Hola y bienvenidos! Welcome to Arcola
arcola theatre
As we move into our thirteenth year as an organisation it is a time for quiet reflection, to sit and take stock on how far we have travelled. However, Arcola wouldn’t be Arcola if we didn’t get straight back on our feet, look at the road ahead and put together one of the most ambitious and bold seasons we have ever programmed. For spring 2014 will see our theatre transformed into a fiesta of Spanish flair, theatricality and flavours. From January to March, we will be staging our Spanish Golden Age repertory season. Our talented ensemble of 10 actors will perform three golden age plays in 70 period costumes over a period of three months. We are proud to be bringing the delights of the golden age of Spanish drama to the heart of Dalston with our co-producers; Theatre Royal Bath and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. We start the season with yours truly directing the farcical Don Gil of the Green Breeches by Tirso de Molina, in a new translation by Sean O’Brien. We also welcome back Laurence Boswell to direct two productions by the master of the Golden Age, Lope de Vega; the tragically brooding Punishment Without Revenge and the big hearted romantic comedy, A Lady of Little Sense, both in new translations by Meredith Oakes and David Johnston respectively.
January – June 2014
This delicious trio of plays forms the main course of a three month festival of mouth watering Spanish “pintxos” style events - delicious “tapas” of Spanish culture. Spanish music and food take up residence in our Arcola bar. Film screenings, talks and platform debates from artists, directors and scholars exploring Spanish theatre, music and culture take place with our partners Instituto Cervantes. Sundays will feature readings of classic Spanish Golden Age plays in partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe Read Not Dead programme as well as contemporary Spanish drama all here to enliven this Spanish banquet of the senses. But this is only the beginning of a big transcultural spring season. From Beckett to Banksy we have a multitude of riches for you all to dip into; all contained within this treasure chest of Arcola... truly something for everyone. All the details of these productions and events are contained within the following pages. So grab your Arcola Passport and escape with us on this Latin love affair to warm up those winter nights with a hot-blooded season, bursting with passion to open our theatre in 2014. Mehmet Ergen Artistic Director