Sílvia Pérez Cruz opening, La Veronal with Sonoma in XXL version, La Brutal with Pol López performing El misantrope, the great night of Dagoll Dagom or Baró d’Evel closing with Qui som?, the same show that will be seen in Avinyó… The local talent, which has grown up in and with the Grec, is the main asset of this 2024 edition, which will have the stage of the Montjuïc amphitheater reserved throughout the festival.
After eight years at the helm, Cesc Casadesús directs his last edition with the intention of paying tribute to the local artists who today carry the name of Barcelona around the world. “I recognize that he is a very personal Greek, but we were able to do what seemed like a utopia”, he declared yesterday at the presentation.
The mayor of Barcelona, ??Jaume Collboni, wanted to thank Casadesús for eight years directing the festival, whom he welcomed when he was deputy mayor of Culture, and also had words of remembrance for the journalists who passed away Joan-Anton Benach, “a cultural agitator of Barcelona who freed himself from Francoism”, and Anna Pérez Pagès, “who united passion, rigor and the dissemination of our culture”.
The 48th edition of Grec 2024 will be held from June 26 to August 4 with 81 shows and more than 50 activities. El Grec also invites big names from the international theater scene to Barcelona. This is the case of Angélica Liddell, who will present El entierro de Bergman, a co-production of Grec with the Avinyó Festival, which is inspired by the burial ceremonies of John Paul II and Ingmar Bergman. Because this is another of the headlines of this edition: the close collaboration of the Catalan festival with the Provençal one. Figures such as Lola Arias, Christiane Jatahy, Nat Randall, Anna Brackon, Jan Lauwers and Krzysztof Warlikowski will also perform there.
As is usual, the festival expands throughout the city, reaching the theaters and halls of all the neighborhoods, thanks to the co-productions. The Romea theater will host a version of Tirant lo Blanc directed by Joan Arqué, with dramaturgy by Màrius Serra. Alberto San Juan’s reading of the history of Spain and the myth of Don Juan in Macho Grita arrives at the Condal Theatre. At the Goya, Lolita will play Poncia, written and directed by Luis Luque, who recovers the character from La casa de Bernarda Alba. And at the La Biblioteca theater you can see Tots ocells, by Wadji Mouawad, directed by Oriol Broggi.
Women have an important presence in the theater program, with names such as Sílvia Munt, who will present Les mans, by Llàtzer Garcia, in La Villarroel; Daniela Feixas will premiere her play Malamort at the Sala Beckett; and Aina Tur, author of Sis hectârees d’oliveres (Quim Masó award), will premiere at the Heartbreak Hotel.
Among the musical shows, there are names such as those of Kae Tempest and Claraguilar, who present a joint proposal at Paral·lel 62; and also Marcia Griffith with the local talent of Les Testarudes. The Jamboree will be the stage for the new Catalan jazz talent with proposals such as the Sant Andreu Jazz Band. And at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, newly created micro-operas produced as part of the Òh!pera program in collaboration with the city’s design schools will premiere.
A total of 36 co-productions are presented that include all genres and multiple creative support programs.
