Theatre Review - Poe

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe's birth, and what a better way to pave the way for Halloween then to dedicate a play to his best works. The Madrid Players are an English language amateur theatrical group based in Madrid, and will be paying tribute to this master of the Gothic and the Macabre in the small theatre the Teatro Liberarte.

The theatre is located in the back streets just behind Bravo Murillo close to Valdeacederas/Plaza Castilla. Walking there feels like going into the middle of no where as this part of Madrid is quiet and residential, with not much life in its streets. Suddenly, upon turning into the street Francisca Conde, suddenly there is an overflow of people coming out of the theatre.

The theatre itself is charming. It is very small, the lobby is covered but the garage door hoisted up makes it exposed to the street. There is a small bar, and a small ticket office. The lobby is decorated with quirky antiques, paintings and antiques, giving it a Gothic feel to the place. Even the bathroom is decorated as if they had called in Tim Burton as the internal designer. The theatre performance hall itself is hidden behind a door covered by a heavy velvet curtain. It is a nice size, not too small or big, comfy velvet lined seats and also consistent with the theatrical Gothic decoration with its grand chandelier and it's own Raven perched on one of the shelves. I caught myself wondering many times if the theatre had been decorated for the show especially, but the details were so meticulous, that is seemed unrealistic to assume such a tiny theatre would put an effort into the decoration for one show.



The show opened with the room blackening out and having Lou Reed blasted into the room, however it was unfortunate that the sound system left a lot to be desired, however this was a small theatre and an amateur production so I tried to lower my expectations. The mood became eerier as the players entered and creating an asylum on stage. This first act was creatively done. The gruesome characters of insane asylum recited their individual stories from the poetry and tales of Edgar Allen Poe, including The Tell-Tale Heart and Berenice. This was a very effective way to tell the short stories and poetry of Poe. It was eerie, sinister and atmospheric, an effective way of using Poe's work. The acting was very good and I forgot this was an amateur production.

The part of the second act which stood out was when there were two tramps telling the two stories simultaneously of The Black Cat and Never Bet the Devil Your Head. Again some very effective staging to use Poe's work.

After the interval the show continued with a recital of Poe's A Predicament. You see a headless woman to one side and the head sitting on a table narrating the story, one of Poe's short story which was about a woman who loses her head after putting it through the aperture of a giant clock in a church tower. Very funny and gruesome and well done. This was then followed by The Fall of the House of Usher which was the highlight of the whole production. The actor playing Roderick Usher was superb and perfect for the role. The scene was done traditionally and gave a real creepy atmosphere to the production. The play was then concluded with a recital of The Raven one of Poe's most famous works. All in all a wonderfully delightful play full of atmosphere, music and even humour. I was very impressed both by the Madrid Players and the Teatro Liberarte. I shall definitely be going to both again in the future that is certain.

Poe is running in the Teatro Liberarte, C/Francisca Conde 7, Metro:Valdecederas (L1), Ventilla (L9).
Dates: 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th October, 21:00 Weekdays and Saturday, 20:00 Sundays.
Price: 12euros on the door or 8euros if you book in advance via http://www.atrapalo.com.

Una Noche Andalúz en Madrid

Flamenco is an art-form traditionally associated with the gypsies of Andalucia. To find good Flamenco in Spain one would look to the back streets of the Barrío de Santa Crúz in Sevilla or the caves of Granada. However fortunately, Madrid being both the geographical and cultural centre of Spain, one can find every tradition and Spanish art-form from different regions here, the art of Flamenco no exception.

Flamenco can be found in "tablaos", classy nightclubs where one can reserve a table, enjoy drinks and tapas and watch a show of Flamenco. At the end of Plaza España, is the charming little Flamenco nightclub calle "Las Tablas". This classy place does live Flamenco shows every night, from music to dance. Las Tablas is a small venue with a limited number of tables giving the place an intimate atmosphere. With everything directed perfectly towards the stage makes for comfortable viewing of any show there. The experience is intense, intimate and cosy. It allows the audience to really feel the passion and the sensuality of flamenco. Las Tablas also offers a good wine selection, along with popular bar drinks and has an excellent tapas menu, giving you the opportunity to feel Spain with all the senses.

For more information on the program and details of Las Tablas go to www.lastablasmadrid.com

Opera - Lulu by Alban Berg

Lulu kicks off the Teatro Real's season which looks at the theme of female protagonists. Composed in 1935 by Alban Berg, Lulu was an unfinished opera, as the composer died before he had the chance to finish it. The first two acts were all that remained of the score, and was premiered in 1937 unfinished in Zurich. Following Berg's death, the vocal score completing Act III was written by Erwin Stein, with the orchestration by Arnold Schoenberg at the request of Berg's widow. The completed opera was finally premiered in Paris in 1979.

Based on the plays “Pandora's Box” (as is the famous silent film of the same name starring Louise Brookes) and “Earth Spirit”, Lulu is the tale of a fallen woman who becomes a victim of her circumstances due to the projection and desires of the men who surround her life. Tragedy befalls her as her first two husbands die, the first of a heart attack and the second of suicide – both linked to Lulu's countless admirers and infidelity. Her third husband tries to make Lulu kill herself with a revolver but she shoots him instead and is sent to prison. Lulu manages to escape from prison by her admirers and escapes across the border to France. As a fugitive she is blackmailed in Paris for 20,000 marks or she will be denounced or sent to a Cairo brothel. She flees Paris to end up in London as a prostitute and falls into the hands of Jack the Ripper and is brutally murdered.

Lulu, even as a story is very intense and uncomfortable. It is a story which follows a downward spiral of continuous tragedy. This accompanied by the twelve-tone score of Alban Berg results in an opera which draws on the emotions with such intensity that one watching and listening to this piece can feel every single muscle tense up in the body. This opera is exhausting - the music is exhausting and the story is uncomfortable. This production in the Teatro Real uses a minimalist setting which puts an extra edge to the discomfort this opera makes you feel. It is not an opera for the feint hearted. The night I went to see it the opera house became half empty by the end of the second act, and a significant amount of people had gone by the first. My reaction and that of my friend's after the first act was “we need a drink”. We felt nervously exhausted and tensed up from the drama and music of the first act. However the story was so compelling that we stayed for the full opera.

The cast was excellent. The Soprano who played Lulu and the Mezzo-Soprano as the Countess Geschwitz were both excellent. Nice voices and strong. I can't imagine how difficult this opera must be to perform, with the difficult and unusual modern twelve-tone score and all the drama and acting required for the roles. Considering these factors the cast made it seem effortless, their voices cut through the orchestra clearly, they maintained a good amount of energy both in singing and in acting. Musically and dramatically the show was outstanding.

The production is very good. However this is not an opera one can enjoy easily like a Mozart or Rossini piece. This one takes all the emotions and shoves it in a blender, leaving you an emotionally exhausted wreck. As a piece of art it is fantastic and avant-garde and does what it intends to do – bring the emotions, the pain, the tragedy to the viewer. Worth a one time viewing, but this is not light entertainment.

Dates:14,16 of October
Location: Teatro Real, Plaza Oriente
Transport:Metro line 5,line 2, R (Opera) or line 1, line 3(Sol)
Prices:Without discount (16€-151€) ages 26 or under at last minute tickets get 90% off!