Reopens the Teatre del Raval completely renovated: "It is our little dream"

BarcelonaAfter taking over the Teatre del Raval in Barcelona in the autumn of 2024, Pep Tosar and Evelyn Arévalo were confident they could renovate and reopen the venue in six months. Finally, they needed a year and a half to carry out the renovation they desired, "tripling the budget to achieve a complete overhaul" of the space, they explain. The theatre, located at Carrer de Sant Antoni Abad number 12, is practically debuting everything. "The grid [the framework of beams from which the spotlights hang] is completely new, and the stage too. We tore down the old one and built a new one. It has gained a meter in width, having seven in total. We have also redone the old amphitheater with three new tiers, and we have renovated all the technical lighting and sound equipment," points out Tosar. The renovation involved changing the floor to adjust its inclination to the new stage height and creating a technical booth that did not exist until then. "We have tried to move away from very high old stages to maximize the relationship between performers and spectators," emphasizes Tosar.

The main hall has been named Tadeusz Kantor —La classe morta

is "the best show I have ever seen," says the artistic director — and has a capacity for 193 people seated in Italian style. "It's a very fitting room for us, I think almost anything can be done there —defends Tosar—. We are up to our ears in debt, but we regret nothing. It's our little dream." With the renovation, the Teatre del Raval also gains a new performance space: the multipurpose room Damià Huguet, which has 50 seats at small tables and also has a bar area. In this part of the theatre, literary cabaret shows, multidisciplinary pieces, and concerts will be held.

The Teatre del Raval will begin this new stage on May 12 with the revival of Federico García, a show by the company Oblideu-vos de Nosaltres, formed by Arévalo and Tosar. The production premiered ten years ago at the Grec festival and can be seen in the hall until July 26. This play will alternate with Léon a la terra dels homes, a piece by Maria Pla with Miquel Gelabert and Òscar Intente that has been constructed from two works by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: El Petit Príncep and Terra dels homes. The program will also include a family show, L'impossibilista, by Sergi Buka, from June 6, and Pepe Zapata's monologue L'enterrador, which will be seen at the Teatre del Raval from June 27.

Open house for a musician each month

In the Damià Huguet space, the first show will be the comic solo Set maneres de ser Hamlet, by Josep Pere Peyró. Likewise, this stage will host a monthly night featuring a musician who will have carte blanche to decide what they want to do with that concert, from presenting their own album to inviting other artists they are close to. They have called this performance format La gran blue nitde, and the first invited artist is Elisabet Raspall (Enderrock award for best jazz album 2026), who will perform songs from her new album Aletheia on July 3rd.

"We want to premiere two shows each year and, in parallel, host proposals from as many companies as possible in the territory," points out Arévalo, who adds that they will use the theater to revive other pieces from the company's repertoire, such as El fingidor and Sa història des senyor Sommer. For the next season, the company plans to open the programming with its latest production, titled Vientos del pueblo, which revolves around the life and work of Miguel Hernández.

Arévalo and Tosar took over the management of the Teatre del Raval after the previous director, Empar López, transferred the venue because it did not receive the triennial subsidy from the Generalitat. The theater is owned by the parish of El Carme, which depends on the Archdiocese of Barcelona. Arévalo and Tosar have signed a 15-year renewable rental contract. Tosar had previously directed another theater in Barcelona, the Círcol Maldà. He led it from 2008 to 2013 and, shortly after his departure, Els Pirates Teatre took over the venue.