Nao Albet and Marcel Borràs revisit the myth of the hero in 'Els Estunmen'

The Teatre Lliure presents Els Estunmen, the first opera by Nao Albet and Marcel Borràs, with music by Fernando Velázquez. A piece that reflects on love and violence through the figure of film specialists: the stunts. The production will be staged at the Sala Fabià Puigserver of the Teatre Lliure de Montjuïc from April 15 to May 3.

The piece delves into the historical narrative of the hero figure to analyze it. "We focused on the historical narrative, on how the hero figure has been presented to us, from antiquity to today. How capitalism, in a way, absorbs these hero ideals —giving everything, fighting to the end, dedicating oneself, sacrificing for a cause— to construct the idea of the perfect entrepreneur," explains Borràs. Albet adds, "The hero is an interesting concept because it functions as a foundational piece for how a human being should be."

This reflection is realized through the coexistence of two groups: lyrical singers and stunts. "I feel they complement each other very well for the story we want to tell, because both are closely connected to the idea of the epic," says Borràs. The directors place the stunts at the center because "they represent the contemporary hero very well, as we live in a time when we don’t know what is real and what is false."

However, the show does not want to give up the dramatic truth of theatre, and therefore incorporates the actress Núria Lloansi. "We needed an actress to be part of it to appeal to a more intimate connection, of a dramatic character with the audience, because we didn’t want to give up theatre," explains Borràs. In this sense, Albet reflects that "the epic is linked to someone who is removed from the truth or the most terrifying, and I think both the specialists and opera singers sometimes don’t get as close to the idea of having a truth as intense as what a theatre actress can have."

The music, composed by Fernando Velázquez, is a key piece for the atmosphere of the story. "When we learned he would be responsible for composing the music of our libretto, it immediately clicked. He comes from the world of film scores and is very used to working with war, epic, action, testosterone-filled stories… Just the kind of universe that, in some way, also appears in the show. He’s perfect," highlights Albet. "Since he’s used to having dialogues with film directors, it’s been a collaborative effort; there’s always been a willingness to engage," says Borràs.

Albet and Borràs also take the stage representing the poets of the tragedy itself. "They are our alter egos who, in some way, take a learning journey similar to ours during the creative process, moving from a more unconscious state to a more conscious one."

The cast includes Óscar Dorta, Marc Padró, Óscar Pérez, Carlos Robles, Cadmi Albet Tamarit, and Mael Borràs-Clotet. For the singers: Sandra Ferrández, Marifé Nogales, Gabriel Díaz, Esteve Madrid, José Ansaldi, and Josep Ferrer. The show features the Formació orquestral del Gran Teatre del Liceu live and special effects by In Extremis.

To set the action, Max Glaenzel designed a stage space that plays with the duality between reality and fiction: "you don’t know if you’re on a film set or a stage under construction," explains Albet. Completing the production are costumes by Sílvia Delagneau, makeup by Toni Santos, lighting by Andreu Fàbregas, special effects by In Extremis, and sound by Igor Pinto.

In parallel with the production, there will be a session In situ Què significa "ser un hombre"? (April 28) with María Adell and Lluís Rivera from In Extremis; a post-show discussion (April 16) moderated by Andrea Gumes; and a conversation between Miquel Missé, Nao Albet, and Marcel Borràs in a new episode of La plaça (April 24) at CaixaForum+.

Els Estunmen is a co-production of the Teatre Lliure, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatros del Canal, and the Teatro Real de Madrid.

After its run at the Teatre Lliure, the show will be staged from June 2 to 14 at Teatros del Canal.

With the support of:

With the funding of the Ministry of Culture, within the framework of Barcelona’s Cultural Capital initiative promoted by the Ministry of Culture and the Barcelona City Council.