ALCUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
of the José Maria del Castillo
Company: Coribante Productions
The closing night of the L’Alcúdia Classical Theater Festival marked a landmark in theatre programming, continuing a tradition established in 2013 through the initiative of UA. This evening served as a warm tribute to Carmen Giner, a longtime Cultural Service technician who recently retired, and it featured a bold, multidisciplinary experience by the Sevillian ensemble Coribante titled Locker Eros. The production sits within the festival’s broader mission to celebrate sexual, identity, and gender diversity, mirroring a contemporary wave of performances that challenge conventions and invite fresh conversations among audiences.
At the heart of the piece is the figure of Eros, embodied in its many guises as a force of attraction and the kind of love that moves communities forward. The script, crafted by José María del Castillo and co-directed with Antonio Rincón-Cano and Benjamín Leiva, guides a flexible cast through shifting roles and expressive forms. The performers—Del Castillo, Héctor Garijo, Guillermo de los Santos, and Alejandro Molina—demonstrate a deep commitment to their craft, weaving between identities with both vocal precision and physical expressivity. Their performances aim to surprise audiences and prompt thoughtful reflection on how love, desire, and identity intersect on stage and off it.
Penelope emerges as a modern avatar of the waiting figure, while the ardor of Helen of Troy and the allure of other timeless icons are reimagined for a contemporary audience. The production leans into a populist energy, embracing discursive spectacle and inviting viewers to participate in a shared moment of interpretation. Love is rendered as a dynamic force—felt in small gestures and grand gestures alike—when observers suspend the ordinary gaze and follow a weave of narrative threads that blends flamenco-inflected movement, expressive turns, and intricate footwork. The result is a rich tapestry of sound and motion that enriches storytelling and heightens emotional resonance.
References to Romeo and Juliet, Othello’s jealousy, or Carmen, a symbol of femme fatale, intersect with satirical, almost theatrical psychotherapy. A playful yet piercing allusion to Don Quixote conjures Hamlet’s Ophelia, while other figures of love—such as Adela and Dulcinea—appear as part of a broader meditation on madness, desire, and the many disguises of romance. The performance invites spectators to see familiar myths through a contemporary lens, challenging conventional narratives and encouraging personal interpretation without surrendering to easy conclusions.
Cherubs appear across a long montage that immerses the audience in the action without anchoring the experience to any single fixed ground. The musical direction is led by Alejandro Cruz, with lighting designed by Miguel Guirao. The piece foregrounds human dualities—man and woman, solitary and together—as vessels for memory, transformation, and the evolving self. Layers of sound and light seem to lift viewers, guiding journeys through the psyche and the body across time. A mother’s voice, performed by Natalia Millán, reinforces a central message: love can be expressed in countless ways, freely and with integrity. This sentiment aligns with the festival’s steadfast commitment to inclusivity, artistic curiosity, and the exploration of how identity and affection take shape both on stage and in everyday life.