Jordi Bordes. jbordes@elpuntavui.cat
Theatre festival in a million
If all 39,000 tickets are sold this year, Temporada Alta will have attracted a million spectators in its 30-year history
The 30-year anniversary of the Temporada Alta performing arts festival will be marked by a return of international performances, with 15 titles from 14 countries. Names like Oskaras Korsunovas, Christoph Marthaler, Romeo Castellucci and Christiane Jatahy will all be at the festival. With 25 premieres, the festival will also act as a showcase for new productions. This edition of Temporada Alta is also particularly strong in co-productions, which make up 26 of the 106 stage shows and plays programmed, 60 of which are from Catalonia. Along with some 40 shows online, the 30th edition of Temporada Alta will feature more than 150 productions between October 8 and December 13. As always, most of the events will be in Girona and Salt, with other shows programmed in Bescanó, Banyoles, Palafrugell and Torroella de Montgrí. This year there are only 39,000 tickets on sale due to the 70% attendance capacity restriction imposed because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, if this number is added to the 953,713 tickets sold in the previous 29 editions, the festival will have attracted around a million spectators in its first 30 years.
Split between international and homegrown productions, Temporada Alta also seeks to promote hybrid projects, such as the premiere of L’Oncle Vània (Uncle Vanya), in which Lithuanian director Oskaras Korsunovas directs a cast of Catalan actors. Meanwhile, Italian director Romeo Castellucci put out the call for 25 volunteer actors from the Girona area to appear in his comedy, Bros.
Among the international contingent will be Belgian choreographer and director, Alain Platel, returning with Gardenia - 10 years later, a new look at transsexuality, while another Belgian, Guy Cassiers, stages his Antigone in Molenbeek + Tiresias, which last year could only be seen online.
From closer to home will be Marcos Morau’s theatre company La Veronal performing Sonoma, along with Angélica Liddell exploring remembrance in the world of flamenco in Tenebrante.
As for Catalan talent, Sergi Belbel casts Jordi Boixaderas in Samuel Beckett’s Final de partida (Endgame), Àlex Rigola presents the monologue Ofèlia, and Xavier Albertí directs Pere Arquillué in a new text by Josep Maria Miró: El cos més bonic que s’haurà trobat mai en aquest lloc. The former TNC head also presents La mala dicció, a new ingenious play on words by Jordi Oriol. Meanwhile, new TNC director Carme Portaceli puts on La Víctor C (referring to Víctor Català) and Sílvia Munt proposes a comic piece (Les irresponsables) by Javier Daulte.
The Temporada Alta festival is also a showcase for contemporary creation, and this year gives debuts to Marina Baixas and Júlia Mata, with Fulla blanca, as well as other more established names like La Calòrica theatre group and their Feísima enfermedad y muy triste muerte de la reina Isabel I. Returning is the likes of the Agrupación Señor Serrano with The mountain, Macarena Recuerda with That’s the story of my life, Juana Dolores with Massa diva per a un moviment assembleari, Enric Montefusco and Xavi Bobés’ Viaje al centro de un idiota, and Parné by Glòria Ribera.
The festival also welcomes back regular contributors, such as Mal Pelo with Highlands, or Ferran Joanmiquel, who presents El·lipsi and Cent dies i cent vides, which reviews the life of Frederica Montseny, as well as Claudia Cedó, with Els àngels no tenen fills.
Circus at the festival is provided by the Eia company (NUYE), the Leandre Clown company (N’imPORTE quoi), Quim Girón and Moon Ribas (Fenomen), Carla Farreny (Tour), Cirque Aïtal (Saison de Cirque) and Victoria Thierrée Chaplin and Aurélia Thierrée with Bells & Spells.
Dance at the festival is represented by Rocío Molina with Inicio (Uno), Israel Galván with flamenco singer Niño de Elche performing Mellizo doble, and the debut of Lorena Nogal in L’elogi de la fissura. As for music, Sílvia Pérez Cruz performs her latest album Gènere impossible, veteran group Sopa de Cabra celebrate their 30th anniversary, while Albert Pla, Ara Malikian, Gilberto Gil and Joan Dausà are all performing.
feature Temporada Alta festival
