Directed by Gráinne Byrne and Katarzyna Deszcz

Translated by Kate Eaton

Additional Support Kirsty Housley

Presented by Scarlet Theatre

Cast Helen Anderson, Andrew Bridgemont, Nina Fog, Jane Guernier, Jonathan Lermit, Sydney Smith

“Piñera is clearly something of a find…and not just for theatre anoraks either.”
Evening Standard on The Wedding 2003

“If you like absurd/existential theatre then this is a great chance to see a newly translated work by a highly regarded playwright.”
T W Internet Magaziner

Following the success of The Wedding directed by Emma Bernard, Scarlet has continued to explore Virgilio Piñera’s plays in association with translator Kate Eaton. This showing of developed excerpts is the culmination of a short period of research and development with actors, directors and translator.

Piñera’s work is funny, satirical and frequently outrageous. Written between 1945 and 1969 he is concerned by the illogical plight of the individual condemned to play out meaningless games within a world of social obligations.

The aim of the evening is to invite feedback from the audience to help the Company to choose which work to develop into a full scale production.. Though the author was censored for many years because of his lifestyle and sexuality he is now celebrated as a literary master in Cuba but thirty years after his death he is still unknown outside of the Spanish speaking world.

Excerpts presented are:

You Always Forget Something – A woman is so worried about forgetting something she deliberately forgets it just so she doesn’t have to go through the real pain of forgetting it. She has to spend her life permanently coming back to fetch it.

Two Old People in a Panic Two old people are terrified of death. In order to deal with their fear they play games all day long pretending to be dead.

False Alarm A Murderer faces the Prosecutor and his victim’s widow. He does not get the justice he expects.

Jesus A barber who happens to be called Jesus and whose parents happen to be called Mary and Joseph is regarded as the next Messiah. He has to set up the Non Jesus Cult comprised of people who believe that he isn’t Jesus.