Once again, the International Classical Theatre Festival of Mérida presents its extension in Madrid, bringing to the capital several of the winning plays from the previous edition in Mérida.
The proposal will bring together a selection of titles premiered in past editions at the Roman Theatre of Mérida that can now be enjoyed in two venues -Teatro La Latina and Teatro Bellas Artes- between June 10 and July 12.
The Teatro La Latina will host four plays from the Festival, which will be performed on the following dates:
– The Brothers (from June 10 to 14). Tickets
The comedy deals with what type of education is better, a strict and rigid one, or a more liberal and open one. Both educational models are embodied by the characters of Démesa and Miccióna, two old sisters of very different temperaments: while the former is a very strict mother worried about her two children, Esquino and Ctesifonte, the latter is a jovial and permissive spinster who has adopted one of her nephews, specifically Esquino.
– Memoirs of Hadrian (from June 17 to 21). Tickets
In a decaying empire, Emperor Hadrian reflects on his life, power, love, and death. This show brings to the stage one of the most influential works of 20th-century literature, exploring the soul of a leader who, centuries later, continues to resonate with the present.
Starring Lluís Homar, a key figure in Spanish theatre, this work is an interpretative challenge and a sensory journey through history, philosophy, and the human condition. Memoirs of Hadrian is not just a monologue: it is an experience of great formal beauty and profound contemporary resonance.
– The Trojan Women (from June 24 to 28). Tickets
In the Greek camp outside the sacked city of Troy, the captured Trojan women and their queen, Hecuba, lament their tribulations while awaiting the results of a lottery that will determine their fate. All the women of the royal family who remain alive, victims of the conquerors’ cruelty, will become the property of the Greeks. As Troy is destroyed in flames, the desperate women will be taken to the ships that will carry them across the Aegean to become slaves in the houses of the victorious Greeks. The tragedy lies not only in their irreversible fortune but also in the resistance they show in the face of adversity. Although pain is inevitable, the search for meaning always persists.
– Cleopatra in Love, the Musical (from July 1 to 5). Tickets
The play begins with Cleopatra sailing down the Nile, engulfed in sadness after being abandoned by her lover, Mark Antony. However, the story is not just a tale of impossible love, but also a reflection of Cleopatra’s struggle for her people and her legacy. Amidst encounters and misunderstandings, both protagonists will experience moments of passion and conflict, marked by the tragic fate that unites them. The music, dance, and impressive scenery will bring this story of love, power, and the fall of empires to life.
For its part, the Teatro Bellas Artes will host two plays:
– Jason and the Furies (from July 1 to 5). Tickets
Reaching the golden fleece should have been his greatest feat, but it ended up becoming the beginning of his misfortune. After obtaining it with the help of Medea, Jason swears eternal love to her, and they flee in search of a place that will welcome them. Upon arriving in Corinth, Jason asks King Creon for help, but in exchange for asylum, he demands that Jason marry his daughter Creusa.
Tired of his stateless wandering, Jason agrees and breaks his oath. The betrayal of his word unleashes Medea’s wrath and brings forth the Furies, sent by the gods to force him to confront his past: only if he descends to the underworld can he save himself from the bloodbath that Medea is ready to inflict on him. Although if he does not manage to reconstruct all his steps correctly, perhaps even descending to Hades will not be enough…
– Alexander and the Persian Eunuch (from July 8 to 12). Tickets
Much has been written about the military exploits of Alexander the Great, the strategies, the ambition to create the largest empire ever known, the founding of cities, etc. But very little is known about his love life and his true inner self.
This show aims to bring the current spectator closer to that lesser-known but no less interesting part about the true sweet and loving man, intimate and vulnerable, that was Macedonian Alexander the Great.
Around the Sun-Alexander, all the characters orbit. Around that sun, at the center of Persia, this story revolves with all the protagonists: Hephaestion, Craterus, Aristotle, Olympia, Roxana, and above all Bagoas, the Persian eunuch who greatly influenced Alexander’s intimate and sexual life.