May 18, 2006
Written and directed by, as well as starring, Patrissia Cuberos, Malena tells of the troubled life of a waitress in a Buenos Aires bar. She is bitter at the length of time she has wasted in her life waiting in vain for the return of the man, Rodrigo, to whom she lost her heart and virginity twenty years before. Her story is played out against the smoky atmosphere of a seedy bar where couples lose themselves in the rhythms of the tango, young men pluck up the courage to ask the girl of their dreams to dance and Don Mario keeps a fatherly eye on the proceedings from behind the bar.
Musically the performance was splendid with the Mazaika Duo of Sarah Harrison on violin and Igor Outkine on bandoneon (it’s like an accordion, but German and synonymous with Tango. I had to look it up!) in role as the house band. Igor’s splendid bel canto tenor also provided a fine contrast to the beautiful singing of Patrissia in eight shared songs of love, madness, loss and regret.
Two couples prowled and sleazed across the floor; lost in the hypnotic music and giving vertical expression to their horizontal intentions! At the bar a hopeful young lady and a pair of young men: one drinking himself into a stupor and the other trying to pluck up the courage to ask the young lady to dance. This provided a nicely judged element of comedy as, when he finally got the young lady on the floor he proved as inept on his feet as he had on the chat!
Where the piece faltered somewhat was in the linking material between songs and dance. The majority of this was delivered by Ms. Cuberos in monologue and consequently the pace was a little uneven – dialogue would have involved the rest of the cast more and helped the piece as a whole to flow more evenly.
Accompanying the show was the most complete set of programme notes I have ever come across: in depth biographies of the participants; personal notes and explanation for the piece itself and translations of all the songs from Spanish to English – extremely useful.
The piece was well suited to the intimacy of the Pegasus Theatre, whose Fair Trade refreshment policy is to be praised and was thoroughly enjoyed!
Musically the performance was splendid with the Mazaika Duo of Sarah Harrison on violin and Igor Outkine on bandoneon (it’s like an accordion, but German and synonymous with Tango. I had to look it up!) in role as the house band. Igor’s splendid bel canto tenor also provided a fine contrast to the beautiful singing of Patrissia in eight shared songs of love, madness, loss and regret.
Two couples prowled and sleazed across the floor; lost in the hypnotic music and giving vertical expression to their horizontal intentions! At the bar a hopeful young lady and a pair of young men: one drinking himself into a stupor and the other trying to pluck up the courage to ask the young lady to dance. This provided a nicely judged element of comedy as, when he finally got the young lady on the floor he proved as inept on his feet as he had on the chat!
Where the piece faltered somewhat was in the linking material between songs and dance. The majority of this was delivered by Ms. Cuberos in monologue and consequently the pace was a little uneven – dialogue would have involved the rest of the cast more and helped the piece as a whole to flow more evenly.
Accompanying the show was the most complete set of programme notes I have ever come across: in depth biographies of the participants; personal notes and explanation for the piece itself and translations of all the songs from Spanish to English – extremely useful.
The piece was well suited to the intimacy of the Pegasus Theatre, whose Fair Trade refreshment policy is to be praised and was thoroughly enjoyed!