What is avanspettacolo? The show

What the word means

Avanspettacolo is a compound of avan- and spettacolo, show, and English sources translate it as before the show. Italian dictionaries define it as a fairly short variety show, sometimes a modest revue, that used to be presented before or after the film in cinemas. The film was the main show. The word also lives on in modern Italian as a put-down: da avanspettacolo describes something cheap or second-rate. Context decides whether it is neutral or dismissive, and in a theatre context it is the neutral, historical sense. Search results show it in two forms: avanspettacolo, the genre, and Avanspettacolo Venezia, the Venice venue that takes its name from the genre.

Where it came from

Avanspettacolo grew out of varietà, a show of unrelated numbers that became its own theatre form in the mid-19th century, drawing on the café-chantant, burlesque and the circus. In the 1930s cinema began to compete with live theatre. Italian Wikipedia says the Fascist regime encouraged theatres to convert to cinema with measures such as tax relief, so variety companies had to create shorter, simpler shows to entertain audiences waiting for the film. Sources date the heyday differently: the 1930s to the 1950s in one, the 1920s to the 1940s in another.

Varietà, rivista and cabaret

Three related words are easy to mix up. Varietà is a show made of a sequence of unrelated numbers, with no common thread. When a variety show was organised rigorously, with a written script and numbers loosely linked by a theme, it was called rivista, or revue. Otherwise it was called avanspettacolo. One Milan theatre-history page calls avanspettacolo close to cabaret and considered minor next to revue and varietà. So the genre sat at the humble end of Italian stage entertainment, which is part of its charm and part of why the word can sound dismissive.

What a bill looked like

A bill was a string of short numbers rather than a story. Treccani lists comedians, dancers, singers and illusionists among the performers. The shows were staged with limited means, and avanspettacolo was seen, alongside cabaret, as the poor relation of the fuller revue and varietà. Revue was organised around a written script, while avanspettacolo was looser. Because each number was brief, no single act carried the night. The photograph shows a cast taking a bow at an avanspettacolo show in 1955.

Who started there, and what became of it

Many of Italy's best-known comic performers began on these stages. Italian Wikipedia names Eduardo De Filippo, Totò, Anna Magnani, Aldo Fabrizi, Erminio Macario and Lino Banfi, and calls the genre a reservoir for Italian cinema. Films later took the world of avanspettacolo as their subject, among them I pompieri di Viggiù and Polvere di stelle, and in 1992 Rai 3 broadcast a programme called Avanspettacolo. From the 1950s, television began to compete with live variety, and many of its features passed into radio and television variety shows. English Wikipedia adds that by the 1970s the genre included striptease shows. The tradition is part of how Italian screen comedy was formed.

What the Venice show borrows

Avanspettacolo Venezia calls itself the first and only cabaret dinner show made in Italy, and its About page says it was founded in 2014. Its main show, the Grand Show Magic, is billed as an international cabaret-style production inspired by the golden age of cabaret and musical theatre. It keeps the mixed-bill idea of avanspettacolo, with dancers, singers, musicians and acrobatic acts in one evening. It is not a copy of a 1930s programme. There is no film, and the dinner is served while the show unfolds. The venue's own corporate page says the show can be customised on request, so what you see is a production the venue controls, not a fixed historical programme.

What you see and hear

Expect dancers, singers, musicians and acrobatic acts, with choreography, live vocals, glamorous costumes and dramatic lighting. The venue's own pages also mention contortionists, and its New Year's Eve programme mentions a master pianist. The venue calls the show a musical-style cabaret. Nothing published about the show mentions subtitles or a spoken script, so if language matters to you, ask the venue before you book. The Theatre Hall is described as Baroque-adorned, and the evening opens in the foyer with a welcome drink.

What to wear

The dress code is elegant. The venue lists no shorts, jeans, flip-flops, sneakers or T-shirts, and the booking adds sportswear and ripped clothing to the list of what isn't allowed. A shirt and smart trousers, or a dress, is a safe reading. A cloakroom is complimentary, so you can leave a coat or bag before you sit down. Dress for a long, seated evening in a theatre restaurant, not for a day of sightseeing. The dress code applies to the whole evening, so check the rule before you pack, not on the day.

Getting there and back

The theatre restaurant is on Via della Fisica, in the Marghera district of the Venice mainland. The venue puts it at a 10-minute drive from Piazzale Roma, Venezia Mestre and Santa Lucia. Piazzale Roma is where Venice's road traffic ends and the city's main bus station stands. Transfers aren't included in the booking. The venue lists a round-trip transfer between Piazzale Roma and the mainland, and a limousine service, as extras to request by email. Private parking is included if you drive. Mestre, the mainland district beside Marghera, is linked to Piazzale Roma by the Ponte della Libertà, a road and rail bridge that several bus routes use. Agree your way back before you go.

Read next: Getting to Avanspettacolo Venezia and the shuttle option

Length, children and access

The evening runs about three and a half hours in all. The show is billed as suitable for all ages, and the venue lists reduced rates for children under 12 on its own bookings. The booking is listed as wheelchair-accessible. Pets are listed as allowed, so check with the venue if you plan to bring one. The regular show runs on Saturdays, and on Fridays too in November and December. Your confirmation shows the start time for your date. The venue has also run special galas, such as Carnival, Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve, with their own programmes, so check which one your date is.

Who this isn't for

If you want to see an original avanspettacolo bill, a short pre-film programme from the 1930s to the 1950s, this isn't a reconstruction. It is a modern cabaret dinner show that takes its name from the tradition. It also isn't for anyone who wants a quiet dinner or a short night, or who can't dress elegantly. If you'd rather stay on the islands all evening, pick something nearer, because this one needs a ride out to the mainland.

Read next: Avanspettacolo tickets: how to book