From February 3rd to 15th, the Poble Sec venue Dau al Sec will host 'Una cançó llunyana', a monologue written by Simon Stephens and Mark Eitzel, performed solo by Eduardo Lloveras under the direction of Oscar Fabrés and adapted by Daniel Anglès. The 75-minute play, in Catalan, arrives after a first season in July that was very well received by critics and audiences alike.
A banker with no apparent identity
The story follows Willem, a young New York banker who receives an unexpected call forcing him to return to Amsterdam. Unable to find his place in that uncomfortable return, he begins to write letters to reflect on family, lost love, and the identity he has abandoned along the way. "I really liked this character's journey," explains Lloveras, referring to his character.“
He’s a very superficial young banker, very materialistic in this non-stop, non-stop New York life. A person very disconnected from himself. And suddenly, with this unexpected call, his mother wanted to return to Amsterdam because his younger brother has died.”
Lloveras's First Monologue
The text, which Lloveras discovered a couple of years ago at the National Theatre bookshop in London, captivated him with its combination of realism and poetry. "I liked how it was written with a realism and at the same time a poetic quality that elevates the piece. It talks about grief. I really liked this character's journey." In this regard, the actor adds: "It's a text that starts more superficially, but with these letters, little by little, it's almost like self-therapy and he connects with himself."
Lloveras faces a huge challenge: 75 minutes alone on stage, accompanied emotionally only by Joel Riu's piano, who has done the musical adaptation and original composition by Mark Eitzel. "It's dizzying. You're alone. You're exposed there all by yourself and you're baring yourself, and there's no other energy than between you and the audience," he admits. Nevertheless, he considers the experience absolutely fulfilling: "It's a very intense journey. It's a very enriching experience as an actor, truly."
A second season that promises new success
The feedback from the first season, he assures, was very captivating. "I met many very emotional people who spoke to me about it outside, about losing family members, be they siblings... and they related it and connected it to a loss or grief they had experienced," he explains in relation to the connection the viewer feels.
In fact, Lloveras highlights the power of theatre in these kinds of connections: "It's the power of art and the power of theatre; the power of this kind of text that makes you feel accompanied in this grief, by watching this character." However, the actor encourages the public not to be afraid to attend a dramatic play: "I would really encourage them to come because Dau al Sec, not only because it's a beautiful venue, but because it's an intimate piece. The actor is right in front of you. It's full of subtleties and it's almost like you can touch it, you can feel it; there's no distance."
It is, in other words, the magic of small-format theatre: "It's all very intimate, it's constant communication with them." "It's a beautiful text that speaks of life, that everyone can connect with," she summarizes. Although some performances are already sold out, there are still a few days with tickets available. The show is scheduled from Tuesday, February 3rd to Sunday, February 15th (Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 6 PM).
