This year we are lucky to be able to add the support of an experienced Advisory Board to the festival. This provides direction as we look to the future for FeSTeLon, and includes highly accomplished professionals from the arts and entertainment industry such as Mary Parker, Norah López Holden, Juan Carlos Rubio and Pepe Viyuela . We are very grateful to have their support.
Mary Parker
Mary Parker has been a publicist at the National Theatre for over 16 years, the many productions she worked on…
…include Anything Goes, South Pacific, War Horse, Othello, King Lear, The History Boys, Frankenstein, Twelfth Night, Pinocchio and Network.
Mary was involved in launching NT Live in 2009 with Phèdre, NT Live and was the publicist for these live for seven years.
I am a huge fan of FeSTeLõn and am delighted to be a part of the Spanish Theatre Festival this year
Norah López Holden
Norah López Holden Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. (RADA) Theatre credits include: The Winter’s Tale/Eyam (Shakespeare’s Globe),…
… The Almighty Sometimes, Our Town (The Royal Exchange), Othello (The Tobacco Factory), Ghosts (HOME, Manchester) and Epic Love and Pop Songs (Pleasance Dome).
Radio credits include: Assata Shakur-FBI’s Most Wanted Woman (BBC Radio 4), A Charles Paris Mystery – The Cinderella Killer (BBC Radio 4)
Juan Carlos Rubio – Actor, Director and Writer – FeSTeLõn 2015 and 2016
Juan Carlos Rubio is an actor, television scriptwriter, film scriptwriter and playwright, born in Córdoba, Spain. Since his first text, Esta noche no estoy para nadie, was premiered in 1997, he has premiered and directed over sixteen works including Las heridas del viento, Humo, Arizona, Tres and 100m2, to name a few.
He also has directed works by other authors including El pez gordo by Roger Rueff; Razas and Muñeca de porcelana, both by David Mamet. He has directed and written shows for various awards including the Young Artists Awards in the Community of Madrid and the Buero Theatre Awards. Amongst other awards, he has won the Hermanos Machado de Sevilla 2000 for Las heridas del viento, Mention of Lope de Vega Award 2006 for Arizona and Lope de Vega Award for Shakespeare nunca estuvo aquí. He was nominated for the 2009 Goya Film Award for Best Original Script for Retorno a Hansala and his film Bon appétit won the Silver Biznaga for Best Screenplay at the 2010 Málaga Spanish Film Festival. In 2010, he won the H.O.L.A in New York as best director and in 2011.
Biography and CV in English here
Biografia y CV en español aqui
Pepe Viyuela – Actor, Performed at FeSTeLõn 2017
Pepe Viyuela, Logroño, 1963.
Graduate in Philosophy and Dramatic Art, Pepe began to work as an actor in 1990.
He has starred in films such as, Tierra (Earth) by Julio Medem, ‘El milagro de P. Tinto’ (The Miracle of P. Tinto) and ‘La gran Aventura de Mortadelo y Filemón’ (Mortadelo & Filemon: The Big Adventure) by Javier Fesser and ‘Dí que sí’ (Say Yes) by Juan Calvo.
Viyuela has featured in various television series, for example, ‘Aída´, ‘Olmos y Robles’ and ‘Matadero’ (the latter yet to be released).
As a theatre actor he has been in more than thirty shows, from which the following stand out ‘Marmol’, ‘El Baile’, ‘El pisito’, ‘Las visitas deberían estar prohibidas por el Código Penal’,
‘Armengol’, ‘Rómulo el Grande’, ‘La Tempestad’ (The Tempest), ‘Sonámbulo’, ‘El Alcalde de
Zalamea’, ‘La visita de la vieja dama’, ‘La fundación’, ‘Fausto’ (Faust), ‘Noche XII’ (Twelfth
Night), and ‘El retablo de la avaricia, la jururia y la muerte’.
In 2016 he won the Max Award for best actor for his work in ‘Rinoceronte’ by E.Lonesco.
Biography and CV in English here
Biografia y CV en español aqui
Ascen López – Actress, Performed at FeSTeLõn 2018
Graduate of Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático de Madrid (RESAD) under William Layton. 1984
THEATRE
2019/2020.- “Billy Elliot. El Musical”. Director David Serrano. Teatro Nuevo Alcalá
2018.- “Luces de bohemia” by Valle Inclán. Director Alfredo Sanzol. CDN. María Guerrero.
