by Guillem CLUA
Translated by Florin GALIŞ and Iunia MIRCESCU
Directed by Bobi PRICOP
Cast: Dan AȘTILEAN, Mihai SMARANDACHE, Ioana Anastasia ANTON, Cezar ANTAL

The reading takes place in the presence of the author and will be followed by discussions with the audience.

FREE ENTRANCE

On the 30 and 31 of March, Guillem Clua will held two workshops with high school students (at Cervantes Institute) and students of the Play-writing section at The National University of Theatre and Film.

Promised Land

The action is set at an indeterminate time in the future at the UN headquarters, where representatives of the Republic of Malvati, whose territory has almost disappeared due to climate change, ask their counterparts for an island in order to found a new land. The play narrates in a farcical tone the adventures of the President and his delegation, who are confronted with surrealist situations as they meet with delegates from different nations in their attempt to ensure their future as a people and as a family.

Guillem Clua holds a degree in Journalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain) and started his writing training at the London Guildhall University (UK) in 1994. He’s currently considered one of the most innovative and versatile theatre voices in Spain. The critics have described his work as multidisciplinary, eclectic, and very concerned in narrative structure and plot. Storytelling is at the heart of his style, using elements from comedy, thriller or melodrama, a vibrating rhythm, and an unabashed influence from other media, like television and cinema. The result are strong political plays (Skin in Flames, Taste of Ashes), epic dramas (Marburg, Invasion), but also musicals (Killer, 73 Reasons to Leave You), dance-theatre shows (Death in Venice, Into the Desert), and comedies (Smiley).

His plays were staged in Barcelona and Madrid, but also in Germany, Greece, UK, Venezuela, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Cyprus, Poland and USA.
Clua’s plays received prestigious awards: Smiley – Time Out Award for Best Show of 2013, Butaca Award 2013 for Best Show, Butaca Award 2013 for Best Play; Killer – Butaca Award nominee 2011 for Best Play, Butaca Award nominee 2011 for Best Musical; Marburg – Butaca Award nominee 2010 for Best Play, Butaca Award nominee 2010 for Best Show; Skin in Flames – Max Award nominee for Best Spanish Play, Ciutat d’Alcoi Theatre Award 2004, Critics Choice Award “Serra d’Or” for Best Play 2005, Butaca Award nominee 2005 for Best Play; The Invisible – Ciutat d’Alcoi Theatre Award 2002.

Also, Clua has got an extense and recognized experience as a scriptwriter. A highlight is the TV series El cor de la ciutat (The Heart of the City). He joined the staff in 2003, and two years later he became show runner. He held that position up to 2008. Also, he has worked in other series in local and national television. He is currently working for the popular Catalan show La Riera. He’s currently living in Madrid.

Bobi Pricop graduated the National Theatre and Film University (UNATC), Bucharest – theatre directing section in 2011 and Master studies in 2013.
He directed the following performances: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time based on Mark Haddon at the National Theatre in Bucharest (2016), The Green Cat by Elise Wilk at “Luceafărul” Theatre in Iaşi (2015), for which he is nominated at Uniter Award for best director (2016) and received the Excellence Award at Impuls Festival, Bucharest. Ashes Afar by Andreea Borţun at Vanner Company, Edinburgh Fringe (2015) awarded with Best Performance Prize, Best Actress and Best Dramaturgy Prizeat Bucharest Fringe Festival; Illusions by Ivan Vîrîpaev at National Theatre “Marin Sorescu” in Craiova (2015), The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas by Dennis Kelly at “Regina Maria” Theatre in Oradea (2015), Against Love by Esteve Soler at Youth Theatre in Piatra Neamţ (2014), The Religion Teacher by Mihaela Michailov, at National Theatre “Marin Sorescu” in Craiova (2013), awarded with Audience Prize (II Place) at Drama Bienale „New plays from Europe” in Wiesbaden (Germany), Best Director Award at Short Theatre Festival, Oradea (2014), Best Director Award at “Excelsior Teenfest”, Bucharest, Special Prize of the Jury at National Comedy Festival, Galați (2015); Amalia respire profondèment by Alina Nelega at Theatre Les Déchargeurs din Paris (2013), Against Progress by Esteve Soler at “ L.S. Bulandra” Theatre in Bucureşti (2013), Humpty Dumpty by Eric Bogosian at Classic Theatre “Ioan Slavici” in Arad (2011). He made his debut with Games in the Backyard by Edna Mazya, graduation show UNATC, taken over by Act Theatre in Bucharest (2011), awarded with Best Director Prize, Best Actor and Best Actress Prize at the Graduation Gala UNATC (2011), Best Director Award at Independent Theatre Festival “Undercloud” Bucharest, Best Director Award at Short Theatre Festival, Oradea (2012). In the season 2010/2011 he directed and produced the show Apolodor based on Gelu Naum, within the project Theatre in orphanages. He is a founder member of the Association White Theatre.

Fabulamundi. Playwriting Europe is a cooperation project among theatres, festivals and cultural organisations in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Romania. The network aims to support and promote the contemporary playwriting across Europe, in order to reinforce and enhance the activities and strategies of the professionals and artists working in the sector and to provide the theatre authors with opportunities of networking, multicultural encounters and professional development.
The edition 2015-2016 is organized around the theme Crossing generations and is supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Fabulamundi. Playwriting Europe – Crossing Generations is coordinated by PAV (project leader – Italy) in partnership with La Mousson d’étè (France), Théâtre Ouvert (France), Interkulturelles Theaterzentrum Berlin (Germany), Theater an Der Parkaue (Germany), Short Theatre (Italy), Teatro i (Italy), Teatrul Naţional Târgu-Mureş (Romania), Teatrul Odeon (România), Sala Beckett/ Obrador Internacional de Dramaturgia (Spain).