There are faces that are already so associated with comedy that they can elicit laughter from their audience even before starting their performance. This is the case of the Catalan Berto Romero and his monologues, which stand out for having an acidic, ironic and sarcastic humor; or the duo of Jorge and César Cadaval, better known as Los Morancos, who have been part of the country’s humorous culture for 45 years. Although it is also true that new talents emerge every day, like the young Martita de Graná. At just 34 years old, the Andalusian has captured the attention of more than one and a half million followers on social networks who follow her to the theaters where she performs, to be able to enjoy her humor live.
These artists are just some of those who this season will bring humor to the stages of bars, theaters and pubs in Barcelona. Comedy conquers the city and as the sun sets, laughter begins to be heard. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the show, either from their seats or even to take the microphone and be the protagonist of the show.
There are few tickets left to see this Saturday the last performance of Pongo, the proposal by Judit Martín and Mónica Ballesteros. “Who doesn’t have some junk or obstacle at home ready to foist on the first invisible friend they get?” the artists ask the audience. This object of no apparent value could become the protagonist of your work. In each performance, the comedians randomly choose those pongos that the audience chooses to wear and use them as a starting point to begin improvising situations and characters. Thousands of spectators have already enjoyed this “homage to the useless” and there is still an opportunity to do so at the Margarida Xirgu theater in Badalona.
Making people laugh is already a challenge, but what would happen if a law were implemented that sentenced comedians to prison? In a world in which making people laugh “is a crime”, Los Morancos are condemned. In their new show, Bis a bis, Jorge and César will have to learn to survive in the tense prison environment while their closest characters come up with a plan to free them. Starting today, the Coliseum theater becomes the Los Morancos prison and they will remain there until May 5.
But the purpose of humor is not only to make people laugh. Sometimes it can serve as a way to relieve tensions that build up daily. La Forte, Irene Junquera and Amagoia Eizaguirre offer the public 85 minutes of catharsis in Mujeres: la dramedia. “A macro pajama party in which they sing, dance and put the world to rights.” The event is on Saturday, May 11 at 10:30 p.m. at the Borràs theater.
In that same room in Ciutat Vella, humor will also serve as a powerful tool of denunciation thanks to Clara Ingold and her show Paloma de parque. According to Ingold, “shit is where the best comedy is made,” which is why she invites us to reflect on uncomfortable topics such as self-boycott and relationships. It started yesterday and will be until June 6, on Thursdays every two weeks at 10 p.m.
Although there is no exact formula for making humor, Martita de Graná and Patricia Galván seem to have found the key in their respective shows. Both women manage to gain the complicity of the audience with their spicy and ironic monologues and their anecdotes from daily life. From May 24 to 26, Martita Sea will be at the Victoria Theater! –which has already sold out, so we will have to wait for it to return to the city– and, on May 10, actress Patricia Galván presents Hardcore at the Apolo theater.
Another who returns is the actor Berto Romero, who despite having been making people laugh for more than two decades, the show he brings to the Coliseum theater from May 9 to June 9 is Never Seen. The artist performs an unprecedented 90-minute show that includes magic, music, special effects, surprises and, above all, a lot of laughter.
In June, the Borràs theater will bid farewell to Edu Soto and his show Better alone than a hundred flying. After a long season, the actor finishes his performance in the Urquinaona theater. This will receive Luis Piedrahita in his place and his Apocalyptically Correct, in which the comedian investigates the nonsense and contradictions of everyday life. Can we be free or is our destiny written in advance? Piedrahita’s answer is in his 80-minute monologue, which can be seen from June 14 to 16.
Before making the leap to the stage, many comedians put their material to the test in stand-up bars and pubs. These open mic sessions are spread throughout the city and are almost a ritual of the Barcelona comedy scene. At Tinta Roja (Creu dels Molers, 17), every Saturday six comedians participate in Monologues in their ink. In El Medi (Balmes, 129), one of the temples of stand-up, every Tuesday L’altre Mic is held, a bilingual open mic that alternates between Catalan and Spanish, with a varied selection of comedians. The comedy nights in Rouge (Poeta Cabanyes, 21) are organized by Massa Comedy and are free to enter. For those who think they’ve seen it all, the Barcelona Comedy Club offers a variety of comedy offerings each week with stand-up comedy from different comedians at various venues in Barcelona. This Sunday at 6 p.m., at the Craft bar (Paradís, 4), there will be monologues and beer for 10 euros, presented by Néstor Flóres.