2017.-“Mármol” by Marina Carr, directed by Antonio Castro
2016.- “Los dramáticos orígenes de las galaxias espirales” by Denise Despeyroux. Sala Princesa. CDN.
2015.- “Cuando deje de llover” by Andrew Bovell, directed by Julián Fuentes Reta. Naves del Matadero. Teatro Español.
2013/14.- “De buena familia” by Natalia Hernández. Off Teatro Lara. Sala Triángulo
2011.- “Los sueños de mi prima Aurelia” by Federico García Lorca. Teatro de la Abadía. Director Miguel Cubero.
2008.- “Presas” by V. Fernández and I. del Moral. CDN. Ernesto Caballero
2006/07.- “Cuerpo de mayor” (Nada es casual y 3). Alberto Jiménez
2003.- “Tierra de por medio” Teatro del Cruce. E. Caballero
1999/2000.- “Maria Sarmiento” Teatro del Cruce. E. Caballero
1995/2019.- “Me siento pulga”, Jardiel, Mihura. Las Pulgas teatro
1996/1997.- “Mirandolina, la posadera”, Goldoni. E. Caballero
1987.- “El amor enamorado” by Lope de Vega. Producciones Marginales
1986.- “El cuervo graznador grita venganza”. Producciones Marginales
1985.- “Rosaura, el sueño es vida, mileidi”. Producciones Marginales
CINEMA & TELEVISION
“Servir y proteger”
“Nadsrovia”
“Caronte”
“Velvet”
“Centro médico”
“Acacias 38”
“Cuéntame” TVE 1
“Aguila roja” Tele 5
“La que se avecina” Tele 5, FDF
“Sin tetas no hay Paraíso” Tele 5 Jose Luis Berlanga
“Amar en tiempos revueltos” TVE1 Asier Aizpuru, Diego Lesmes,
“Mujeres invisibles” TV movie TVE1 Sergio Cabrera
“Al filo de la ley” TVE 1
“El Comisario” A 3
Biography and CV in English here
Biografia y CV en español aqui
Ignacio García – Director of the Festival Internacional de teatro clásico de Almagro Participated at FesTeLõn 2016-2018-2021
Ignacio García is a graduate in stage direction from Madrid’s Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático and has won the Spanish Association of Stage Directors’ prizes for best director and best young director, as well as the first Stage Production Design competition organized by the Teatro Real in Madrid. He is Director of the Almagro International Classic Theatre Festival and has been the Artistic Direction Adviser to the Teatro Español de Madrid. He is also Programme Director for the Festival Dramafest de México, which focusses on contemporary drama.
From the start of his career he has worked to spread awareness and knowledge of Spanish Golden Age theatre, creating stage productions and giving seminars on the subject throughout the world. He has directed Los empeños del mentir by Hurtado de Mendoza y Quevedo, Los empeños de una casa by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Flor de otoño by Rodríguez Méndez in the Teatro María Guerrero, En el oscuro corazón del bosque by José Luis Alonso de Santos in the Teatro Lope de Vega in Sevilla, En la roca by Ernesto Caballero in thel Teatro Español in Madrid, Las Meninas by Ernesto Anaya in the Dramafest festival in Mexico City, Los habitantes de la casa deshabitada by Enrique Jardiel Poncela, Arizona by Juan Carlos Rubio, in the Teatro Helénico in Mexico City, and the Sala de la Princesa at the Teatro María Guerrero in Madrid, and in Festivals in Miami, Buenos Aires and Córdoba in Argentina and Jalapa, La sangre de Antígona by José Bergamín with the Compañía Nacional de México, the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Guanajuato and the Teatro María Guerrero, El Greco y la legión tebana by Alberto Herreros, Enrique VIII, La cisma de Inglaterra by Calderón de la Barca with the Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico, El secuestro de la Cuquis by Darío Fo at the Teatro Helénico in Mexico City and De algún tiempo a esta parte by Max Aub, at the Teatro Español in Madrid, Kijote Kathakali with the Margi Theatre Company in Trivandrum (India), La hija del aire by Calderón de la Barca with the Compañía Nacional de Teatro in México and the Teatro Julio Jiménez Rueda, Historia del cerco de Lisboa by José Saramago in the Almada Theatre Festival (Portugal), Veinticuatro horas de la vida de una mujer by Stefan Zweig at the Teatro de la Abadía in Madrid, Hijas del aire bye Calderón de la Barca and Juliusz Slowacki at the Jan Kochanowski Theatre in Opole (Poland),. Fuenteovejuna o el valor de las mujeres by Lope de Vega in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and Reinar después de morir by Luis Vélez de Guevara at the Teatro Joaquím Benite in Almada (Portugal) and the Teatro de la Comedia in Madrid in a co-production between the Portuguese Companhia de Teatro de Almada and the Spanish Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico. He has participated in the MESS International Festival in Sarajevo with the show La armonía de las esferas and in the Scandicci Festival with La cuadratura del círculo by V.P. Kataiev.
