An entertaining romantic comedy

In 2025, 21% of the State's citizens were 65 years of age or older. And 5.5% of those over 65 suffer or will suffer from Alzheimer's. Marc Artigau, one of the most awarded and performed Catalan playwrights, has aptly written works about adolescence (The others); on improvised happiness (Good intentions); about grandparents and habaneras (There's no need to go to Havana); about robots (Sunrise or the Garden of Earthly Delights), and several love stories (You will arrive and it will be night and The deserted islandAnd he always does so with a touch of comedy, even when discussing serious matters. This is the case withA party in Rome, which focuses on a theme that theater has often explored, in keeping with the social importance of Alzheimer's disease (The father, by Florian Zeller; Full moon, by Aki Shimazaki; Deserts of memory, by Marcela Tierra; Before the German arrives(by Marta Barceló). A painful subject that could easily lead to drama, but which Artigau turns into an entertaining sentimental comedy that Clara Segura directs with confidence and rhythm, and which the audience applauds enthusiastically.

The protagonists are Romina, a 76-year-old woman with Alzheimer's, whom Marta Angelat imbues with great truth—such silences! Such emotion!—; her son Guillem, who guides and cares for her—very capable Oriol Vila, who also serves as narrator—; and Juli (Lluís Marco), the fantastic anarchist and anticlerical boyfriend Romina meets at the nursing home where she will have to go when she can no longer be alone at home. But, for the sake of the comedy, just as important as all of them are the supporting characters who inhabit the woman's world, such as the endearing cocaine addict Josepa, played by Isabel Rocatti; the roguish peasant Jeroni, played by Xavier Boada; and the charm and dynamism of Albert Triola, whether as a singing instructor or a priest.

The comedy works; it's funny. But I must say that for me the story ends when Romina achieves her dream, after a magical moment that Marc Artigau prefers to bring back down to earth with harsh reality.