Stefano Piazza: from the streets to the stage, the Sicilian comedy that anticipated the content creators
Stefano Piazza is a comedian from Palermo, known for his show “Piazza Grande”, launched in 2011, where he used to interview some people walking on the streets of Palermo. The show went viral on social media and gave birth to catchphrases such as “Hey bambola ti pozzu offriri un cottel?”, an unintentionally funny line from one of the interviewees, which later inspired the title of a 2018 show. His latest stage work is titled “Quattro cianchi in padella” and is dedicated to food. It was developed after years of interviewing street food vendors and passersby. Piazza also went viral throughout Italy for his witty reply to pastry chef Iginio Massari, who had criticized the cassata. He has collaborated with chef Francesco Aquila, winner of MasterChef, and Andrea Lo Cicero from La Prova del Cuoco and Gambero Rosso. Sicilian Secrets interviewed him.
Q: Let’s start from the beginning: how did your career as a comedian begin? Was there a specific moment when you realized making people laugh was your path, or did it grow naturally, maybe starting from “Piazza Grande”?
Q: “Piazza Grande” became a viral phenomenon well before the term “content creator” became trendy. How did the idea of walking around Palermo with a mic come to you? And how much of those moments is improvised versus constructed?
A: It gives me a bit of pleasure to hear people now recognize that ten or fifteen years ago, I was ahead of my time. Today’s “content creators” are doing some great things, but I’ve done pretty much all of it over the years: street pranks, surreal jokes, promoting the Sicilian language, street food content, hoaxes… In 2013, I bought a Lega Nord flag, and together with I Quattro Gusti (who were still relatively unknown at the time), we went around asking people, in a Lombard accent, to give us donations because, “The South survives thanks to the factories of the North”. We risked getting beaten up, but it was a great social experiment. It revealed a kind of southern pride which is sadly a bit dormant now when it comes to that political faction, but it’s never fully gone.
Q: Sicily is central to your work: it’s the backdrop, the subject, and sometimes the co-star. How do you choose to tell its story through your brand of comedy?
A: There’s always this urge to prove that “national” comedy has more prestige, but the truth is that comedy has no real strength if it isn’t rooted in regional identity. That’s why Proietti never gave up his Roman accent and instincts, just like Troisi told his stories in Neapolitan, and so on. Sicilian, though, is something people are ashamed of. But not me, I’m not ashamed. We have history on our side, with recognitions and records that prove Sicily was at the heart of Mediterranean politics for centuries.
A kingdom since 1130, home to the world’s first deliberative parliament, and it was through the poetic school of Frederick II that the idea of a common language was born, later adopted and developed by the Tuscans. For these and a thousand other reasons, Sicily is at the center of my storytelling, and those who watch from the outside often love it more than we do ourselves.
Q: What do you think Italian audiences find so appealing about your take on Palermo and its characters?
A: These characters are a piece of Sicily: they’ve been described by Pirandello, Sciascia, Camilleri, all the way to Franco Maresco and Daniele Ciprì. They’re spontaneous, instinctive, funny out of necessity. The more intelligent a people is, the more it copes with life’s hardships by laughing at them. The characters I portray are generous, uniquely self-deprecating, adaptable to any situation, multifaceted, and beloved by all social classes. Even without formal education, they manage to turn necessity into virtue and express a dazzling kind of humor.
Q: “Hey bambola, ti pozzu offriri un cottel?” (“Hey babe, may I offer you a cocktail?”) became a viral catchphrase. What do you remember about that moment? Did you expect that line to go so viral it would inspire a whole show?
A: I’ve produced hundreds of video clips, but even now I never know what the audience will latch onto a line or a slogan. That moment was pure astonishment for me. That catchphrase sparked a phenomenon all over Italy. I remember going to Milan and people repeating it to me on the street. I couldn’t believe it. I never made merchandise out of it, but someone else did: t-shirts, hats, keychains, bar signs, drink cards, and so on. I turned it into a show, yes, but I used it as a springboard to tell the whole story around it.
Q: Stefano Piazza vs. Iginio Massari: your response about the cassata became legendary. Can you tell us the story? Did you realize right away it would become iconic?
A: Yes, I consider my response to Massari a big gift from the master. He gave me the chance to say things that get attention only if they’re “on trend.” Let me tell you a behind-the-scenes story: at the time, my management was in contact with the chef’s management, who also manage other important chefs we were about to collaborate with. Then out of the blue comes Massari’s statement, and my management warned me: “Whatever you do, don’t respond publicly, it could create problems”. I said, “Of course, don’t worry”. The rest is history.
Q: Your latest show, “Quattro cianchi in padella”, is an ode to food and raw Sicilian culture. How did it come to be? What kind of research went into it using street food, restaurateurs, and popular humor?
A: “Quattro cianchi in padella” is the result of years of research and it’s never really finished. I must thank Professor Gaetano Basile, a great scholar of Sicilian cuisine, who not only gave me crucial information but also passed on to me his beloved sense of humor, which I deeply share. For us, food is never just nutrition, it’s about sharing, elaboration, historical blending. Sicily is where the noodles known as Itrya were born, in Trabia, according to Al-Idrisi, geographer of King Roger, 150 years before Marco Polo ever mentioned pasta. In the 4th century BC, Archestratus of Gela wrote the first book of gastronomy, poems describing recipes. Maria Carolina and Ferdinand of Bourbon brought us the monsú. There are so many reasons why our cuisine is never just a dish to swallow: it’s a moment of culture and connection.
Q: You’ve worked with chefs like Francesco Aquila and Andrea Lo Cicero. What fascinates you about the world of cuisine? Do you think we’ll see you with your own food-comedy format someday?
A: Chef Aquila and Andrea Lo Cicero are two of the professionals I admire most. I love watching them work, the way they connect their hands to the raw ingredients, how they unite ideas with taste. I don’t know if I’ll ever create my own format. I have a couple of ideas, but considering how many shows are already out there, I’d need someone crazy enough to believe in a truly wild production to make it happen.
Q: Future projects for Stefano Piazza: are you working on some idea? Can you give us a sneak peek of what’s next – new shows, social media, TV… maybe a new “piazza” (Square) to conquer?
A: I could tell you all sorts of stories, but the truth is future projects should never be announced. It’s superstition, it’s caution. So rather than make something up, I’ll just say that in a few months, I might have the two most important projects of my life coming true.
Q: You’ve turned the streets into a stage and everyday people into your greatest inspiration. Is there one encounter, phrase, or moment that truly touched your heart over all these years of interviews? What’s the memory you’ll always carry with you, far from the spotlight?
A: There are so many people and stories behind the scenes that I really can’t pick just one or two. Maybe one day I’ll collect them all in a book.
