A personal story that becomes a collective memory, a theatrical diary in which a passion for football intertwines with the life of an actor and the history of a city. This is the heart of "To Our First Sixty Years Together! (And to the 40 I Missed!)," a show written, directed, and performed by Ferdinando Maddaloni, on March 28th at 9:00 PM at Tedér – Teatro del Rimedio, at Via Flavio Gioia 66, a short walk from Piazza Municipio.
The event, which comes as Napoli Calcio approaches its centennial in 2026, is much more than a sporting tribute. As the subtitle suggests, it's the "anecdocomic diary of an actor and Napoli fan," a monologue that blends autobiography, theatrical memory, and an emotional chronicle of over half a century of support.
A diary of Napoli's private life and history.
Born in Barra, Maddaloni recounts on stage sixty years of life spent with the Azzurri as a common thread. The story begins with his childhood and spans decades of sporting and personal experiences, including away trips, memorable matches, and moments that have shaped the club's history.
The author, who will turn sixty on December 24, 2026, constructs a narrative that parallels the history of Napoli: from his early experiences at the stadium—including the memory of his "first time" at the San Paolo, during a dramatic Napoli-Juventus 2-6—up to the most recent successes of the Azzurri team.
The show, which will also be the basis of a book due out in August, thus becomes a declaration of deep love for Naples and the city, but also a tale of identity and belonging.
Between theatre, civil commitment and memory
In Maddaloni's artistic and personal journey, his passion for sport is intertwined with his social commitment. The actor is the promoter of the BeslaNapoli project, founded at the Beslan Memorial in North Ossetia, site of the tragic September 2004 massacre.
In that very room of remembrance, an original Diego Armando Maradona jersey is kept, donated and autographed by the Argentine champion, a symbol of the bond between sport, solidarity, and civic memory that Maddaloni has fostered for years.
A theater without a fourth wall
The production is based on an autobiographical dramaturgical structure without a fourth wall, where the boundary between stage and audience dissolves. The audience is directly involved in an emotional and participatory narrative, where cheering becomes a poetic narrative and generational testimony.
The narrative develops through three main moments:
Imaginary conversations with his father, now at the end of his life, in which football becomes a language of affection and a bridge between generations.
The autobiographical episodes, between irony and nostalgia, in which the actor's theatrical life intertwines with that of the fan, populated by characters such as Professor Ferdy and “Nando 'o patuto”.
The final toast with the spectators, invited to become part of the scene by sharing memories, emotions, and stories related to their favorite team.
Football as a story of the city
Beyond presidents, coaches, and champions, the show reiterates a simple yet powerful idea: Napoli belongs to its people.
And this is precisely the message Maddaloni brings to the stage: football is not just a sport, but family memory, popular tradition, and an emotional language that spans generations of Neapolitan fans.
Because, as the author himself suggests, anyone who thinks that football is just football probably hasn't understood anything about football.
It seems to me like a show that combines football and collective memory, but I'm not sure I understood everything, the narration seems like a diary and at the same time a news report, the actor speaks as a fan but sometimes the sentences get lost and you don't follow them well.