Los 2 hidalgos de Verona
William Shakespeare / Declan Donnellan / Nick Ormerod / CNTC
This early work by the English bard, hinting at the themes he would explore in later plays, is staged by one of the most prestigious theatre companies in Europe, with the same director and cast of actors as in La vida es sueño.
Cheek by Jowl,, founded in 1981 by director Declan Donnellan and set designer Nick Ormerod, both leaders in contemporary theatre, is now once again looking to the classics with the Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico. The companies already teamed up during the 2023 Barcelona Grec Festival to stage La vida es sueño, a revisiting of Calderón de la Barca’s classic [translated into English as Life Is a Dream]. Now, they’re taking on an early Shakespeare work written towards the end of the 16th century, which also is a seminal exploration of many of the topics the author would cover in greater depth in later works, ultimately shaping our modern conception of the human soul. Friendship, love and the tensions between the two, themes typical of the time at which the play was written, take centre stage.
Donnellan and Ormerod’s take on Shakespeare’s play introduce the characters of Valentine and Proteus, both of whom are in love with Silvia, the daughter of the duke of Milan. Passions and deceit are front and centre in the plot, which includes comic characters such as the servant Launce (who became the archetype for a certain kind of character) and his dog, Crab.
This staging of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is the work of Donnellan and Ormerod, a duo who premiered their first production, Country Wife, in 1981, and have gone on to create over 45 shows performed in more than 400 cities, always featuring Ormerod’s trademark simplicity and visual candour. The show that will be performed this year at the Grec Festival strengthens Cheek by Jowl’s ties to the Spanish scene, a relationship that started in 1989 with a production of Fuenteovejuna that was seen at the National Theatre in London and continued with La vida es sueño at the 2023 Grec Festival, the first Spanish-language production directed by Declan Donnellan and designed by Nick Ormerod. At the Grec Festival, the company performed Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure in 1994 and Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi [King Ubu] in 2014. The Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico was at the 2022 Grec Festival with El burlador de Sevilla [The Trickster of Seville] under the direction of Xavier Albertí and El diablo cojuelo [The Limping Devil] with Rhum & Cia, and participated in the 2024 edition with Cançons d’amor, de desamor i de pirates [Songs of Love, Heartbreak and Pirates].
Produced by the Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico, Cheek by Jowl and LAZONA.
Discipline
- Theater
Dates and times
Saturday 19/07 - 22:00 h
Space
Durada
Language
- Castellà
Prices
Other criteria
- Summer nights
Artistic sheet
Author: William Shakespeare • Director: Declan Donnellan • Adaptation: Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod•Performers: Jorge Basanta / Prince Ezeanyim; Alberto Gómez Taboada / Rebeca Matellán; Manuel Moya / Alfredo Noval; Goizalde Núñez / Antonio Prieto; Irene Serrano • Dramaturgy consultant and translator: Josete Corral • Set and costume design: Nick Ormerod • Lighting design:Ganecha Gil •Sound design: Sandra Vicente and Kevin Dornan • Video design: Celeste Carrasco • Music composed by: Marc Álvarez • Movement and choreography: Amaya Galeote • Executive producer: Elisa Fernández • Assistant director: Josete Corral • Interpreter: Juan Ollero • Set design assistant: Sira González • Lighting assistant: Javier Hernández • Costume assistant: Elena Colmenar • Technical director: Oscar Sainz • Stage manager: Alex Stanciu • Graphic design and photography: Javier Naval • Press and communication: María Díaz • Marketing and distribution: Julio Municio • Production director: Miguel Cuerdo
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