Photo by David Ruiz
This month, the Spanish theatre production company, Ron Lalá, took its new performance ‘Somewhere in the Quijote’ to the Riverside Studios on the banks of the Thames in Hammersmith as part of the second Festival of Spanish Theatre in London. The festival was initiated last year by Mariví Rodríguez Quiñones, University lecturer of Spanish at King’s College, with the aim of promoting Spanish theatre in the UK.
Don Quixote is, for many British people, a quintessential staple of Spanish culture, and it’s no surprise that this ballet, choreographed by Cuban Carlos Acosta – who also dances the role of Basilio alongside Spanish ballerina Marianela Nuñez– has been seen as a showcase for all of that fiery Latino spirit that we Brits are convinced is an essential characteristic of our Mediterranean neighbours. And yet, somehow, there’s something about the whole production that doesn’t quite ring true.