Stage Director Lluís Pasqual, big winner of Catalan Theatre ‘Oscars’

Barcelona (ACN).- The ‘Butaca’ Awards recognised the best Catalan Theatre performed during the 2012/2013 season, in a ceremony that took place in Barcelona on Tuesday evening. The ‘Butaca’ Awards are decided through the vote of the theatre audience. Lluís Pasqual, the current Director of the Lliure Theatre in Barcelona, was awarded Best Director for his reinterpretation of Carlo Goldini’s famous The Boors comedy. The play was just as acclaimed as its Director, winning 5 of the 8 prizes it was competing for, including Best Show. Laura Conejero won Best Supporting Actress, Alejandro Andrújar Best Costume and Eva Fernández Best Make-Up. Contemporary plays such as Smiley and Barcelona were also distinguished, winning 3 awards each. Albert Triola was presented the Best Actor Award for his part in ‘Smiley’ while Emma Vilarassau won Best Actress for Barcelona. Famous Actress Rosa Maria Sardà received the honorary award in acknowledgment of her career.

Last night’s most acclaimed play was Carlo Goldini’s The Boors comedy, which won 5 of the 8 prizes it was competing for. The play was awarded the season’s Best Show Award. In addition Lluís Pasqual won Best Director, Laura Conejero Best Supporting Actress, Alejandro Andrújar Best Costumes and Eva Fernández Best Make-Up.

This new staging of Carlo Goldini’s play was performed last season at the Lliure Theatre in Barcelona, which has been under the helm of Lluís Pasqual himself since 2011. The Catalan Director was actually one of the founders of this illustrious independent theatre in 1976. Along with the other founders, Pasqual has always sought to reinvent stage direction by proposing creative reinterpretation of illustrious plays, notably Hamlet in 2006.  

On receiving his award, Lluís Pasqual, who seemed very moved, said he wished to share it with the Lliure Theatre family as a whole and that he dedicated it to the people “who had passed away”. In addition, he offered the prize to the audience. Pasqual ended the speech by quoting Chilean poet Pablo Neruda as “a punishment to all those rulers that we have, who are developing a sadistic and conscious destruction plan against the freedom of all:You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.”

Smiley and Barcelona also distinguished

Smiley (Flyhard Produccions) won three of the four awards it was nominated for. When Albert Triola was presented Best Actor, he explained it “had been incredibly exciting and moving to see the Smiley project doing so well” and he thanked the public for making this possible. Guillem Clua was awarded Best Play for Smiley, which also received the Best Small format play award. Clua remarked that “the award made him really thrilled”.  The theatre director highlighted that the text had been translated into six languages ​​and explained that “a small thing had evolved into something bigger, to bear witness to Catalan theatre and culture” as a whole, and thereby “experiencing one of the best dramatic moments in history.”

As for Barcelona, Emma Vilarasau was chosen by viewers as the Best Theatre Actress. Vilarasau was unable to attend the ceremony and so the stage Director of Barcelona, Pere Riera, collected the award on her behalf. He said working with the actress had been a real gift. Barcelona has also won awards for best lighting and best musical composition, distinguishing the work of David Bofarull and Òscar Roig respectively.

Musical I love you, you’re perfect, now change (Vània Produccions) initially nominated in five categories, won Best Musical while Best Actress in a Musical was awarded to Mercedes Martinez. Toni Viñals won Best Actor in a Musical for The Magic Flute (Cia. Dei Furbi) and Lluís Villanueva was distinguished as Best Supporting Actor for What’s In A Name (Focus). El principi d'Arquímedes (Sala Beckett-Obrador / Grec 2012 / Ass. Verins Escènics) was awarded Best Set Design. As for the other categories, Siena (Companyia La Veronal / Mercat de les Flors / Hellerau Centre Europeu de Dresden), received the award for Best Dance, La dona vinguda del futur (TNC), Best Family Staging and Three Sisters, directed by Declan Donellanbetter was recognised as the Best Spanish or Foreign Production.

L'onada (Teatre Lliure) and La Bête (TNC), each nominated in four categories, left the ceremony empty-handed.

Rosa Maria Sardà receives honorary award

This year, the Catalan Theatre Awards have acknowledged actress Rosa Maria Sardà’s career, by presenting her the Anna Lizaran honorary award. Sardà stated she was thrilled to receive an award which bears the name of famous Catalan actress Anna Lizaran, who died earlier this year. Sardà, born in 1941 in Barcelona, rose to fame in both Catalonia and Spain by starring in films and theatre productions in Catalan and Spanish.

Throughout the event, the cultural policies of the Spanish Government and especially the increase of the VAT rate on culture were heavily criticised.