Pistocchi and Alessandro Sicardi—who analyze with sharp irony the rules, lifestyles, vices, and virtues of urban humans.

Born from 12 original songs written and composed by Marta Pistocchi (released on the album Toponomastica for Topo Records / Adesiva Discografica), the show blends the classic Milanese teatro-canzone tradition of Enzo Jannacci, Dario Fo, and Giorgio Gaber with clowning, swing, Balkan rhythms, tango, and urban poetry.

On stage & creative team credits

With: Marta Pistocchi & Alessandro Sicardi
Direction: Rita Pelusio
Dramaturgy: Domenico Ferrari
Texts: Domenico Ferrari & Rita Pelusio
Original Songs: Marta Pistocchi
Set & Costumes: Ilaria Ariemme
Photos: Laila Pozzo
Graphics: Paolo Cremonesi
Luthier (Electric Upright Bass): Leonardo Aurelio
Distribution: Monica Giacchetto (PEM Habitat Teatrali)

The gaze from below

The perspective of the two city mice is a lateral gaze from the ground up—the viewpoint of the overlooked and marginalized, discovering in urban streets, trolleybus line 90/91, centenarian trees, and murals a laboratory of shared humanity.

Critical acclaim

Corriere della Sera (11 October 2020) described the show as bringing to light “a hidden, popular, resilient metropolis”; La Stampa (17 September 2021) called the duo “part stand-up comedians, part street artists, part clowns and always musicians”.

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