Captivating and clever, musical Copla: A Spanish Cabaret comes to The Other Palace in January 2025.
Copla is for anyone that feels in between. It’s existed in between political factions, it expressed passions in between lovers, it’s been written in between countries… and now I am placing it in between cultures, in between you and me.
Offering an international renaissance of Spanish Copla folk music, the critically acclaimed HisPanic Breakdown will bring their mesmerising Copla: A Spanish Cabaret to The Other Palace. This incredible production sees the first English translation of Copla music performed in the UK, as queer migrant performer Alejandro Postigo brings the wow-factor through his rebirth into his fabulous alter ego, La Gitana. Once repressed under the Spanish dictatorship, Copla music was transformed by Spanish drag artists in the 1980s, and is given new life in Alejandro’s interactive solo performance. Drawing upon his personal experiences, this electrifying performance of English Copla will enthral audiences from across the globe.
Accompanied by vibrant live music and brimming with comedy, the show will refresh Copla music to create an inclusive, comprehensive and accessible space for audiences of all backgrounds. The translated Copla music will channel queer and migrant experiences, hitting all the right notes for those who love to laugh and cry to divas and their melodramatic music. Alejandro Postigo’s dynamic cabaret subtly explores current issues of cultural and sexual identity in an entertaining way: being in-between genders, living in-between countries, and belonging to none for survival in a globalized society. This provocative production goes far beyond the Spanish twentieth-century zeitgeist of Copla to offer audiences an evening filled with laughter and music.
Copla: A Spanish Cabaret has previously existed as both a musical and a solo production. In 2023, HisPanic Breakdown redeveloped the show as a cabaret and showcased it at four UK theatre festivals that champion LGBTQ+, Spanish theatre, new work and European theatre. In May 2024, Copla: A Spanish Cabaret received the Intercultural Dialogue Award at the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival.
Producer Scott Folan adds, I was absolutely captivated when I first saw this show in 2023. It’s a stunning celebration of queer culture and a heartfelt exploration of what it means to feel like an outsider. This is storytelling at its finest - raw, beautiful, and utterly transformative.
Cast & Creatives
Writer & Performer: Alejandro Postigo
Director: Sergio Maggiolo
Violin: Violeta Valladares
Piano: Jack Elsdon
Designer: Ricardo Ferreira
Producer: Scott Folan
Listings
Copla: A Spanish Cabaret: 14th -26th January (not Monday 20th)
The Other Palace, 12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA
Tickets available: https://theotherpalace.co.uk/copla-a-spanish cabaret/