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Zatania
| Daily coverage BIENAL DE FLAMENCO sponsored by: |
Conchita: Isabel Bayón. Don Mateo: Juan Motilla. Guest
artist: Tomasito. Blind man: Juan José Amador. Guitar: Jesús
Torres, Paco Arriaga. Cante: Juan José Amador, Miguel Ortega.
Percussion: Juan Ruiz. Director: Pepa Gamboa.
It seems to be a mathematical constant that there is a
finite amount of flamenco in the world, and the more the boom grows,
the less flamenco there is for any given work. The Bienal de Sevilla
has for all practical purposes turned into a festival of theater
rather than of a musical form, and “La mujer y el pelele”,
the show presented on October 2nd at the Teatro Central falls into
the category of “theatrical work with a flamenco motif”.
The story is based on “La femme et le pantin” (1898)
by Pierre Louÿs which was later made into Buñel’s
famous film “Ese oscuro objeto del deseo”.
The good thing about these musical plays is they don’t require
great feats of dance, guitar or toque. Isabel Bayón is a
competent dancer without being exceptional, but she does a fine
job within the framework of this theatrical piece where the biggest
role is held down by actor Juan Motilla who narrates the story in
first person as the pathetic Don Mateo, obsessively in love with
the cynical Conchita (Bayón).
The audiovisual work with actual images of Isabel Bayón
filmed 25 years ago when she was a child prodigy, in some scenes
with a young Chano Lobato singing is remarkable. Adult Isabel dances
on stage the same movements as her child shadow and the fascinating
effect seduces the eye and adds a sort of time machine effect.
A story as visual as verbal with an
acceptable ratio of theater to flamenco.
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Sevillanas with Isabel singing the famous comic verse “I
married a dwarf” is followed by danced bamberas, not something
you see every day, especially with Camarón’s “La
leyenda del tiempo” thrown in. This dancer, usually cold and
distant, allows herself to be a little more outgoing than usual
because the role requires it. Don Mateo sets the scene for carnival
and Christmas songs are sung, that’s how it goes, with mixed
references, dreams, memories and some humorous touches as well.
Singer Juan José Amador is brilliant in the part of a blind
guitarist who comes and goes wearing a long trenchcoat and dark
glasses to act as a sort of Greek chorus as he plays and sings verses
that refer to the plot. There are short dances at the service of
the play, polo with soleá apolá, siguiriyas with the
traditional verse “a curse upon this recurring dream”
that suits the story so well, cabales and martinete. A tablao in
Cádiz is represented by guitars lined up playing in A position
for some Pastora Pavón cantes giving the feeling of old flamenco,
then Isabel dances sevillanas with a bata de cola and castanets.
The appearance on stage of Tomasito dressed in white is enough
to trigger enthusiastic applause. The talented dancer-singer does
his clever bulerías breakdance and just about steals the
show. For the famous scene from the film when Don Mateo discovers
Conchita dancing naked for some Englishmen in a private booth, Isabel
wears a flesh-colored body-suit and dances por tangos.
One wonders if the large foreign audience catches the Spanish narration,
but the story is as visual as verbal and in the end there’s
an acceptable ratio of theater to flamenco.
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