CASA, London’s largest celebration of Latin American arts, is proud to announce the programme of its 2019 Festival. This will be the 10th incarnation of the event which will manifest in a two-week festival from 16th - 27th of July, situated in Dalston.
Opening its arms to welcome a wide array of exciting international artists from countries including Mexico, The Dominican Republic, and Brazil, as well UK-based Latin American creatives, CASA festival 2019 presents a diverse programme of performances, screenings and workshops embracing cross-cultural themes steeped in heartfelt history, and tacking topical subjects such as immigration and gender identity and the breaking down of language barriers.
The programme will see fearless creatives bring everything from the bold and unapologetic to the gentle and powerful to the London stage. Alongside the rich arts on show, there will also be Q&As with film directors, a ‘CASA creates’ session, a pop-up bar at Rio Cinema, coming together to give audiences a taste of the passion and vibrancy of Latin America.
This year´s programme will be the first under the creative leadership of Artistic Director Cordelia Grierson, expanding CASA’s focus from theatre to multi-disciplinary arts, branching out to include art, film, dance and music.
Speaking ahead of the festival, Cordelia said, “Each strand of our programming contains some amazing shows, they come from different places and tackle different themes, tell different stories. There’s an interesting mix of experimental and more traditional work which goes along with a slightly cheesy quote: we have something for everyone. And it’s true!”
Spanning across three East London partner venues – The Arcola, The Rio Cinema and Dalton East Curve Garden – will allow CASA the space to maximise its creative potential as it shifts from solely a theatre festival to a multi-disciplinary arts experience. With performances ranging from dance from Argentina, theatre from Mexico, puppetry from Chile and film from Venezuela, CASA aims to cater for all tastes as the festival warmly welcomes audiences of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds.
Cordelia herself holds an incredibly strong passion for creating a space for Latin American artists in the UK capital, with her personal connection to Latin American culture held close to her heart, having lived in Mexico City for a number of her formative years. She continues “Guests are encouraged to ‘spend the night with us’ - see a show but also eat some Latin food; chance upon some live music; enjoy some mezcal at our mezcal bar and also to meet the artists - because they’ll all be there hanging out after the show. Audiences are invited to join our community for the evening, for the weekend, or for a whole two weeks with the opportunity experience a fantastic slice of what the Latin American arts scene has to offer.”
THE ONLY THING A GREAT ACTRESS NEEDS, IS A GREAT WORK AND THE WILL TO SUCCEED
By VACA 35 (Coming from México) – THEATRE (site specific, only 15 tickets per show)
A sharp, revelatory piece that shines a piercing light on marginalisation and those who live in poverty with no hope of escaping their circumstances.
July 18, 19, 20 & 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 at 9.30pm, Arcola Dressing Room
** (SITE SPECIFIC ONLY 15 TICKETS PER SHOW) **
LADYLIKE
by Ella Mesma Company (Dominican Republic, Argentina, global) - DANCE
A superheroine’s journey; taking a fierce, frank and funny look at the potential and limitations of gender roles. *This work contains some disturbing scenes of a sexual nature.
July 16, 18, 19 at 7.30pm & 20 at 7pm, Arcola Studio 1
BUTCH PRINCESA
By Andrea Spisto (Venezuela-UK) - THEATRE
Character comedy, dance and Latin beats guide you deep into a surreal, queer, immigrant wonderland. An unflinchingly emotional art explosion provides insights into gender boundaries, politics and human magic.
July 19 at 8.30pm, Arcola Studio 2
UNFAMILIAR
by Victor Esses and Yorgos Petrou (Brazil-UK) - THEATRE
A frank autobiographical performance exploring received and created narratives, legacy and being queer today.
July 16, 17, 18 & 19 at 7pm, Arcola Studio 2
TROPICALIA ISLAND
By Fernanda Mandagara & directed Ramiro Silveira. Tropical company - THEATRE
The world is ending and only three safe places remain. One of them is Tropicalia Island. The audience are refugees seeking asylum on the island and it won’t be easy for the ‘exotic white’ as they try to settle in. This dystopian exploration mirrors current realities of immigration, sexism, xenophobia, bigotry and homophobia; all intertwined with dance, music and laughter.
July 20 & 27 at 8.30pm, Arcola Studio 2
Family Friendly Shows:
(tickets from https://www.arcolatheatre.com/casafestival/)
SOMETHING ABOUT A SHAKESPEARE
By Los Tristes Tigres - THEATRE
From award-winning Mexican company, an exciting reimagining of three of Shakespeare's classics all in 75 minutes! A lively, entertaining show that will be enjoyed by all ages, expect food, water, fire and fun!
July 24, 25 at 7.30pm & 27 at 3pm, Arcola Studio 1
CHIFLON
by Silencio Blanco - SILENT THEATRE
A shaft collapses. A young coal miner is thrown out of work. His only chance to keep working for the company is to head to the region of Chiflón del Diablo, notorious for having one of the world’s most dangerous mines.
July 23, 24, 25 & 26 at 7.30pm, Arcola Studio 2
Film highlights include:
(tickets from: https://riocinema.org.uk/RioCinema.dll/WhatsOn)
SIBLINGS, dir Laura Plancarte (México-UK, 2017): 80mins
A tale about immigration told from two perspectives that are more similar than they are different.
Followed with Q&A by Director Laura Plancarte
Thursday 18th July at 6:30pm
COCOTE dir Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias (Dominican Republic, 2017): 1h 47m
An Evangelical Christian man returns to his hometown to attend the funeral service of his father, who was killed by a policeman. Expected to participate in religious rites that clash with his beliefs, he finds himself pressured to take revenge on the murderer.
Wednesday 17th July at 6:30pm
A FANTASTIC WOMAN, dir Sebastián Lelio (Chile, 2017): 1h 44m
Marina Vidal, a transgender singer and waitress, comes under suspicion for the murder of her older boyfriend, Orlando when she brings him one night to the hospital, dying. She encounters transphobia both from the police and Orlando’s family, both of whom intrude upon her privacy. Fearlessly shocking, a fantastic real gem.
Saturday 20th July at 6:30pm
THE HEADLESS WOMAN, dir Lucrecia Martel (Argentina, 2008): 1h 27m
Guilty of a hit and run, Veronica becomes intoxicated with anxiety. A startling film about neurosis and doubt.
Thursday 25th July at 6:30pm
Theatre tickets available from here: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/casafestival/
Cinema tickets available from here: https://riocinema.org.uk/RioCinema.dll/WhatsOn
Festival website: http://casafestival.org.uk/
