The expressive masks of the Basque Kulunka Teatro arrive at the Condal
The Basque group Kulunka Teatro hasn't been to Barcelona since 2016, but they've visited 36 countries with their unique stage productions, some of them masked. Now they're returning to the Teatro Condal, part of the Grec, with their latest show, Forever, which tells the story of an ordinary family whose lives go awry and none of their expectations are met.
Iñaki Rikarte, Garbiñe Insausti, Edu Cárcamo, and José Dault are its creators; Rikarte is also the director, and the other three are the performers. “We've been exploring the language of masks for 15 years, and it's been a surprise to see the impact on audiences and the journey it's had,” Cárcamo notes. “Forever is a large-scale show, for which we set ourselves a significant technical and dramatic challenge, taking almost two years to create, while touring with other productions. It's very easy for any audience to identify with what we're telling.”
The Basque company assures that its universal themes are understood equally throughout the world.“The company's greatest challenge and greatest strength lies in the dramaturgy,” Dault clarifies. “We work as a team, and the greatest difficulty is achieving the score of everyday actions that will capture what happens to the characters. When we tackle a topic that sparks our interest and curiosity, we pose a paradox about how a normal family can end up in such an extreme situation. It's something that, until you see it, is difficult to explain.”
But not everything has been easy in this exploration of the language of masks: “At first, with the mask's limited vision, it was difficult for us to shake hands,” Dault confesses. “The audience's big surprise is how it's possible to explain so many things with inert masks, that they can see them laugh and cry, but this is provided by the audience.” And she warns: “This show is recommended for ages 14 and up.”
“Apart from the technical score, there's an emotional score, which is our unwritten text,” Dault continues. “The mask for an author's ego is very good because it annihilates it. You're at the service of the performance.” And she recalls her life change during these years with the company: “Now we have to balance our work with our children, and we no longer rehearse 12 hours a day, but rather during daycare.”
Read alsoIn Forever, the set rotates to show the three rooms of a house. “A couple, deeply in love, wants to have a child, and it's hard for them. And when they do, things get complicated. The rotating set creates an almost cinematic effect, like a long take. It symbolizes the twists and turns life takes,” explains Dault.
“The first time we went out, we went to Nepal and were afraid of not being understood, because gestures vary. But we were very surprised because everything was understood. And something similar happened in China. There are many more things that unite us than separate us.”
“The themes we cover are universal, here and in Asia: family, love, illness... And that's why they're understood in every country where we perform,” says Cárcamo. “We try to understand the human condition, with its complexity and contradictions. And that's common all over the world. The emotional moments are very moving, and the comedic moments are also very funny. But there's no moralizing,” concludes Dault.
According to Daniel Anglès, director of the Condal Theater, Kulunka offers essential theater, with unique tools and a very special way of telling a story. For this reason, despite not using words, she received the Max Award for Best Playwriting in 2024 for Forever.
Forever Condal TheatreParal·lel, 91. Barcelona Author: Iñaki Rikarte, José Dault, Garbiñe Insausti, Edu Cárcamo Direction: Iñaki Rikarte Cast: José Dault, Garbiñe Insausti, Edu Cárcamo Dates: Until 27/VII Price: €20.30-27 TeatreCondal.cat
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