John London – författare

Four plays from the rich theatrical world of Catalan drama.

Since the early 1990s, Catalonia has proven to the world that its rich heritage and artistic tradition are worthy of focus and study. The plays in the volume reflect the post-Franco era during which Barcelona and other parts of Catalonia have become the focal point for new dramatic expression.

Joan Brossa (1919-1998) was the spiritual father of this new wave of artistic revolution in writing. His play The Quarrelsome Party is a dark family drama as surreal as any bad dream. The Audition by Rodolf Sirera has its roots in the author''s anti-Franco stance. This in-the-theatre drama has the mystery cat-and-mouse playfulness of Anthony Shaffer''s Sleuth. Benet i Jornet''s play Desire is a Beckettian mystery play about four unnamed characters. Sergi Belbel represents the new generation of Catalan playwrights and his plays have had wide appeal abroad. In Fourplay he experiments with the idea of a sex farce and the play''s 38 scenes lead to wild conclusions.

Four plays from the rich theatrical world of Catalan drama.

Since the early 1990s, Catalonia has proven to the world that its rich heritage and artistic tradition are worthy of focus and study. The plays in the volume reflect the post-Franco era during which Barcelona and other parts of Catalonia have become the focal point for new dramatic expression.

Joan Brossa (1919-1998) was the spiritual father of this new wave of artistic revolution in writing. His play The Quarrelsome Party is a dark family drama as surreal as any bad dream. The Audition by Rodolf Sirera has its roots in the author''s anti-Franco stance. This in-the-theatre drama has the mystery cat-and-mouse playfulness of Anthony Shaffer''s Sleuth. Benet i Jornet''s play Desire is a Beckettian mystery play about four unnamed characters. Sergi Belbel represents the new generation of Catalan playwrights and his plays have had wide appeal abroad. In Fourplay he experiments with the idea of a sex farce and the play''s 38 scenes lead to wild conclusions.

More than one hundred years after Futurism exploded onto the European stage with its unique brand of art and literature, there is a need to reassess the whole movement, from its Italian roots to its international ramifications. In wide-ranging essays based on fresh research, the contributors to this collection examine both the original context and the cultural legacy of Futurism. Chapters touch on topics such as Futurism and Fascism, the geopolitics of Futurism, the Futurist woman, and translating Futurist texts. A large portion of the book is devoted to the practical aspects of performing Futurist theatrical ideas in the twenty-first century. 

More than one hundred years after Futurism exploded onto the European stage with its unique brand of art and literature, there is a need to reassess the whole movement, from its Italian roots to its international ramifications. In wide-ranging essays based on fresh research, the contributors to this collection examine both the original context and the cultural legacy of Futurism. Chapters touch on topics such as Futurism and Fascism, the geopolitics of Futurism, the Futurist woman, and translating Futurist texts. A large portion of the book is devoted to the practical aspects of performing Futurist theatrical ideas in the twenty-first century. 

PRAISE FOR Acting Funny on the Catalan Stage: El teatre còmic en català (1900-2016)

«Necessary reading [...] for anyone interested in the evolution of this art form, the correlation of language and comedy on the stage, and the creative tools of playwrights and performers for the Catalan language.»

(Natàlia Server Benetó, European Journal of Humour Research, 11.2 (2023))

«El teatre còmic en català (1900-2016) presenta un conjunto de estudios imprescindibles para conocer parte de la realidad contemporánea de la escena catalana y en catalán.»

(Guadalupe Soria Tomás, RILCE 40.2 (2024))

«Aquest llibre aporta molta llum a tots aquells que cerquen les fonts, els modes i els protagonistes de la comèdia i l’humor catalans.»

(Enric Ciurans, Llengua & Literatura, 34 (2024))

«Un contributo imprescindibile per collocare nel luogo che gli spetta questo filone della produzione teatrale catalana contemporanea.»

(Veronica Orazi, Rivista Italiana di Studi Catalani, 13 (2023))

«Se trata de un volumen importante, que abre preguntas y apunta nuevas vías de investigación, e interesará a los estudiosos de la catalanística y del teatro catalán, pero también a quien estudie los mecanismos del humor, el teatro popular y las vinculaciones entre comicidad y política.»

(Adriana Nicolau Jiménez, Talía. Revista de estudios teatrales, 5 (2023))

Comedy has been a constant presence in the history of Catalan theatre, but it is rarely recognized as a separate generic identity, worthy of academic study as a whole. This volume is the first concentrated attempt to analyse Catalan theatre under the comic lens, with essays in English and Catalan. It studies comic form, performative innovation, and socio-political function. As well as providing detailed analyses of figures excluded from standard accounts, it makes a strong case for the originality of many authors, directors, and actors. This is definitely another realm in which the Catalan contribution to European culture needs to be acknowledged and appreciated. Moreover, the book provides an exceptional platform on which theatre is considered – within the same project – from several regions where Catalan is spoken: Spanish Catalonia, the Valencia region, and different towns in French Catalonia.

La hilaritat sempre ha tingut una presència molt important en l’evolució del teatre català, tot i que rarament ha comptat amb un estudi i reconeixement acadèmics. Aquest volum proposa una anàlisi de diverses formes d’humor de l’escena catalana, amb una selecció d’assaigs en anglès i català d’experts de diferents universitats. S’hi examinen algunes propostes de comicitat, innovacions performatives i la projecció sociopolítica d’aquesta jocositat. També s’hi estudia l’originalitat d’un conjunt d’autors, directors i actors al marge de l’humor políticament correcte. Sens dubte, un altre àmbit, el de riure, en el qual cal reconèixer i posar en valor la contribució catalana a la cultura europea. El llibre constitueix un cas rar on es considera el teatre –dins d’un mateix projecte– de diversos espais geogràfics on es parla català: Catalunya (sobretot Barcelona), el País Valencià i diferents pobles del Rosselló.