Technicians have completed the construction of stages and arts companies have rehearsed. For 4 days Tàrrega will host 261 performances of 54 shows, 16 of them premieres. More than ninety national and international companies will participate in this the 31st edition of the fair.
Tàrrega, close to Lleida in Western Catalonia, will become the capital of the performing arts from the 8th to the 11th September, during which time the public can enjoy 261 performers. The fair is a mixture of a street festival and professional fair.
Lleida’s unique building receives one of the world’s most prestigious architecture awards. The city’s Mayor, Àngel Ros, is said to be proud and highlighted that 75,000 people have already gone through the cultural and business facility since its opening in 2010. La Llotja, designed by the Dutch firm Mecanoo and the Catalan Labb Arquitectura, can be used as a theatre or a conference centre.
The Catalan theatre group, internationally famous for their technological, forceful and unusual settings, is preparing their vision of ‘Terra Baixa’, a rural drama from the lat 19th century, written by the naturalist and realist Angel Guimerà. From its first performance in 1896 the play was a great success, even at international level, inspiring operas and movies. In ‘Terra Baixa Reload’ virtual actors appearing on three giant screens interact with the actors on the stage. It was premiered in Catalonia’s National Library.
This year’s the ‘Festival Grec’ pays special attention to French theatre and dance, both large productions and smaller innovative shows. It brings together both international and local productions, and includes theatre, dance, music and other stage arts. The festival begun on June 17th and will last until the end of July.
‘Goodbye Barcelona’ will be on show by the end of the year in London. It will be premiered the year of the 75th anniversary of the International Brigades’ creation, the foreigners who came to Spain to defend the Republic against the Fascist uprising.
Barcelona’s CaixaForum is opening its Christmas season with ‘Scribo. Una aventura cal·ligràfica', a show about the importance of reading and writing in the modern world. The director of the spectacle, Joan Font, describes it as “a story about letters…where all elements are symbolic and take part in a game”.
Theatre group 'La Careta-Teatre' tried its best to get to the United Kingdom during the air traffic controllers strike. They had four shows scheduled in London and did not want to miss them.
The Catalan group presents 'Degustación de Titus Andrónicus' in Madrid, a show that mixes theatre and haute cuisine
‘Tideline’ opened today at the Municipal Theatre of Girona as part of the Autumn Festival of Catalonia ‘Temporada Alta’. The opera chronicles a young man’s search for identity as he travels back to his village to bury his deceased father.
The opera directed by Michael Boder and Olivier Py opens today at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu. It was composed by Alban Berg, although his death prevented him from finishing it; Pierre Boulez did so. Py described the opera as a “joyous apocalypse”.
‘El Molino’, Barcelona’s Moulin Rouge, reopened its doors last night after a 13-year closure, a change of ownership and a complete renovation. On its first night, the theatre offered a spectacle typical of Paral·lel Avenue, the Catalan Broadway. The re-opening has created great expectations.
The orchestral director Josep Pons will take over Michael Boder’s position as musical director at the famous Barcelona opera house, the Liceu Theatre. Pons will direct 6 seasons beginning in 2012-2013.
Eight Catalan films premiere in London, while New York inaugurates the theatrical festival ‘Spotlight Catalonia’.
The Artèria Paral.lel Theatre opened its doors with Dagoll Dagom’s musical ‘Nit de San Joan’. The new theatre hopes to revive the Paral.lel Avenue’s important theatre tradition.