With regard to opera, he has directed more than 30 works from the international repertoire, including works by Monteverdi, Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Paisiello, Massenet, Gounod, Stravinski, Donizetti, Mendelssohn and Schumann), as well as five world premières, also evidencing a special sensitivity for zarzuela and the Spanish repertoire across the ages, including works by Mateo Flecha, Juan del Encina, Ramón Carnicer, Francisco Asenjo Barbieri, Joaquín Gaztambide, José María Usandizaga, Pablo Sorozábal, Jacinto Guerrero, Joaquín Nin-Culmel, Luis de Pablo, J. Rueda, A. Rodríguez de Hita, Emilio Arrieta, Soutullo y Vert, Vicente Martín y Soler and Manuel García.
Likewise he has directed various educational productions relating to opera in a number of European countries, around works by Bach, Pergolesi, Mozart, Donizetti, Britten, Krasa and Vasco Negreiros. He also frequently collaborates with the European Opera Centre on operatic projects with European youth. He has directed production in the Teatro Real, Teatro de la Zarzuela, Teatro Español, Teatro Albéniz and Teatro María Guerrero in Madrid, Teatro Arriaga and Teatro Euskalduna in Bilbao, Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, Teatro Principal in Mahón, Teatro Pergolesi in Jesi, the Ópera in Lausanne, Teatro García Barbón and the Teatro Auditorio in Vigo, Teatro Jovellanos in Gijón, Teatro Colón in A Coruña, the Auditorio ciudad de León and in the Festival of Galicia, the Mozart Festival of A Coruña, the Almagro, Niebla, Scandicci, Perelada and Aranjuez festivals, the London Flamenco Festival, the Guanajuato Festival, the Venice Biennale, St. George’s Hall and Liverpool Hall in Liverpool, the Bremen Schauspielhaus, the Gdansk Opera Baltycka, Utrecht, the San Sebastián Kursaal, the Teatro Principal in Mallorca, theTeatro Verdi in Trieste, at the Teatro Herodes Ático, the MUAC in Mexico City, the Athens Opera, the Teatr Wielky in Poznan and the Teatro Alexandrinski in St Petersburg, representing a substantial international projection of his work.
He has made audio recordings with the most prestigious directors in Spain and Mexico. He combines his work as a stage director with teaching, giving courses, seminars and master degree programmes in a number of countries (Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, India, Poland, Mexico and Colombia). He has been a teacher at the Valladolid School of Dramatic Art, the Accademia della Belle Arti Santa Giulia in Brescia (Italy) and at the Bande a Part school of film in Barcelona.
Biography and CV in English here
Biografia y CV en español aqui
Natalia Calderón – Actress, Performed at FeSTeLõn 2019
Natalia was trained in the Michael Chekhov performance technique (Graham Dixon, Michael Chekhov Studio London; Lenard Petite, Michael Chekhov Europe), which she applies to teaching singing. She has obtained the following degrees from the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares: Specialist Degree in Voice Pathology; Specialist Degree in the Rehabilitation and Enhancement of the Professional Speaking and Singing Voice; Master’s Degree in Voice Pathology and the Professional Voice. She is also a graduate in Marketing and Public Relations from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
She has trained as a specialist in vocal jazz singing at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (Netherlands) and at the Musikene (Higher School of Music of the Basque Country), where she was awarded the Higher Degree in Vocal Jazz. Her mentors include Deborah Carter (jazz, scat vocal), Nancy Marano (jazz, scat vocal), Deborah Brown and Judy Niemack (jazz, voice techinque and scat), Sheilah Cuffy (gospel, soul, funk) and Helen Rowson (voice training).
