Fernando Cayo, Atalaya, Jóvenes Clásicos, Víctor Elías, and Miguel Rellán open the 42nd Malaga Theater Festival.

Fernando Cayo in 'Los lunes al sol', the premiere of Jóvenes Clásicos 'Hamlet. Rehearsal in the Storm', Atalaya's version of 'Divine Words', Víctor Elías in the play directed by Fran Perea '#YoSostenido. Sonata for a Broken Toy' and Miguel Rellán in 'The Master Juan Martínez Who Was There' are some of the highlights of the 42nd Málaga Theater Festival, which starts this Wednesday, January 8th at the Teatro Echegaray with the four monologues of the 'Franz Kafka Centennial Special' from 'IX Anverso/reverso'. This week will also see the first showings of 'Ellas de oro', by La Líquida, and 'The Heresy of the Beguines', by La Misma Tara, as detailed by Málaga Procultura in a press release distributed to the media.

A series that will move from the municipal theaters to the neighborhoods with the 'Theater Festival... in your area', starting this weekend with the first showings of the 38 different plays that make it up: Hanna Schygulla, Juan Echanove, David Trueba, Andrés Lima, Magüi Mira, Sergio Peris-Mencheta and Natalia Menéndez, among others.

The theater program will also feature the attendance of Rozalén, who will perform and sing in 'Chavela, the Last Shaman'. Artists such as Clara Sanchis, Pablo Rivero, Ahmed Younoussi, Luisa Martín, Ruth Gabriel, Olivia Molina, Ramón Barea, Ana Fernández, Fele Martínez and Luisa Gavasa are just part of the cast in a delivery that will feature six absolute premieres. Special mention deserves the actresses María Galiana, Zira Williams and Ángeles Rubio-Argüelles, whose careers will be recognized with the Málaga Theater Awards, as stated by the theater in a statement.

La Caixa Foundation and Idealista collaborate again with the program, organized by the City Council through Málaga Procultura and which will take place in the Cervantes and Echegaray theaters and the AC Málaga Palacio hotel in two acts, the first from January 8 to February 12, 2025, and the second from May 1 to 25. Thus, along with new and acclaimed creations like '14.4', with dramaturgy by Juan Diego Botto, Sergio Peris-Mencheta and Ahmed Younoussi; 'Cursed Heels', staged by Magüi Mira; 'The Handsome Ones', by David Trueba; the monologue by Miguel Rollán 'The Master Juan Martínez Who Was There'; 'All the Daughters', directed by Andrés Lima; 'Casting Lear', by Andrea Jiménez; 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane', with María Galiana, and the proposals from La Zaranda and Atalaya, the 2025 edition includes comedies with a claim background like 'Polar'.

'Theater in Feminine' and the Classic Theater Cycle

In addition to the 67 performances of the 38 works included in the program, the 42nd Festival will be enriched with the stagings of the Classic Theater Cycle, which will complete the second act of May and will be presented later. Like in previous editions, Theater in Feminine, a cycle in which the Social Rights, Diversity, Equality and Accessibility Area of the City Council collaborates, will highlight the role of women as scenic creators. The stagings of 'All the Daughters', 'Cursed Heels', 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane' and 'I, Lady Macbeth' are included in this section, as well as the delivery of the Málaga Theater Award to María Galiana and Ángeles Rubio-Argüelles to Zira Williams.

The six premieres can boast of Malaga genetics. 'Hamlet. Rehearsal in the Storm', by Jóvenes Clásicos; 'I Have Life', a play by María Beltrán for Tras Teatro; 'Where Words Are Born', by Ángel Caballero; 'The Noise of Crunching Bones', staging by 'Scenic Viewpoints'; 'I, Lady Macbeth', text by Pablo Bujalance that arms Zira Williams Productions, and 'Dar Ghost', by the new troupe Meanwhile Ghost, will see the light this January, all at the Teatro Echegaray except for Caballero's work, which will occupy the Cervantes.

