MEDIATHEK

‘Venceslao's Shadow is a play rich in multiple nuances: each of the five main roles has a strong, complex personality. Three animals accompany these characters and play a singular role in this work: a tart parrot, full of irony and humour (pre-recorded voice); a horse, a sort of extension of the protagonist (actor); and a monkey, which enriches the stage space in movement with its pantomime. Finally, a tango dancer, who has all the attributes of a pimp, makes his appearance three-quarters of the way through the work. The colours of the characters (human and animal) are projected in another dimension by the geographical spaces: the action is going to unfold in a wild natural setting, the tropical forest with its extreme meteorological storm characteristics. There will be scenes in the desert, as well as in the other jungle, the great metropolis known as Buenos Aires, with everything that can be wild about a city: coups d’état, shoot-outs, nightclub scenes with eccentric characters… The most basic instincts, along with tragedy and humour, are present throughout the play: ‘It is precisely the tragic ingredient that triggers its opposite; there can be humour only in the dizziness of decadence and misfortune’. In the 34 miniatures making up this work, I try to use numerous vocal combinations and techniques: from the purely sung line to free, rhythmic parlato, by way of Sprechgesang, and when, justified by the dramaturgy, various vocal styles.