Trained in the Estill Voice Training System – Voice Craft together with Anne Marie Speed, Helen Rowson and Paul Farrington.
Trained in the Brilla & Paglin technique together with Raquel Andueza.
Professional training in Eurythmics together with Raphaela Fritzsch, Olga de Jenaro and Leonor Montes.
Vocal Coach to Melani García, the Spanish representative at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020.
Voice and Movement Trainer for the RTVE reality show Operación Triunfo 2020.
As a leader she develops personal projects as a singer, composer and song writer in original recording productions, including Natalia Calderón Quartet and GrooveBox. She has performed at numerous festivals, notably the Bangkok and Koh Samui International Jazz Festival; Jazzaldia (the San Sebastián International Jazz Festival); The Rotterdam International Jazz Festival; the North Sea Jazz Festival; and
Jazzahead! Bremen.
As an actress, singer, composer, producer and creator she has participated in the staging and production of musicals including La Calderona (Almagro International Classic Theatre Festival), 27 Espectáculo Poético Musical – Women Poets of the Generation of ’27 (Ciclo de Mujeres – Teatro Alfil), Nano Cabaret (International Festival of Comedy Theatre, Maia), Anónimas (“Microtheatre for Money”, Madrid).
As a teacher she has worked as Director of the Master’s in Musical Theatre at the Escuela Universitaria de Artes TAI; as Director of the Broadway Sound Choir at the Escuela Coral de Madrid; as head of the Department of Contemporary Voice at the Escuela Municipal de Música y Danza de Alcobendas, Lecturer in Vocal Technical and Coaching on the Master’s in Musical Theater (TAI), Lecturer in Technique and Interpretation for parts 1 and 2 of the Degree in Fine Arts (TAI), Lecturer in Body Technique for Singers in the Higher Degree in Jazz at the Escuela de Música Creativa, Lecturer in Gospel Choir at the Escuela Municipal de Música y Danza de Alcobendas.
Biography and CV in English here
Biografia y CV en español aqui
Jorge Padín – Actor, Director & Theatre Trainer— Performed at FesTeLõn 2023
Jorge Padín completed advanced theatre studies at the Teatro de La Abadía. He embarked on his personal explorations in 1994 with his own theatre company, Ultramarinos de Lucas, creating his own plays for adults and young audiences.
. The company was awarded the Castilla La Mancha Medal of Cultural Merit in 2022 and the National Price for Performing Arts for Children and Young Adults in 2015.
He has written and directed more than twenty plays, which have been performed in Spain and abroad, receiving a number of prizes.
As a multi-faceted artist, his work in the theatre encompasses a wide artistic panorama, with plays for children, dance compositions, caberet shows and also classical works, notably those of Shakespeare, Beckett, Lorca, Golden Age plays, among others.
Currently, he also gives lectures and talks on the international circuit on writing for the stage, interpretation and direction.
Es-
Actor, Director y Formador
Recibió su formación teatral avanzada en el Teatro de La Abadía. Inició una investigación personal en 1994 con su propia Compañía de teatro, Ultramarinos de Lucas, elaborando obras de creación propia para público infantil y adulto. Esta Compañía recibió la Medalla al Mérito Cultural de Castilla La Mancha 2022; y el Premio Nacional de Artes Escénicas para la Infancia y la Juventud, 2015.
Ha escrito y dirigido más de una veintena de obras de teatro, que se han representado internacionalmente y han recibido diversos premios.
Como artista polifacético, su trabajo teatral abarca un gran panorama artístico con obras para la infancia, piezas de danza, espectáculos de cabaret, y también textos clásicos, entre los que destacan Shakespeare, Beckett, Lorca y el Siglo de Oro español, entre otros.
Actualmente, también imparte conferencias y charlas de ámbito internacional sobre escritura dramática, interpretación y dirección.