Alicante Classical Theater Festival Unveils a Dynamic Sixth Edition
The Alicante Classical Theater Festival opens its sixth edition this Tuesday with an innovative staging of celestinePlay, directed by Fernando de Rojas, Luis Elijah, with adaptations by Anthony Fields. The production features a compact cast, with guitar accompaniment by Joseph Louis Monton, all presented in a minimalist set comprised of three simple rectangles. The evening performance is scheduled for 20:30 at the Alicante Coliseum and offers free entry. Invitations must be collected in advance at the director’s box office.
From September 13 to 24, the festival presents a broad program that includes large-format productions, intimate chamber works, oral lectures, and interviews with seasoned professionals. The event is organized by the City Council and the Alicante Provincial Council, in collaboration with Aguas de Alicante and the Teatro Principal. It gathers seven high-quality theater productions from renowned national companies, featuring notable figures such as composer and performer Christina Rosenvinge in her work Sapfo, and actors Charles Sovereign in Mil Gloriosus, Paul Carbonell in El mercado del amor, and Rafael Álvarez, known as El Brujo, in Gods and God.
In addition to these mainstage offerings, the University of Alicante’s Theater Class presents Fuenteovejuna 2040, a contemporary rendition of Lope de Vega’s classic, conceived by Juan Mayorga. The festival also includes a family-friendly drama, Isabella’s Journey, and a study in puppetry with live music, produced by La Tartana. The production draws inspiration from Cervantes and Spanish-to-English transliterations of classic works, offering an updated lens on beloved texts.
Cultural Consultant Anthony Manresa emphasized the festival’s aim to invite both locals and visitors to explore Alicante’s diverse cultural offerings. He noted that this edition presents performances at a new tier of artistic excellence and highlighted the importance of community support for theater, especially after recent challenging years.
Festival director Mary Dolores Padilla described the lineup as a deliberate effort to unify the city’s classical theatre programming. She called the edition an exciting project that continues to grow in variety and quality with each passing year, inviting audiences to engage deeply with live performance.
The festival extends beyond the stage, operating across several cultural venues in the city and offering a range of complementary activities. These include conferences, discussions with professionals such as Juanjo Llorens, Juan Antonio Ríos Carratalá, and Mónica Teijeiro, and audience-friendly talkbacks. All ancillary activities are free, with attendance limited only by venue capacity.
Tickets for the festival can be purchased at the Teatro Principal box office or through the Alicante principal website, ensuring access to this sixth edition for residents and visitors alike. The event remains a cornerstone of Alicante’s cultural calendar, providing a steady stream of performances, insights, and communal experiences that highlight the city’s commitment to the performing arts.