The Watusi mass returns to the Lliure on a larger stage
The theatrical adaptation of Francisco Casavella's work, directed by Iván Morales, is being revived with a renewed cast.
BarcelonaSince It was presented at the Grec Festival in 2023 in a concert version, Watusi Day He hasn't stopped climbing ever higher peaks. With the premiere of the showLast year, the public rushed to buy tickets and critics unanimously concluded that it was one of the best edits of the yearThen came the awards: Enric Auquer received Max for his role as the protagonist of the work, which also added three Butaca awards and six Critics' AwardsDirected by Iván Morales, the production—a theatrical adaptation of Francisco Casavella's novel of the same name, performed in Spanish—gathered a considerable following and support, and both the Teatre Lliure and the company wanted to keep it alive. Therefore, starting this Friday Watusi Day It returns to the Lliure with a partially renewed cast and in a new space that enhances its scenic impact: the Sala Fabià Puigserver.
"We've maintained the seating arrangement, in a front-facing auditorium, but now we have a huge space that makes it much more spectacular. The mass watusiana "It's even more sacred," Morales emphasizes. With this change of venue—it was previously performed at the Teatre Lliure de Gràcia—the company has doubled its capacity, and now each performance will have 400 seats. He predicts that this new version of the play "will also have a long life."
One of the main changes in this revival falls on Guillem Balart. "I had to think about it. It's a big responsibility, not only because of what it demands as an actor but also because of what the play explains and from what perspective it explains it. The political nature of the show is important: every day we pay homage to all those who fell during the Transition, to those people who built a Barcelona that later, with the Olympic Games, the city itself devoured," Balart points out.
More human characters
Anna Alarcón, Eduard Alves—who is the co-musical director and now also takes on some smaller roles—Artur Busquets, and Vanessa Segura have joined the cast to replace Vicenta Ndongo, Xavi Sáez, and Bruna Cusí. Raquel Ferri and David Climent return, although their roles have been reassigned. "With this new version, we've gone back to playing around. Even the returning performers don't play the same roles or have the same lines as in the previous production," says Morales, who adds that "now the characters are more human, more perverse, more delirious, and more fragile, and the interplay within the company is much tighter." They've also reworked the staging. "We wanted to try to understand the energy behind the novel. We met with people who knew Casavella, went to some of the bars he frequented, and even attended evangelical services in Hospitalet de Llobregat," explains Balart. This last experience, in fact, defines the spirit of the show. "If we can imbue the work with the energy of those masses, we'll have it," says Morales. "It's a wonderful feeling of community and transcendence."
