La vida es sueño (Life is a Dream) at Teatro Arriaga

“If the condition of a classic is its permanent topicality, there is no classic in our theatre that is more so than "Life is a Dream". Calderón found the exact way to express a universal experience: that of someone looking around, asks whether he is living or dreaming - or if he is made to dream. Neither is there another character in our theatre in which we discover the fragile beauty of human beings as can be seen in Segismundo, "a man of beasts and a beast of mankind". No other play in our language has matched the tension that passes through each verse of this tragic comedy. For these reasons, "Life is a Dream" is today and always has been one of the best plays that can be offered on a stage”.

These are the words of Juan Mayorga, author of the stage version offered by the National Classical Theatre Company, under the direction of Helena Pimenta and starring the extraordinary Blanca Portillo in the role of Segismundo.