Los Piratas had long had Carlo Goldoni's 'The Summering' on their radar, one of the shows they wanted to add to their repertoire. The moment has finally arrived this year, seven years after their last performance of a classic. "The initial motivation for 'The Summering' was to address aesthetic pressures, although in the end, things took a different turn," says Adrià Aubert, who directed their production. As they did with 'The Masquerade,' their approach to the text is quite free, as the company works by combining traditional customs with contemporary elements. Performed by Núria Cuyàs, Ricard Farré, Laura Pau, and Arnau Puig, the production explores the clash between old fashions and new traditions through a comedy of errors that leads to hilarious situations. 'The Summering' premieres on February 5th and will run at the Maldà Theatre until April 1st.
"We've been together for more than half our lives; we don't imagine that in 10 years this might not exist."
Los Piratas Teatro, one of the few stable companies on the Catalan stage, celebrates its 25th anniversary and premieres 'El veraneo'
BarcelonaThey met in the most serendipitous way, back when social media didn't exist and finding young people who shared the same passion was a much slower process. Some of them had participated in Opera in Secondary School, an educational project that brought together students from various high schools in Barcelona to perform operas. When they finished, they wrote dedications in the scripts and exchanged phone numbers. Some time later, during recess, Adrià Aubert and a group of friends wanted to put on a musical, and since they needed people, he decided to go looking for those young people he had met in Opera in Secondary School. "I remember you called some of them on their landlines—there weren't cell phones back then—and their parents answered! And you sent others a letter," says Núria Cuyàs.
From that adolescent illusion, where everything seems easy and nothing is impossible, Els Pirates Teatre was born, one of the few stable companies on the Catalan stage that is still going strong. This year they celebrate their 25th anniversary, and even now they find it hard to believe. "How have so many years passed? We're still young!" exclaims Ricard Farré.
They are all members of a company that has been characterized by creating playful and intelligent shows, built on an immeasurable appreciation for theater and music, and which offer a gem to the audience. They are examples The joy that happens (2003), Sing song swing (2012), Three Kings' Night (or whatever you want) (2014), The masquerade (2019) and The supporting characters (2022), among many others. The first of all, however, was a version ofThe Pirates from Dagoll Dagom, which gave the company its name and which they created when they were between 14 and 16 years old. "We rehearsed for two years until we premiered. We started with very little fear and a lot of recklessness, and then we entered the Institut del Teatre and everything became more serious," Aubert recalls.
During their time at the Institut, other members joined—such as Laura Pau and Ricard Farré—and they began to shape a theatrical identity, particularly influenced by the spirit of Joan Brossa. "We discovered him when we were commissioned to create theatrical tours of Sarrià, and his work has guided us on a path that has helped us grow," says Aubert. Since then, they have grown professionally, with all that this entails. They have gone from a group of friends where no one was paid and everyone worked for the love of art to forming a company and taking over in 2013...one of the most charming rooms in Barcelona, the Maldá.
A glorious era
What's the secret to working for 25 years with the same people, who met as teenagers and have gone through adolescence together? "It feels more like family than friendship. We've spent more than half our lives together; we don't even consider that in 10 years this might not exist," says Laura Pau. As in all families, the bond and affection sometimes overlap with the daily squabbles that have to be navigated. "Because we know each other so well, working together is actually easier. Over the years, we've earned each other's respect and trust, and we love each other very much, of course," says Cuyàs.
Managing Maldà has given them a stability that many companies don't find and has allowed them to survive. "Running a venue is quite a challenge. When we started, we painted the walls, cleaned, made lockers... We didn't have any money for anything, but it was a glorious and very exciting time," emphasizes Farré. This artisanal approach to the craft is also reflected in their understanding and creation of theater. "We work with the materials we have on hand; if we're missing a basket, we might go and get one from Grandma. That also defines us," says Pau.
The mission of Maldà has been—and continues to be—to showcase emerging companies, giving them a boost and helping them professionalize in a sector that doesn't make things easy. "Most end up failing because they can't create a structure to support them. There's a lack of cultural policies that ensure artistic projects can solidify and have continuity," says Aubert. One of the paradoxes of the theater ecosystem is that, despite all these obstacles, the number of schools and artists graduating is higher than ever. "The paradigm is radically different from years ago, but there has never been a government with a real plan to address the sector's shortcomings," Aubert laments.