Tantarantana Theatre: 25 years of family theater in Barcelona
If there is a venue in Barcelona that we instinctively associate with children's theater, it is undoubtedly the Tantarantana (located at Les Flors Street 22), a privately managed space that was founded in 1992 and over these 25 years has carved out a niche in our city's cultural offerings, becoming a benchmark for what is known as independent theater.
Born from the need to find spaces to present their shows, actors Julio Álvarez and Víctor Suáñez (U de Cuc company) opened a small theater on Tantarantana street in the Born district where they could offer their plays, aimed at the youngest, especially those related to the world of puppetry. Once that initial bet connected with the family audience, the theater's repertoire was expanded to include performances for adults as well.
The reception was also very positive and the old Born hall became too small, so the theater moved to its current location, in the Raval neighborhood and in an environment full of cultural offerings such as Paralelo. From the 70 seats that the old hall offered, it increased to more than 100, and five years ago a new room (Àtic) was opened with a capacity for 40 people in a space that is open-plan, where the location of the audience and the stage is completely versatile, as pointed out by the theater itself.
25 years after its opening, the Tantarantana's offerings are fully consolidated. The shows aimed at a family audience have been a fundamental pillar since its beginnings, accommodating local companies, while always welcoming small groups from other parts of the Spanish state. Throughout its history, the Tantarantana has witnessed the evolution experienced by companies oriented to this type of performance. Thus, as indicated by the theater itself, “there used to be 7-8 companies with great renown. Nowadays, there are many young companies that have emerged from the Institut del Teatre and have begun to take an interest in family content”, a fact that has modified its schedule, giving greater presence to these small and young groups.
Programming for adult audiences is designed to support new dramaturgies, new creators, and independent companies. For the past four years, its season has focused over five months on El Cicló, a cycle of independent companies in residence, which the theater created to support theatrical groups that work autonomously and independently. In this way, the theater offers a three-year residency to five different companies, during which it provides support in communication, residency, and assistance to be able to put on a show each season.
Another pillar of the Tantarantana's programming is the Networked Companies Cycle, which this year celebrates its eighth edition. During this cycle, the theater brings in productions from outside Catalonia, in coordination with various venues in Valencia or Madrid, to showcase what is being done in theaters akin to the Tantarantana.
Among this season's offerings, the two upcoming plays to be performed at the theater stand out: “The Legend of the Faun and the Journey” and “Pipes”, both by the company Mai Rojas and the Air Sculptors, directed by the former Cirque du Soleil mime, Mai Rojas.
Núñez i Navarro, as a partner of Teatre Tantarantana, is giving away 2 tickets for the premiere of the next show, Pipes, which will take place on November 3rd at 9 PM. Stay tuned to our social media because next Thursday the 2nd we will tell you how to get them.
