The Italian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Inigo Lambertini, hosted The Comedy Divine in the evocative setting of his Residence. This English-language reinterpretation of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy is a production of Teatro Patologico, a theatre company for actors with disabilities. The performance took place on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The show, directed by the company’s founder, Dario D’Ambrosi, and partly funded by Pfizer‘s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Council Europe (DEICE), was part of an international tour that included New York. The actors demonstrated talent and determination, delivering an emotional and engaging performance.
“I am delighted to host Teatro Patologico, an institution that has shown, with extraordinary dedication, how acting and the performing arts can transform the lives of people with disabilities,” Ambassador Lambertini said in his welcome address.
“Supporting this project,” he added, “means embracing an inclusive vision aimed at changing common perceptions of differently abled people and their role in society: a valuable contribution that enriches everyone.”
“We are delighted to partner with The Italian Embassy and Teatro Patologico to support this inspiring event focused on Disability Inclusion,” added Antonio Bebba the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council Europe (DEICE) Lead at Pfizer. “Creating an environment where everyone – including those with visible or invisible disabilities – can achieve their full potential is a priority for Pfizer. The DEICE leads our contributions and responses to this area, in line with our Pfizer Values.”
Founded in 1992, the Teatro Patologico Association is an important institution that offers people with disabilities opportunities for expression and care through educational, pedagogical, and theatrical activities. Since 2009, the Association has had a permanent theatre in Rome, which also hosts La Magia del Teatro, the first European school of theatre training for people with different abilities.
Since 2016, in collaboration with Tor Vergata University of Rome and the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR), it has also offered the world’s first university course in ‘Teatro Integrato dell’Emozione’ (Integrated Theatre of Emotion), aimed at people with disabilities. As further confirmation of the growing institutional interest in this innovative educational approach, in 2026 many Italian universities will open the course founded and directed by Dario D’Ambrosi.
D’Ambrosi’s method is studied at New York University, Akron University of Cleveland and Hayward University di San Francisco, demonstrating the international significance of the project.
