El dia de la Marmota, Teatre Coliseum Barcelona Review
Written by Laura for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings: Suicide and flashing lights
El dia de la Marmota (Groundhog Day), a musical with lyrics and music by Tim Minchin and a book by Danny Rubin, has landed in Barcelona after debuting in London in 2016. The show has been adapted into Catalan, directed by Enric Cambray, with musical direction by Manu Guix and choreography by Myriam Benedited.
Based on the movie of the same name, El dia de la Marmota follows Phil Connors, an egotistical meteorologist who gets stuck in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over while stranded in a small town in Pennsylvania.
I went into the show completely blind, so I was a bit surprised by how many curse words and sexual references there were in what I had assumed was a very family-friendly production! However, I found it refreshing and a true reflection of how people actually speak.
Roc Bernadí was amazing as Phil and had a great emotional arc that felt genuine. Although he missed a few notes that day and seemed a bit vocally fatigued, it’s clear he has the ability to perform the songs perfectly. Diana Roig was a standout for me: her voice was so clear and beautiful, and she embodied the character extremely well. The entire cast did a wonderful job, and it was obvious that each actor had created their own character’s personality in depth.
Personally, I found the songs to be a bit unmemorable, though I attribute this to the original score rather than this adaptation specifically. That said, the band was fantastic, the singers were incredible, and the vocal arrangements were absolutely perfect!
I was a bit worried that I would get tired of the repetition of the time loop, but I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining I found it. There was enough variation each day to keep it from feeling monotonous.
The staging is fantastic. In the background, three screens surround the stage, but they never take the spotlight, they simply help set the scene. The pièce de résistance, however, is the set design for the town itself. The houses are movable pieces that when rotated, transform into a bar or Phil’s room. They are constantly rearranged to represent different locations in town, paired with other set pieces like benches, tables, and even a car! The car chase scene was one of my favourite moments in the entire show.
There were also some brilliant moments in the direction and choreography, such as the scene in which Phil repeatedly attempts to kill himself to escape the loop only to reappear back in his bed each time magically.
El dia de la marmota will be playing at Teatre Coliseum until March 22nd.
★★★★★
