Sagunt a Escena closes its Roman Theatre programme with Estrella Morente
The Sagunt a Escena festival ends its Roman Theatre programme in Sagunto on Saturday, 22 August, with a concert by flamenco singer Estrella Morente, ahead of two circus shows in the Off Romà series.
The Roman Theatre of Sagunto (an ancient venue used for concerts and plays) closes the theatre programme of the Sagunt a Escena festival this weekend. The festival is run by the regional Conselleria de Educación, Cultura y Universidades (the Valencian department for education and culture) through the Institut Valencià de Cultura (IVC), with support from the Diputación de Valencia (the Valencia provincial council) and Sagunto City Council.
The closing event is on Saturday, 22 August at 10.30 pm, when singer Estrella Morente, from Granada, takes the stage. She will perform a selection of her best-known songs, including the main theme from the film 'Volver' by director Pedro Almodóvar — a moment audiences usually wait for at her concerts.
Before the concert, the festival's 'Off Romà' section brings two circus shows for all ages to different venues around the city. The first is on Friday, 21 August, at Casa dels Berenguer (a historic house used as a cultural venue), where the Valencian company El Cruce, formed by Rubén Río and Nicoletta Battaglia, presents 'Kossha'. The show mixes absurd humour, live music and skilled circus technique as a tribute to old-style travelling variety shows, a genre built on direct contact between performers and the audience.
The section's name says it all: 'Off Romà' brings together the festival's smaller-scale shows, staged in squares and open spaces such as Casa dels Berenguer or la Glorieta, in contrast with the large Roman Theatre stage kept for ticketed concerts and bigger productions. This format lets the festival reach audiences who do not always buy tickets for the main venue, bringing circus and performing arts closer to everyday spaces around the city.
The second circus show is also on Saturday, 22 August, at la Glorieta (a central square in Sagunto), with 'Juga' by the company La Trócola Circ. Inspired by toys and forms of entertainment from before the 1990s, the show invites audiences to remember games, traditions and customs that are part of shared cultural heritage. It also makes the case for reclaiming the street as a place where children can play and socialise, at a time when much of children's leisure has moved to screens and indoor spaces. La Trócola Circ, founded in 2013, has won recognition for pieces such as 'Potted' and 'Ludwigshafen'.
With this closing weekend, Sagunt a Escena wraps up several weeks of programming at the Roman Theatre, a venue that combines classical theatre, music and circus arts every summer thanks to its monumental setting. The event follows other recent shows at the same venue, including a staging of the Greek myth of Phaedra starring Lydia Bosch and Julio Peña, also part of this summer's line-up. The Roman Theatre also regularly hosts other cultural events in the city, such as the classical theatre festival Ludi Saguntini in spring, making it one of the busiest cultural venues in the whole Camp de Morvedre district throughout the year.
For residents of Sagunto and Puerto de Sagunto (the coastal district), the weekend offers three cultural options close to home: two circus shows with free or low-cost access at venues such as Casa dels Berenguer and la Glorieta, and a ticketed concert at the Roman Theatre itself that closes the summer season in style. Pairing a nationally known name like Estrella Morente with contemporary circus from Valencian companies shows the festival's aim to programme both big names and emerging local talent.
The festival, coordinated by the IVC with backing from the Diputación de Valencia and Sagunto City Council, has run a varied summer programme mixing classics and premieres, using the Roman Theatre as its main stage while also using other venues around the city, such as Casa dels Berenguer or la Glorieta, for more informal or family-friendly shows. Tickets for the Estrella Morente concert and details on times and access for the circus shows are available through the festival's usual sales and information channels.
According to elperiodic.com.