After studying literature and graduating from the Accademia dei Filodrammatici, Lella Costa made her theatre debut in 1980 with the monologue Repertorio, ossia l’orfana e il reggicalze (Repertory, that is, the orphan and the suspender belt). It was the beginning of a journey that led her to frequent contemporary authors, to work on the radio, to approach theatre-cabaret and to become one of the most renowned Italian actresses. In 1987 she made her debut with Adlib, a monologue that also marked the beginning of her activity as an author. This was followed by Coincidenze, Malsottile, Magoni (with original music by Ivano Fossati), La daga nel Loden, Stanca di guerra (written in collaboration with Alessandro Baricco), Un’altra storia (directed by Gabriele Vacis), Precise parole and Traviata, again directed by Vacis.
In the 2000s, Lella Costa returned to the stage of the great Italian theaters with Alice. Una meraviglie di paese, Amleto and Ragazze. Nelle lande scoperchiate del fuori, shows that benefit from the direction of Giorgio Gallione and the music of Stefano Bollani. In the play Arie (2011) she confirmed her predilection for the monologue, while in 2014 she acted with Paolo Calabresi in the comedy for four characters Nuda proprietà, written by Lidia Ravera and directed by Emanuela Giordano. Together with Massimo Cirri and Giorgio Gallione she is co-author of many of the shows she has performed. In recent years, she has been one of the protagonists of Ferite a morte, an award-winning show on the very current issue of gender violence and femicide. Along with her theatrical activity, she has also taken part in several significant radio and television programs for years; at the same time, she has continued her constant civil commitment. In 2015 she began an artistic partnership with Marco Baliani with whom she wrote and performed HUMAN, a theatrical show born from the urgency of questioning the profound meaning of migration. In 2017 she hosted the TV special Mariangela! (Rai Cultura) dedicated to the life and career of Mariangela Melato. Recently Lella Costa returned to the theatrical-musical work, Traviata l’Intelligenza del cuore written with Gabriele Vacis, which pays homage to all the “traviate” of the world, from the Lady of the Camellias to the street girls, investigating with grace and irony the female theme, which also returns in the show Questioni di cuore in which Costa gives voice to Natalia Aspesi’s “letters of the heart”. A journey through the sentimental and sexual life of Italians over the last thirty years. The betrayals, the transgressions, the fears, the prejudices. Thousands of stories about love and passion that, incredibly, do not change with the passing of the decades and the evolution of customs. In 2018 she returns to Rai3 with “La tv delle ragazze – Gli Stati generali 1988 2018”. In 2019 she wins the Ambrogino d’oro, the highest honor of the municipality of Milan.
