The National Drama Centre in collaboration with the Tolosa International Puppet Centre (Topic) presents the Titerescena initiative for yet another year. This series is held at the Valle-Inclán Theatre on various Saturdays and Sundays from 14 October to 9 June and is devoted to the exhibition and performance of activities related to the world of puppets and marionettes.
In recent years, it has been possible to see more than 40 shows by a large number of specialised companies. Each show displays the wide variety of ways of understanding and expression through puppets, making use of diverse objects, such as string marionettes, glove puppets or everyday elements, at times accompanied by live music. The programme also includes puppet workshops and courses for professionals and children.
The 2023-2024 season features a selection of high quality shows, with the participation of international and Spanish companies. The programme kicks off with the performance of HAI, la pescadora de sueños (HAI, The Fisherwoman of Dreams), a play written and directed by Joana Rhein and Miquel Crespi that invites the audience to immerse themselves in this dreamlike journey as a chorus, sometimes in the form of gestures and sometimes in the form of song.
November will see Philippe Genty's La llamada del mar (The Call of the Sea), which takes up an improvisation developed in the “Interior Landscapes” workshop, in which he asked three actors to work on Homer's Odyssey. December will be the turn of Estación paraíso (Paradise Station) by the La Maquiné company, which uses glove and object puppets.
To kick off the year, January will see Cucu, a show that uses a mixed technique (objects and actors) written by Águeda Llorca and Gonzalo Manglano and directed by Jaume Policarpo.
In February, the Uruguayan company, Coriolis, will present Trapos (Rags) with tabletop puppets. In March, it is the turn of Mentira Cochina (Filthy Lie), a show that proposes a reflection on lies and truth based on the story of a boy who rejects his reality.
Ricdin-Ricdon, a show with glove puppets and masks that has been adapted and directed by Ilka Schönbein, can be seen in April. In May, the series welcomes the performance of Vida (Life), a tabletop puppet show written by Alfonso Pablo and Pedro Rebollo, directed by Javier Aranda.
In June, the Titerescena programme draws to a close with Quelonia y el mar (Quelonia and the Sea). It is a story in the form of a song that speaks of friendship and survival, of the search for one's own place in a world where what benefits some can harm others and vice versa.
Programme:
- 14 and 15 October - HAI, la pescadora de sueños (HAI, the Fisherwoman of Dreams)- Valle-Inclán Theatre - Mirlo Blanco Hall. Language: Silent
- 18 and 19 November - La llamada del mar (The Call of the Sea) - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Mirlo Blanco Hall. Language: Spanish
- 16 and 17 December - Estación paraíso (Paradise Station) - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Mirlo Blanco Hall. Language: Spanish
- 27 and 28 January - Cucu - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Mirlo Blanco Hall. Language: Silent
- 17 and 18 February - Trapos (Rags) - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Mirlo Blanco Hall. Language: Silent
- 2 and 3 March - Mentira cochina (Filthy Lie) - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Francisco Nieva Hall. Language: Spanish
- 20 and 21 April - Ricdin-Ricdon - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Mirlo Blanco Hall. Language: Spanish
- 18 and 19 May - Vida (Life) - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Mirlo Blanco Hall. Language: Spanish
- 8 and 9 June - Quelonia y el mar (Quelonia and the Sea) - Valle-Inclán Theatre - Francisco Nieva Hall. Language: Spanish
