“The Weddings of Figaro” Brings Scathing Satire to Canary Islands Stages This September
Table of Contents
The acclaimed theater comedy “The Weddings of Figaro,” a production of the Pérez Galdós Theater and Horame, will grace stages in Gran Canaria and La Gomera on September 12th and 19th, respectively, offering audiences a free and thought-provoking theatrical experience.
The play, rooted in the classic work of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, delivers a potent portrait of the Canary Islands’ entertainment scene in the 1960s, a period marked by political upheaval and social constraints. As one source noted, the production explores the tensions between a burgeoning desire for Canarian independence, a repressive regime, and the strict moral codes enforced by the church.
A Free Performance Across Islands
Both performances – at 8:00 p.m. in the Cultural Center of Santa Brígida and at the Insular Auditorium of San Sebastián de la Gomera – are offered with free admission, making this sharp social commentary accessible to a wide audience. The Gomera showing is integrated into the auditorium’s programming and is supported by the Mares program, an initiative of the Canarian Institute for Cultural Development and The Government of the Canary Islands.
From Beaumarchais to the Canarian Stage
Inspired by Beaumarchais’s literary masterpiece, first premiered over two centuries ago, “The Weddings of Figaro” is described as a “delusional and entertaining vaudeville.” The production blends elements of priests, military figures, transformists, singers, and advocates for independence, all set against a backdrop of “feathers and sequins.”
Directed by Mario Vega, the cast features Marta Viera, Ruth Sánchez, José Luis Massó, Mingo Ruano, and Rubén Darío, bringing to life the story of the Cancan, a peculiar company of artists navigating the challenges of censorship imposed by the mainland on the Canary Islands. The play is a scathing satire against the regime, according to production materials.
“Second Reading” Project Continues to Reimagine Classics
“The Weddings of Figaro” represents the third installment in the Pérez Galdós Theater’s “Second Reading” project, launched in 2022. This initiative focuses on revisiting master texts of theater and universal literature, presenting them with contemporary and innovative staging.
A Horamene spokesperson explained that the production utilizes comedy as a vehicle to deliver a “refreshing and delusional assembly,” with a musical libretto by Héctor Muñoz and costumes designed by Monica Florensa playing crucial roles. The dramaturgy, conceived by Vega and Sánchez, builds upon Beaumarchais’s bold vision – a vision that originally provoked the ire of Louis XVI and Emperor José II due to its critique of aristocratic privilege and immorality.
A Whirlwind of Characters and Musicality
The comedy features a cast of thirteen distinct characters, moving at a “precise vertigo” within a versatile set design that incorporates three development spaces and allows for rapid scene transitions. The production promises “surprise, mess, and mistakes,” alongside a “pigmented and delirious costumbrismo” and a brilliant sense of humor.
Among the characters are Angelito, a transformist; a fogalera activist; Manuele Gonzalvi, a Mussolini acolyte; the Vedete Susana Maninidra; Captain General Pedro de la Vega; cabaret owner Salvador Curbelo; Cura Basilio; and María Luisa Fernández del Campo, a military woman responsible for the Women’s Section in Las Palmas Province.
The musical libretto, largely composed by Héctor Muñoz, features songs adapted to the vocal range of each performer. Two pieces – a Spanish couplet and a German polka – were recorded with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, while others were developed locally with musicians Carlos Oramas, Juan Manuel Díaz, and Mónica Rodríguez. Muñoz noted that the libretto draws inspiration from the Mozartian style, incorporating elements ranging from a coupé to a tango, a milonga, and a Canarian polka, alongside references to songs like the International Hymn, “Tombola,” and even a nod to “The Barber of Seville.”
The “Second Reading” project previously presented “Tamora” in 2022, inspired by Shakespeare’s “Tito Andronicus,” and “He would pour that of Femés” in 2023, based on Rafael Arozarna’s novel. This latest production continues a collaborative spirit between the Pérez Galdós Theater and Unahoramenos, building on the success of the Galdós Laboratory Scenic Experimentation project, which has produced over half a dozen assemblies since 2018.
