Teatre Arniches, theater of devotion
As the year closes, Alicante welcomes a festive season full of family-friendly performances at Teatre Arniches. The city lights up with a Christmas program that blends theatre, music, circus, and magic, offering high-quality shows priced from four euros. The schedule spreads over December 26, 27, and 28, beginning each evening at 6:30 pm, inviting locals and visitors to share memorable moments together in a warm cultural setting.
On Monday the 26th, Teatro del Abasto teams up with La Fam Productions for the musical Buh! — a cross-disciplinary piece inspired by the tales of Charles Dickens. The production fuses contemporary musical theatre with puppetry to charm audiences of all ages and to celebrate storytelling in this bright Christmas lineup.
Teatre Arniches, theater of devotion
Neus Alborch, Rebeca Artal-Dato, Estela Domínguez, Aina Gimeno, and Juanma Picazo anchor the cast for this festive show, with Manuel Maestro steering a musical theatre experience and direction by Lucía Aibar and Victoria Mínguez. The production weaves song, character, and narrative into a family-friendly tapestry that resonates with age-old theatre magic and contemporary flair.
Tuesday the 27th brings Yllana and Totem into the spotlight with Trash!, a lively exploration of recycling through percussion, movement, and humor. The show offers dynamic energy and playful commentary that invites the Arniches crowd to laugh, reflect, and engage with sustainability themes in an approachable way.
Gesture theatre, circus, and music fuse in a single evening, a signature blend that Arniches is known for. Five performers — Bruno Alves, Frank Mark, Gorka González, Miguel Ángel Pareja, and Felipe Dueñas — bring vitality to the stage under the direction of Yllana, delivering a performance that delights both children and adults with bold staging and rhythmic precision.
“Christmas in the Arniches” closes with a touch of wonder on Wednesday, when Valencia’s Nacho Diago unveils Play Time. The show for the whole family journeys through the theatre of objects, clowning, music, and humor, weaving illusion and surreal poetry into a playful homage to the magic of theatre itself. It’s a performance designed to be a spontaneous joker for the imagination, leaving viewers with a sense of astonishment and delight.
Nacho Diago, a seasoned actor, magician, and multidisciplinary creator, has appeared at Spain’s top magic festivals and earned national recognition as a champion at the XXVII National Magic Congress. His work at Arniches continues a tradition of high-caliber family entertainment that blends creative risk with accessible wonder.
Teatre Arniches bets on new dramaturgies with twenty shows
Diago’s spellbinding approach inspires audiences by turning ordinary objects into sources of magic and surprise. A graduate of ESAD Dramatic Arts in Valencia, he builds a career as both actor and creator, bringing theatre and television experience to the stage. The three highlighted events from the Valencian Cultural Institute form a core part of Arniches’ refreshed programming, reflecting a commitment to high artistic standards, broad accessibility, and regional talent. These offerings underscore the theatre’s mission to showcase diverse, high-quality performances in an inclusive cultural space for the community.
The Arniches Theatre subscription program, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Cultura de la Generalitat Valenciana, continues to provide opportunities for younger audiences. In a bid to widen access, 18-year-olds can secure tickets by presenting their digital cards at the box office. This policy reinforces the venue’s dedication to making culture available to the next generation and keeping live performance affordable for families across the region.