“Hi. I’m Cris Blanco. Today is 12 March 2022 and I am writing this text from my mother’s house where I grew up, seeing my primary school where I spent eight years, Bravo Murillo, from the window. On the TV, they are saying that the pandemic was declared two years ago today. That means that it was two years ago that I started thinking about this play [well, I don’t know if it is this play that you’re going to see...]. I started to think about a major play called Grandissima Illusione. With excellent actorsqwsd [apologies for the mistake, my dog trod on the keyboard while I was writing this sentence], a dance troupe, a live choir and more. It was a large-format play with fantastic scenographies recycled from some important Teatre Nacional de Catalunya productions [I don’t know yet if they will let me use the scenographies, because all this is the idea I had on the past, in your past, which is my present, and I’m writing this for the future, which is when you will be reading this text].
In my head, there is the play with the 16th century Marquis, the Juggler, the Cuban Astrologist, the Technical Engineer, The Extras, the Greek Choir, the Dramatic Expert, the Text...
There was the eclipse, the time travels and the elusive zone, and more.
And all this just to tell a story of an intertemporal love and class struggle!
I started with an emotional orchestral prelude with the orchestra completely blacked out [hmm, I wish I’d been able to get the money together so that you could see the orchestra live] and with the scene of the Marquis and the Actress That Plays The Servant Maid, who sometimes gets people into the habit of speaking in verse,
using a trick that is rather perverse,
while outside the weather is adverse
and there’s nothing left, not even the universe.
What was I saying to you? Wait a minute, how long have I been writing this text? How many days have I been at my mum’s house? Is there anything left outside? Are you still here? That noise, was it the pressure cooker? Or is it you while you’re reading this text?
I hope it was and you come to see Grandissima Illusione.”
Born in Madrid, Cris Blanco lives in Barcelona. He has been writing his own scenic creations since 2003 and he works as a performer of dance, theatre and cinema. He has worked on the stage with Cuqui and María Jerez, Amaia Urra, Juan Domínguez and Xavier Leroy, and in the cinema with Roser Aguilar and Icíar Bollaín, among others. He supports artistic projects, teaches at the Institut de Teatre and takes part in educational projects. Among his works for stage are cUADRADO_fLECHA_pERSONA qUE cORRE (2004), ciencia_ficción (2010), El Agitador Vórtex (2014), Bad Translation (2016) and Pelucas en la Niebla (2018). In 2019, he created Lo mínimo y lo pequeño with Jorge Dutor and Guillem Mont de Palol. His creations have been seen on stages and in festivals across Europe, America and Asia.
Aco-production of the Barcelona Grec 2022 Festival, Cris Blanco and Conde Duque Madrid.
With the support of ICUB’s “Premis Barcelona 2020” grant from Barcelona Institute of Culture, Festival TNT and Graner, creation centre.
Directed by: Cris Blanco Performed by: Cris Blanco, Óscar Bueno Artistic support: Anto Rodríguez, Óscar Bueno Dramaturgy: Cris Blanco, Rocío Bello, Anto Rodríguez, Óscar Bueno Advice: Roberto Fratini Lighting design: Montse Piñeiro, Cristina Bolivar Sound design: Carlos Parra Costumes assistant: Oriol Corral Machinery: Josep Badia, Jordi Albors Production: Ariadna Miquel Production assistance: Andrea Balaguer Sponsor: Fruits Secs Rius
