Las Huecas: "If you received 200,000 euros one season, perhaps you shouldn't receive it the next."

BarcelonaSince their debut in 2017 with Project 92 At the Antic Teatre, Las Huecas—formed by Júlia Barbany, Núria Corominas, and Andrea Pellejero—have established themselves as one of the most interesting and groundbreaking companies on the contemporary scene. With their second show, Those who must not die (2021), they made the leap to Temporada Alta and went on tour. And with the third, About friendshipThey have been performing for two seasons at the Sala Beckett. Now they arrive for the first time at the Teatre Lliure with Cannibal laughterA play co-produced by the National Drama Center (CDN), which has already been performed in Madrid. Taking the rise of the far right as its starting point, the production questions the theatrical methods of politicians who use simplistic rhetoric to win votes. Cannibal laughter Featuring the collaboration of Sofía Asencio and Judit Martín, the performance will be at Espai Lliure from this Friday until February 8th.

"More and more, the political class is engaging in theater. Barbarity, violence, and fascism are disguised as satire. In response, we want to reclaim our place as idiots in a more or less professional way," says Corominas. With this objective, the company places a group of far-right European politicians on stage in a theater. "What they themselves are staging gradually turns against them in a kind ofescape room "It's strange that they ended up getting killed," Barbany explains. The protagonists are characters devoid of meaning, who speak in broken English (the play is surtitled) and whose only concerns are national identity, purity, and the homeland. "We focus on denigrating them and on bringing the theatrical mechanism to an end."

A Cannibal laughter The main weight falls on the stage prop, an artistic decision that generated both admirers and detractors at its premiere at the CDN in Madrid. "They were angry because they said this isn't the right way to represent the enemy. One day, halfway through the performance, I saw eight people leave. But we also had standing ovations. There was no average," says Coromina. Despite this reaction, the company emphasizes that the garment is not intended to provoke or generate hatred. "It's actually a very Catalan production, with scatology, a sense of humor, and self-irony. In the style of La Cubana and Els Joglars," Barbany points out.

Review the allocation of funds

The path Las Huecas has followed over the last decade has allowed them access to the main Catalan public theaters—this season they were also scheduled to participate in the Zip Festival at the National Theater of Catalonia, but ultimately they will not be there. However, the company maintains that entry to these venues is neither easy nor equal for all artists. "It can't be that public money systematically goes only to one part of the sector. The way it's distributed should be reviewed so that it doesn't repeatedly benefit only a few projects, while others go unfunded. If you received €200,000 one season, perhaps you shouldn't receive it the next," argues Corominas.

The precariousness of the sector is also one of their main concerns. "It's difficult to survive with proposals that exceed the limits of what is considered contemporary theater. We don't necessarily have to create austere shows, but the context isn't always ready," laments Barbany. Corominas also criticizes the "meritocratic narrative" surrounding access to public theaters: "It's unfair, because there are people doing very good work who perhaps haven't yet built an audience and who also deserve a co-production at the Lliure."