'Hamlet. Rehearsal in the Storm' / MarcosGpunto

The roster of productions with a Malaga stamp also includes proposals from La Líquida, Feelgood Theater, La Misma Tara, Theater of the Shipwrecked, The Tent Theater, Alessandra García, La Gatika Productions, Scenic Viewpoints, BE(NUS) Company and Theater Studio Turia, in addition to the Anverso/Reverso session that opens the Festival on January 8. Tickets are on sale on all channels --box offices and online through Uniticket and the theater's website (www.teatrocervantes.com)--. Until January 9, there are progressive discounts for all shows scheduled at the Teatro Cervantes except 'By Your Side. A Musical with The Secrets'.

Works from the first act of the festival

On Wednesday, January 8, the curtain rises on the 42nd Málaga Theater Festival for the monologues of 'Anverso/Reverso', this time texts about Franz Kafka written by Clara Obligado, Greta García, Mr. Chinarro and Álvaro Campos. The first premiere follows immediately, by a Malaga company: on the 10th and 11th, Jóvenes Clásicos premiere at the second municipal stage 'Hamlet. Rehearsal in the Storm'. The start of the Festival includes the first passes of the repositioning of 'Ellas de oro'.

Javier Hernández-Simón signs the direction of 'Los lunes al sol'. The Teatro Cervantes hosts its staging on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th January, a holiday on which the Echegaray also receives 'The Heresy of the Beguines'. The tragicomedy by Pablo Díaz Morilla '#YoSostenido. Sonata for a Broken Toy' places under the spotlights Víctor Elías, who will bare himself on stage alongside Javier Márquez and under the direction of Fran Perea in this production by Feelgood Theater (14th and 15th January at the Echegaray). That week also sees Atalaya revisit one of its aesthetic icons, 'Divine Words' (15th January at the Cervantes).

On Thursday 16th, there will be a double option, with the monologue by Miguel Rellán 'The Master Juan Martínez Who Was There' in the Gerónimo Cuervo building and the play by Carmen Vega 'The Skinny Dogs' at the Echegaray. Anna Alarcón and Vito Sanz star in 'The Handsome Ones'. David Trueba makes his debut as a theater director with this text that he directs himself and that will be seen in a single function at the Cervantes on January 17th. That same evening and Saturday 18th, the second absolute premiere of the 42nd Festival can be attended at the Echegaray. Paco J. Corpas will shape the text by María Beltrán 'I Have Life'.

In addition, the weekend opens the doors of the Cervantes for a staging of the International Classic Theater Festival of Mérida and Draft.inn Productions about a work by Joan Espasa. Carlota Ferrer directs a choral cast that includes Ana Fernández in 'Tiresias' (Saturday 18th). The next day 'All the Daughters' is performed. And the same Sunday 19th, in the usual double morning function in the Children's Theater cycle. 'Borges and I, Memory of a Future Friend' links the 42nd Festival with the international scene. It can be seen on Monday, January 20th at the Teatro Cervantes. On Tuesday 21st, 'Cortázar in Play' continues and music returns with 'Trash!'.

Alessandra García returns with four passes of 'The Languages' (Echegaray, 21st and 22nd January). And then, the close link between the scene and social reality will become strong at the Teatro Cervantes with '14.4', a work staged by Juan Diego Botto, Sergio Peris-Mencheta and Ahmed Younoussi, directed by the second and starring the third (23rd and 24th January). The Teatro Echegaray also hosts the actress, DJ, and instrumentalist Tirititando de Luisa with her 'Proverbs (but not Chinese)' (Thursday 23rd January) and the Scenic Viewpoints project, which will premiere 'The Noise of Crunching Bones' (24th and 25th). This last day also sees the light, in this case at the Cervantes another Malaga production: 'Where Words Are Born'.

The penultimate week of January concludes with two proposals from the Theater in Feminine cycle. The Málaga Theater Festival proposes in the week of January 27th to February 2nd seven consecutive shows at the Cervantes and two works at the Echegaray.