Fringe 2024 Comala, Comala Zoo Southside 12th August Review
“Comala, Comala” at Z00 Southside (venue 82) is one show that has already been attracting a lot of attention at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, so it was time to check it out this afternoon and find out for myself what all the fuss is about.
Brought to Edinburgh by Pulpo Arts AC/Something for the Weekend, “Comala, Comala” has the distinction of being the first original Mexican musical to be performed at the Fringe. This is also the production’s international debut following its initial sell out premiere in Mexico City.
If you have in mind something that is in anyway a stereotypical view of Mexicans as seen in countless western films (and other media) over the years, then forget that image as this is thankfully something very different.
This work is based on the classic book “Pedro Páramo” by Mexican writer Juan Rulfo. First published in 1955, this is the story of a promise that Juan Preciado makes to his mother on her deathbed – a promise that takes him to the town of Comala, a place that he finds out is literally a ghost town.
For this work, playright Conchi León has created a tightly woven Day of the Dead-style narrative that, through the individual cast members often performing multiple character roles, interweaves not only Juan Preciado’s own family story, but introduces us to other inhabitants of Comala. This, as always, can get a little confusing if you are not closely following this story. Having said that though, the only way to really experience Comala, Comala is to allow yourself to be immersed in its narrative and landscape. The production is performed in Spanish with English surtitles, and these do help you to more clearly define the different characters too.
Comala, Comala is also a musical journey, and composer Pablo Chemor has incorporated different authentic Mexican musical styles into this work and all are performed live and on traditional instruments where appropriate.
The physical space for this show’s performance is a small one, but very good set design makes the most of this and with the way that seating is at this venue, forming three sides around the production on stage, there is that immersive feeling to everything here.
This is, as you would expect from a theatre company with the reputation of Pulpo Arts, a professional show at every level of production with some fine performances by the cast on stage too.
One thing that Comala, Comala also clearly shows is just how much classic literature, how many wonderful stories, we all miss on stage by the focus so often being on English or European Language works. Mexico clearly has so much of culture value to further explore, and hopefully Pulpo Arts will be at the forefront of this in future years.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
Brought to Edinburgh by Pulpo Arts AC/Something for the Weekend, “Comala, Comala” has the distinction of being the first original Mexican musical to be performed at the Fringe. This is also the production’s international debut following its initial sell out premiere in Mexico City.
If you have in mind something that is in anyway a stereotypical view of Mexicans as seen in countless western films (and other media) over the years, then forget that image as this is thankfully something very different.
This work is based on the classic book “Pedro Páramo” by Mexican writer Juan Rulfo. First published in 1955, this is the story of a promise that Juan Preciado makes to his mother on her deathbed – a promise that takes him to the town of Comala, a place that he finds out is literally a ghost town.
For this work, playright Conchi León has created a tightly woven Day of the Dead-style narrative that, through the individual cast members often performing multiple character roles, interweaves not only Juan Preciado’s own family story, but introduces us to other inhabitants of Comala. This, as always, can get a little confusing if you are not closely following this story. Having said that though, the only way to really experience Comala, Comala is to allow yourself to be immersed in its narrative and landscape. The production is performed in Spanish with English surtitles, and these do help you to more clearly define the different characters too.
Comala, Comala is also a musical journey, and composer Pablo Chemor has incorporated different authentic Mexican musical styles into this work and all are performed live and on traditional instruments where appropriate.
The physical space for this show’s performance is a small one, but very good set design makes the most of this and with the way that seating is at this venue, forming three sides around the production on stage, there is that immersive feeling to everything here.
This is, as you would expect from a theatre company with the reputation of Pulpo Arts, a professional show at every level of production with some fine performances by the cast on stage too.
One thing that Comala, Comala also clearly shows is just how much classic literature, how many wonderful stories, we all miss on stage by the focus so often being on English or European Language works. Mexico clearly has so much of culture value to further explore, and hopefully Pulpo Arts will be at the forefront of this in future years.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com