Now that Christmas is coming and the year is ending, free days should be spent going to halls, theaters, circuses, and popular athenaeums. From AMIC Cultura, we suggest ten shows of all kinds to enjoy these dates.
Germans de sang | Teatre Condal. Until February 8
The mythical musical by Willy Russell, adapted into Catalan by Albert Mas-Griera, returns to the stage with a renewed version, under the direction of Daniel Anglès and musical director Andreu Gallén, with choreography by Ariadna Peya and a cast led by Mariona Castillo, Albert Salazar, Roc Bernadí, Tai Fati, and the popular singer Triquell in the role of narrator. The audience of a certain age will still remember the legendary production of the play that Focus premiered in 1994 with Àngels Gonyalons, Roger Pera, and Joan Crosas, among others. This tragic story of two brothers separated at birth arrives once again with a large cast of actors and dancers in what promises to be one of the essential shows of this holiday season. More info here.
L’amor venia amb taxi | Teatre Romea. Until February 15
The Romea Theatre has become the second home of La Cubana, a company that since 1980 has worked tirelessly for popular theatre of the highest quality, with countless creations that are already part of our cultural DNA. L’amor venia amb taxi is a great musical, where you will find no less than nineteen performers – thirteen actors and six musicians – who turn one of Barcelona's most emblematic venues into a celebration. A well-deserved and moving tribute to one of the pillars of Catalan culture: amateur theatre. The play, which Rafael Anglada premiered in 1959, serves as an excuse to take a journey, accompanied by the Elenc Artístic Teatral del Centre Parroquial de Nostra Senyora de la Llum, into the wonders of theatre. Dozens of characters and wigs, a flashy wardrobe, painted backdrops, and festive music that will delight the whole family. More info here
La gran plantada | ateneu popular 9Barris. Until January 18
The Ateneu Popular 9 Barris celebrates the 30th edition of Circ d’Hivern with ‘La gran plantada’, a show for all audiences inspired by pioneer plants to reclaim nature's regenerative capacity. Bet Miralta and Jordi Aspa, from the Escarlata company, have been entrusted with the creation and direction. Five artists from different disciplines will perform the original soundtrack by Joana Gomila and Laia Vallès live, serving as the main narrative thread of the production. They will do so on the stage designed by Oriol Pont, with staging guided by wabi-sabi principles, a traditional Japanese aesthetic focused on accepting transience, imperfection, and the forces of nature. The work also pays homage to the origins of the Ateneu Popular and the resilience of the neighborhood in a space that is a benchmark for the circus world. More info here.
Natale in casa Cupiello | Teatre la Biblioteca. Until January 18
Fifteen years after its premiere, "Natale in casa Cupiello" returns. La Perla 29 revives the Neapolitan classic for a fourth season. The beloved play written by Eduardo de Filippo in 1931 retains much of its original cast. The Christmas Eves in Naples return to the Teatre de La Biblioteca with Pep Cruz and Marissa Josa; only the addition of Lluís Marquès and Eduard Parades was needed, the rest of the cast will reprise their roles: Jordi Coromina, Ramon Vila, Joan Arqué, Noël Olivé, and Marcià Ciseró, although Clara de Ramon will take over from the latter after a few weeks. The set design and costumes for the production also repeat, by Paula Bosch and Bàrbara Glaenzel. The format is also what has always been done in Catalonia, almost two hours of performance in one go. More info here.
La torradora | Sala Versus Glòries. Until January 25
After the success of Angle mort (2021), the production company Apunta Teatre, which manages Sala Versus Glòries, once again trusts the tandem formed by Roc Esquius and Sergi Belbel. *La torradora* is the new comedy written and directed by this pair of creators, who have been collaborating for many years, with four hands. A middle-aged man suffering a small existential crisis receives a very special gift from his neighbor, an extroverted and entrepreneurial man: a "smart" toaster that will change their lives. The play, starring Antonio del Valle, Ramon Godino, and Laura Pau, addresses human vulnerability, economic pressure, and the rise and dependence on artificial intelligence with great wit. More info here.
El fil invisible. El musical | Teatre Goya. From December 22nd to January 25th
The successful musical adaptation of the story *The Invisible Thread* (B de Blok, 2020) by Míriam Tirado was one of last Christmas's major family hits. An impeccably crafted work with ten completely original songs that are also available on major audio platforms like Spotify thanks to the collaboration of the record label U98 Music. Produced by Viu el Teatre, the adaptation was handled by Daniel Anglès, Alícia Serrat, and Víctor Arbelo, and it offers a very varied and fast-paced score, with styles ranging from pop to rap, including Latin sounds, competently performed by a young cast accompanied by Beth Rodergas in the role of narrator, alternating with Lourdes Fabrés. More info here.
Desaparellats | Espai Texas. Until January 25
Espai Texas premieres 'Desaparellats', a comedy by Ramon Pardina directed by Roc Esquius. Esther López and Ricard Farré play a couple who, one fine day, find their bathroom has become a portal to a parallel universe where they will discover different – and perhaps improved – versions of themselves. A wild comedy about couple relationships with touches of fantasy and science fiction. The play addresses issues such as "the competition between the ideal partner we want to have and the daily reality of the partner we have," according to the author. Padrina delves into the feeling of being alone while in love, "a typical farce but in this case interdimensional." It becomes an interpretive challenge full of character changes in a dramatic and agile stage game. "It's like a puppet show for adults," explains Esquius. More info here.
Terra | Circ històric Raluy. Until March 1st
The Circ Històric Raluy presents its new show in Barcelona, Terra, dedicated to the planet and also inspired by natural elements. As every Christmas, the Raluy family brings their big top to Barcelona, this time to the Moll de la Fusta. The director and third generation of the family, Rosa Raluy, offers a show with a wide variety of disciplines such as the acrobatic seesaw, trapeze, ribbons, or acrobatic aerial silks, with a more traditional proposal, full of international artists led by Aleix Gómez. More info here
Avui no ploraré | Teatre Goya. Until February 1st
Les T de Teatre return with a comedy about the need to reveal oneself. The play, written and directed by Nelson Valente, will be shown in Barcelona before embarking on an extensive tour of the region. The actresses
Mamen Duch, Marta Pérez, Carme Pla, and Àgata Roca star in the company's fourteenth production. A comedy where three sisters, two brothers-in-law, and a friend who has just escaped from a psychiatric clinic gather for a "celebration" dinner where it will be shown that sanity is overrated. More info here.
Iceberg | Teatre Tantarantana. Until January 11
Every eleven minutes, a person under twenty commits suicide in the world. Iceberg is a creation of the young company Les Heyvan, directed by Carla Abulí and Genís Lama, which explores the reasons why suicide is the leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 28 in our country. The work is structured in thematic blocks, as if they were the stations of a Via Crucis, to expose, with great ensemble work, themes related to mental health and the aesthetic pressure on young people, eating disorders, the use of social media, or the persistence of sexism and sexual violence in our society. As a result of the first call for "Estrena’t al Territori," the play returns to Teatre Tantarantana for a second season. More info here.
