The Spinning Top: 30 years searching for new paths
LleidaAt the end of a sweltering May in 2025, a group of us were invited to one of the open rehearsals of the new show for all audiences at the Lleida-based company La Baldufa's venue. "It's a production that revolves around the Spanish Civil War," they told us. A soaring thermometer advised us to come prepared with fans. We were right! However, some of us thought we knew what to expect. Nothing could have been further from the truth!
The personal diaries of real combatants from both sides of the Spanish Civil War, collected in the book We were wild beasts are the seed of Ghosts of warA starting point that offers a different perspective on war. Risky. Yes! But also more intimate. More human. The play tells the story of three friends forced to join opposing sides and how the conflict profoundly changes their lives. The piece "stages the horrors of any war and questions whether violence is a valid option for resolving conflicts." The staging blends "shadows, projections, fabrics, wood, and live music, moving between yesterday and today." A very personal and reflective intergenerational show about friendship, which brings the atrocities of armed conflicts to the forefront with touches of humor and an anti-war spirit. Herein lies one of the aspects that captivated me most about the production: its conciliatory tone. A tone that allows us to delve "into shared wounds and what unites us, rather than what divides us."
After a few months of stirring, macerating, rectifying, and simmering, Ghosts of war It premiered in October at the Mediterranean Fair in Manresa and began touring various venues. The Matadero Theatre hosted the performance with several school and public sessions at the end of January, coinciding with La Baldufa's 30th anniversary. With several tweaks and improvements, we were able to confirm that the essence of a project carefully crafted remained intact. This signature essence stems from a thirst for social transformation.
Since 1996, La Baldufa has created innovative, high-quality family shows for all audiences, ideologically committed to the values of solidarity, tolerance, and respect, some of which have been awarded prestigious prizes such as the FETEN. This year, they will be present at the 35th edition of the festival, along with the Lleida-based companies Festuc Teatre, Toc de Madera, and Zum-Zum, which is being held this week in Gijón. In 2020, they received the National Performing Arts Award for Children and Young People, in recognition of the company's trajectory and "their ability to create universes of great poetic and visual richness." Beyond the awards, it's important to remember that Lleida is a driving force and a national and international benchmark for performing arts aimed at family audiences. As Tombs Creatius pointed out a few months ago: "What if we believe it?"