Teatro del Gatto

For several years, our theatre has been a place where numerous companies have performed rehearsals and shows.

With its size, 230 seats, its 8x9 m stage and various technical infrastructures, it is the ideal place to present shows of various kinds, conferences, assemblies, concerts and to perform rehearsals on stage.

For more precise information or to arrange an inspection, please contact our theatre's technical manager (091 791 21 21).

A bit of history...

A ‘glorious’ oratory built at the beginning of the 20th century with funds from the sale of potatoes

• The building housing the Teatro del Gatto was created in 1933 by the Ascona Youth Association.
• In 1935, the Men's Oratory was established, which hosted various activities and, in the 1950s, numerous shows by amateur companies.
• The first renovation took place in 1951.
• In the 1980s, the management was entrusted to the clown Dimitri, who was succeeded by the magician Fantasios in 1988. The theatre then closed from 1994 to 1999.
• In 2000, another renovation and, the following year, the start of the new season, under the direction of Santuzza Oberholzer. This activity continued until the end of 2007.
• Since 2008, the management and direction of the Teatro del Gatto, also renewed from a technical, logistical and aesthetic point of view, has been entrusted to a team of artists, coordinated by Gillian McLeod, who have offered the population a rich and varied playbill with theatre, dance, jazz and cinema. Particular attention is also paid to the social aspect of the Sala del Gatto, according to the intentions of its promoters in the last century, with an eye on programming for the elderly and young people.