XXVI - Juggling with homes
Just back from Spain, celebrating, learning, and growing at the European Playback Theatre Gathering!
Greetings, dear readers. I just came back from Salamanca, Spain, where the European Playback Theatre Gathering was held. Obviously, the focus of this week’s newsletter will be on this significant event, specially for me and the Iberian Playback Theatre community.
The presence of Playback Theatre on the Spanish territories was almost non existent not so long ago. Ana Fernández started developing it in Salamanca in the late 00s. In 2013 we started in València. Nowadays, playback is present in many places within the territory like Catalonia, Aragon, Basque Country, Galicia or Madrid. Portugal experienced a similar path. Spanish and Portuguese playback communities have been connected since the beginning, exchanging and growing together. Hosting the EPTG felt like a full circle moment for us, specially during the 50th anniversary of this art form.
I was there to celebrate Playback Theatre in my home country, with my heart a bit divided. I was also representing the Two Island Playback Theatre community, which was recently created to bring together playback practitioners from the United Kingdom and Ireland. My emotions were all over the place last weekend, and I felt incredibly lucky to be awarded with many privileges.
🎭 The acting privilege
I was invited to perform in the opening ceremony as part of the ensemble of Iberian playback practitioners who have been involved since the beginning of our joint activities, such as the creation of yearly gatherings and the Iberian School of Playback Theatre. It was a bittersweet moment for me.
Nowadays, I see myself more as a notable voice within the British playback community. I'm not saying that performing with my Iberian playback siblings felt wrong (it felt amazing) but there’s this voice inside me telling me that from now on, I should step into a visitor role and offer my support from the side, even though I'm still committed to returning yearly to celebrate Iberian playback with them.
Who wouldn't want to be in a cast with local legends of Iberian playback? I hadn't played with them in two years, so I was nervous. Nevertheless, performing with them was incredibly easy. After all, they are not only experienced playbackers but also fantastic performers. The complicity that comes from long-time friendships was definitely there.
I found myself learning new things from them and getting to know them as performers once again, which showed me how much our individual practices had evolved. Despite some energy leaking between reenactments due to the heavy work of translation, I was happy with our performance and received kind comments from the audience.
🪑The conducting privilege
From one playback home to the other, Two Islands Playback got a slot in the program to offer a performance to showcase Irish and British playback. I proposed myself to conduct, after all, it doesn’t happen everyday that I have the chance to do it in my own country. Having the wonderful team mates that I have, they accepted, and I’m happy they did, because their gigantic talents were blinding on stage.
We went into our performance with the theme of Light under the grey skies, hoping to offer our audience a chance to express optimism. However, it turned out that wasn't what they needed. Instead, we received a series of heartfelt stories about generational relationships within families. Our tellers shared about grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and sons, weaving a beautiful tapestry of both smiles and tears. Unsurprisingly, the cast brilliantly met the expectations, honoring every single story with grace. By the end, the attendees were visibly moved.
On a personal level, I was happy with how I was able to hold the space, being light and occasionally goofy when needed, but also supportive and grounded when the moment required it. While I don't think I'm a perfect conductor, I was satisfied with my labour.
🧑🏫 The facilitating privilege
I’ve facilitated many times before, but this was the first time that I did it on a home group setup. The work was spread over three days, with the same group of people, having only a couple of hours for each session at the very beginning of the day. None of them started on time. I felt very rushed, vomiting information and exercises to cover the program that I tailored.
I came to terms with myself when I decided taking it easy (nod to last week’s newsletter) and focused on nailing down just a short form and a long form. The last session was magical. After an exercise that helped the attendants to connect with their true voices through folk songs from their respective countries, they tackled the practical part beautifully, creating very moving reenactments. At the end of the last session, they craved for more.
As a professional facilitator I was also happy to have the opportunity of nailing down offers to teach in different countries. More to come about that on the future! 😃
❤️ The human privilege
Of course, gatherings are about connections, the main one being Playback Theatre. For that, we have to thank Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas, the creators of the art form, who were there with us as, in their words, proud grandparents in front of hundreds of distant cousins, some of them getting to know each other for the first time. I met new people and, with some of them, got the time to connect in a way that I could feel the start of a new friendships.
I was happy to reconnect with friends I don't see often. To have the opportunity to bond and share moments with them. To say the things that can't be said through video calls or instant messages, the things that can only be sealed with a hug. Some of those conversations were difficult but necessary.
I fell in love again with my fellow IPTN board members, my dear Russian and Ukrainian friends, my leadership training sisters, and my treasured friends from Shanghai who showered me with care once again. And, of course, with the members of my two playback theatre families: the one on the peninsula and the one in the islands.
We laughed, we cried, we sang, we ate, we drank, we danced, we jumped, we had picnics, we healed, we marched for Palestine, and we told and played back stories. Together.
📆 What is coming up
10th of October - Acaprov Spooky Special (London, UK). A Halloween Spooky Special a cappella musical! I’m going to miss it but you shouldn’t. Get your tickets.
15th of October. Actor’s showcase (London, UK). I’m getting together at Theatre Deli with a bunch of professional actors to showcase an improvised one act play. Get your tickets.
16th of October. Acaprov at Hoopla! (London, UK). Acaprov is back at Hoopla for another improvised musical. Don’t miss it.
19th of October. London Playback Theatre (London, UK). With ancestry as a theme, we will be back at the Rosemary Branch Theatre to honour your stories. Get your tickets.
14th of November - Acaprov (London, UK). Another month, another a cappella musical. Get your tickets.
✨ That’s all folks ✨
Thanks for reading Playing Back an Improvised Life, a newsletter by Ferran Luengo.
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Ferran Luengo