During the 12th century, the history of the European novel came to a turning point. While the so-called chanson de geste and the early Arthurian novels gained prominence in Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire could welcome four new love novels after an eight-century break. One of these novels is Drosilla and Charicles by Nicetas Eugenianos. The Comnenian novels might have been written for aristocrat patrons and the Byzantine intelligentsia. We may also presume that these books were recited, either in smaller sections or in their full form, to an audience in the salons of the age, namely the theatra. Very few investigations have been made so far into the question of how we could find proof for the recitals. This article scrutinizes the signs that may prove these novels to have been performed, based on Nicetas Eugenianos. The study offers two perspectives on this topic: on the one hand, rhetorics and narratology areuge involved in the scrutiny (closely in line with our knowledge on theatron); on the other hand, performative scenes in the plot of the novel are also analyzed (e.g. the dance of the old lady Baryllis). These investigations confirm the fact that Drosilla and Charicles is a significant point in the development of the novel.