Hors Lits: a theatrical pilgrimage for the love of art

8:40 PM on a typical Saturday. Twenty-five people gather with Pilar Pàmpols, who carries a sign with a bed drawn on it and the words "Hors Lits". They are in the city center of Lleida, but the atmosphere breathes clandestinity. Before starting, Pilar reveals the mystery: "we will see an itinerary of four artistic shows taking place in four apartments in the city" and she calls out names.

At nine o'clock sharp, the pilgrimage through the streets of the Balàfia neighborhood begins. First stop: Sílvia's house, an apartment located on the fifth floor of an old building on Pi i Margall street. Some opt for the elevator, but most walk up. Once inside the dwelling, the audience distributes themselves, as best they can, among the chairs, sofas, and cushions in the living room, rather narrow for so many people, but with an undeniable warmth. In this homely atmosphere, the show "In-fidelitats" by Quarta Paret begins, a young company that emerged from the Aula de Teatre de Lleida. The audience exchanges initial amused and surprised glances before focusing their attention on the vaudeville.

Four artistic acts, four apartments, and a moving audience. This is the basis of the international Hors Lits network, which originated in Montpellier. Barcelona was a pioneer in implementing this type of itinerant artistic show in Catalonia more than 7 years ago, and other Catalan cities have been added, such as Mollet del Vallés, Vilafranca, Vila-Seca, Lleida, and Vilassar de Mar, which premiered this year. In Lleida, the organizers are Pilar, Àngel, and Nico. The three came into contact with Hors Lits through Elodie, one of the promoters of the Barcelona association Colectivo suelto, which began organizing domestic shows in 2010.

Hors Lits takes to the streets in good weather, in spring and autumn. In Lleida, they do a double tour: two days with two routes per night and a maximum of 200 people in the audience. "This is the fourth edition we've done, and we are overwhelmed by the acceptance it's having," explains Àngel, who, this time, also lends his dining room to host the show "Hay demasiadas flores" by Fholia Teatre.

Eréndira and Paola are part of this Barcelona-based experimental theater company. "For us, it's a very rewarding experience because it allows us to open up to other types of spaces, outside the traditional venues where we have always worked, and we also work with other tools, such as improvisation and direct contact with the public, which offer a lot of play and would not be possible in a theater," adds Paola. For them, it has also been a way to make new friends in the artistic world, as the actresses live with the hosts for a few days, while also opting for alternative formats that enrich their professional background.

On the other hand, the format also works. "We have voluntarily opened the doors of our house and we have the artists sleeping on the sofa at home, which is their bed these days and which, at the same time, is part of the improvised stage," explains Àngel.

The walk from one home to the next is also part of the performance: attendees share sensations and points of view, while the anticipation goes in crescendo, moving in a moment from one format and one story, to a very different one. The third stage of the journey is located a ten-minute walk from Àngel and Nico's apartment. Upon entering, a girl invites attendees to a vermouth. The play is already underway, but the audience doesn't know it yet. After a few minutes, the two protagonists of "Va ser llavors quan t'ho vaig dir" (It was then that I told you), from the Lleida-based company Vermut Teatre, begin to recall their friendship through time while the audience discovers an unexpected secret...

After the drama, the urban pilgrimage ends at Olaf's house. It is a ground floor apartment in one of the old alleys of the neighborhood, with a large dining room that allows the dancers of the Barcelona-based company "Tan lluny" to stage Gemma Almagro's text and the choreography of "Tot està bé" (Everything is fine). The director, Artur Villalba, acknowledges "that it is an intense exercise for both the performers and the audience, and that the proximity establishes a stronger relationship."

Once the shows, of very varied genres, are over, the four groups meet in a neighborhood bar to share the experience and talk with the artists. The atmosphere is friendly, we could even say familiar. People introduce themselves, exchange phone numbers, and convey feelings. Everyone can share what they have experienced. "Going to see theater in people's homes is tempting: you enter their dining room or living room, you sit on the floor or on a chair, if you're lucky, and for less than half an hour you delve into a performance about which you know nothing. Minimal props and scarce scenography. So it's the actors and actresses who risk everything. Not all works affect you the same way or you like them in the same way. But the proposal as a whole is worth it," summarizes Judit, one of the participants, about her experience.

Rethinking the artistic form

The expression "Hors Lits" continues the concept of a dance solo on a bed staged by Leonardo Montecchia, founder and fundamental piece of this collective of artists. "It is a kind of franchise where all organizers do it for the love of art, without charging anything, and the same rules must be followed everywhere," assures Pilar Pàmpols. "It started small and over the years it has grown bigger than we expected. Since we do it in Lleida, there have always been people on the waiting list," she adds. In "Hors Lits" all performing arts (theater, dance, music, staged plastic and visual arts, poetry, etc.) are welcome. Local artists are prioritized and there are always guests from outside the province. The owners of the spaces, called hosts, offer their home for free, the organizers work voluntarily, and the artists participate without remuneration. However, the hat is passed among the audience, and the money is distributed equally among the artists.