Don Juan Tenorio Zorrilla's classic around All Saints' Day
All the information
About the event
Escena Trece brings Zorrilla's Don Juan Tenorio to the Teatro Góngora with a shortened version of the original text, a cappella music, sword fights and period costume, set in the Spain of Ferdinand VII.
Key points
- Monday 2 November at 20:00
- Teatro Góngora, Calle Jesús María, Córdoba
- Tickets from 14 to 18 euros
- Zorrilla's text shortened, with fencing and music
Why it is performed in November
Since the 19th century, José Zorrilla's Don Juan Tenorio has been performed around the feast of All Saints, and the performance at the Góngora respects that custom: it falls on 2 November, All Souls' Day. The play, one of the great classics of world theatre, follows the Seville seducer from his wager with Don Luis Mejía to the cemetery where the statues come to life, with Doña Inés as the only one able to save him. It is one of those pieces that many people know by heart and that fills theatres again every year, in Córdoba and across half of Spain.
Escena Trece's version
The company respects Zorrilla's original text, although it shortens its length, and moves the action to the reign of Ferdinand VII, in the "ominous decade" that followed the Peninsular War. It is a period of uncertainty and political chaos, with the return to absolutism of a country anchored in past glories and superstitions: the Spain of Goya and his Black Paintings. Against that backdrop, the production fuses theatre with a cappella music, sword fights and lavish costumes. The IMAE presents it as a safe bet on our traditions, full of symbolism and stage magic.
Cast and creative team
On stage are Manuel Porras, Alejandra Hinojosa, Andrés Santiago, Sabina Vicente, Rafael López and Iván Herrera. Direction and dramaturgy are by Juan Castilla; set design and production, by Escena Trece itself; lighting and sound, by Dani Malia, and costumes, by Sergio Venteo. The city's event page does not say which character each one plays or give the exact running time of the production, beyond stating that it is shorter than the full text. Anyone who wants to compare can find the complete original in any library: the drama was published in 1844 and premiered in Madrid that same year.
When, where and how much
Monday 2 November at 20:00 at the Teatro Góngora, on Calle Jesús María, right in the centre of Córdoba. Tickets range from 14 to 18 euros depending on the area, and are sold through the channels of the IMAE, the Instituto Municipal de Artes Escénicas, which programmes the performance; the page on teatrocordoba.es and the theatre's phone number are there for any queries. As it is the traditional date for the Tenorio, it is best not to leave buying until the last day. The production includes stage fencing, something to bear in mind if you are going with children, although the event page gives no recommended age.
