Mort d’un comediant at Teatre Romea, Barcelona Review
Written by: Laura
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Adri, who works as a carer for elderly people, starts working at Llorenç Cardona’s house, a famous but retired theatre actor. His niece, Miranda, warns Adri that he is an unusual man: Llorenç has the habit of incarnating the characters from his favourite theatrical pieces. To keep his job, Adri is going to have to learn to follow his theatrical whims as he uncovers the true reason why the actor is hiding behind these roles.
Directed by Josep Maria Mestres and written by Guillem Clua, this show is described as a “love letter to theatre.” I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. The author has woven in references and snippets from all kinds of genres and periods of time, completely different from one another and yet dealing with similar themes, using them for Llorenç to express himself throughout the play. The text has been written with such care and love that it’s impossible to leave one indifferent.
The set design by Joan Sabaté is simple but beautiful: just a room in a man’s house, filled with books and theatrical posters, a couple of armchairs and a table. It looks lived in and cozy. Framing a window are two velvety curtains, red of course, that emulate those of a theatre.
There are only three actors on stage. Firstly, Jordi Bosch, playing Llorenç Cardona. He did an incomparable job with this complicated role, transitioning from character to character, delivering passionate monologues, and showing us the vulnerability of his character in such a beautiful way. Bosch was thoroughly magnetic in this role. He made me laugh, but he also made me tear up, which rarely happens as I am extremely self-conscious about crying in public! Very few actors would have been able to do what he has done with this role.
Francesc Marginet Sensada plays Adri beautifully, especially shining in his scenes opposite Bosch. I loved his character arc throughout the play and seeing him change not only because of Llorenç, but also because of theatre.
Finally, Mercè Pons plays Miranda, Llorenç’s niece. I found her performance quite flat, especially opposite Bosch, who was giving it his all. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was acting as she moved rather stiffly through the blocking of each scene. I do wonder if she might not have been feeling well or if something else was going on, as I haven’t seen any other reviewers mention this in their comments.
Mort d’un comediant is a beautiful piece showcasing how theatre can make us feel intense emotions, help us express ourselves and connect with others, and even understand the world around us. It’s a reminder that theatre lives within all of us as we act through life, even if we don’t realize it.
Mort d’un comediant will be playing at Teatre Romea, Barcelona, until June 1st.
★★★★1/2
