Teatre Lliure celebrates its 50th anniversary. Half a century after 2 December 1976, when a collective of young, independent theatremakers inaugurated the Gràcia hall, the project has grown into an essential, indispensable pillar of the performing arts in our country.
At the helm of this landmark milestone, working within the leadership team headed by Julio Manrique, is Francesc Casadesús, deputy artistic director and head of programming. He outlines the vision behind the anniversary programme: from revisiting in-house classics like Júlia to a flagship exhibition at Palau Robert, alongside major artistic partnerships with the Liceu and the Palau de la Música Catalana.
— We are celebrating fifty years of the Lliure. In what ways do you think the Foundation has transformed most, and where does it stay true to its founding ethos?
— Fifty years is a long time, and so much has happened along the way. The most significant shifts stem from growth: the Gràcia space simply became too small, and what started as a project driven by a collective of young independent artists evolved into a major public institution, with public funding and a civic mission. Then came the move to Montjuïc, into an extraordinary complex.
Even so, while we can speak of expansion and institutional consolidation, there has never been any retreat from our artistic ambitions. Today, just as in 1976, the Lliure remains a sanctuary for artists, for the craft, and for artistic freedom. In that regard, it has stayed true to its core values, even as times have changed.
Today, just as in 1976, the Lliure remains a sanctuary for artists, for the craft, and for artistic freedom.
— It has grown and cemented its stature. Does this year's stage programme directly reflect the anniversary celebrations?
— Completely. A dedicated working group had already been preparing this milestone for some time, and when we joined Julio Manrique’s team, we embraced their proposals to shape the season. The stage listings are conceived as an overt celebration – particularly across the first quarter, kicking off with a co-production for the Grec Festival (which also turns 50) and running through to December. Beyond the main bill, we have built a substantial slate of parallel activities, designed with an eye on the future rather than purely looking back.
— For instance, you are remounting Júlia, a production staged around fifteen years ago.
— Júlia is an iconic title in the Lliure’s history, directed by Lluís Homar and starring Anna Lizaran, but this is a very different Júlia. It addresses contemporary tensions: not merely the class divide present in Strindberg’s original text, but the dynamic between a young North African immigrant and an upper-class Barcelona woman. The theme is re-examined through the prism of how modern Barcelona has evolved.
— It has been modernized and updated, while keeping that knowing nod to the historic production.
— We are staging Júlia, but rewritten by director Christiane Jatahy from the classical source. That sits right at the heart of the Lliure spirit: drawing inspiration from the canon, rewriting it, and bringing it into conversation with the present.
— Beyond the theatrical lineup, what are the standout parallel events?
— The centrepiece is the exhibition Un Teatre Lliure at Palau Robert, which runs until 17 January. We don’t normally curate exhibitions, but we approached this through the lens of how a theatre creates theatre: rather than a nostalgic retrospective, it is conceived as a living experience where you step inside just as you would attend a play. Five scenographers have created installations designed to spark emotions, combining historical tribute with contemporary vitality at an iconic crossroads like Passeig de Gràcia and Diagonal.
— Also at Palau Robert, in November you are presenting El teatre amagat. What does it entail?
— Being a theatre, we couldn’t simply mount an exhibition and leave it static. We already took part in Barcelona Dibuixa with a light-drawing workshop for children, and we will host the closing session of the symposium featuring filmmaker Albert Serra discussing the future of dramaturgy and cinema. For young and family audiences, our offerings move to Palau Robert with El teatre amagat, an experience devised by artist Marga Socias for school visits and family weekends. It invites participants to explore the exhibition, searching for where theatre hides within each installation and picking words that capture what theatre means to them. It is free to attend and crafted with great sensitivity.
— The planned anniversary street party unfortunately had to be called off due to heavy rain. Are there plans to reschedule it?
— The only element we could salvage was the fireworks display in the pouring rain, with just four people standing in the square holding umbrellas – it was melancholic and beautiful all at once. The festival as originally conceived – open-air on Montjuïc, with a stage, live music, covers, and dozens of kilos of coca pastries that we had to freeze – cannot be restaged on that scale because the budget simply isn’t there to build that entire infrastructure again. We are exploring alternative formats, but on a more modest scale.
— Will the dramatised guided tours inside the theatre be scheduled again?
— Of the two planned dates, only Saturday went ahead, alongside Friday’s press run. It was a wonderful experience and we will definitely stage it again, whether later this season or next.
— During those tours, different figures tied to the venue shared personal memories. As part of that itinerary, what story did you share?
— We featured recollections from theatregoers, members, staff, and performers. I recalled a deeply moving moment: when Peter Brook stepped onto the Lliure stage and bid farewell saying “the rest is silence”, not long before he passed away. Seeing him here was an unforgettable experience.
This anniversary is fundamentally an enquiry into our own legacy.
— What legacy do you believe the Lliure leaves after these fifty years?
— This anniversary is fundamentally an enquiry into our own legacy, and we wanted to shape it alongside fellow cultural institutions rather than holding an insular celebration. Partnering with the Liceu for a concert conducted by Josep Pons with the Orquestra del Teatre Lliure, heading to the Palau de la Música Catalana with the work of Carles Santos, or joining the Biennal de Pensament for debates on theatre and democracy with Juan Mayorga proves that the Lliure is far more than a building. It remains bound to the spirit of 1976: an appetite for freedom and a band of passionate creators committed to bringing art to the widest possible audience. The theatre must remain faithful to that commitment to independence.
— The anniversary also features a publishing strand, notably the book Cor calent.
— Alongside our regular collection of playscripts, Llum de Guàrdia, we are publishing three dedicated volumes. The first is Cor calent, created to give visibility to the backstage staff who typically remain behind the scenes. We commissioned three writers – Magí Camps, Marta Orriols, and Marta Vives – to interview team members and pen short stories. The title originates from a phrase that a veteran stage manager, Manolo, always whispered to actors before they took to the stage: “Cold feet, warm heart”.
These stories explore backstage crafts like stage management, lighting, rigging, box office, and wardrobe – including gems like the day a lobster casting call was held, or Fabià Puigserver’s insistence on crafting everything by hand. The other two titles are a volume exploring the history of the Orquestra del Teatre Lliure and a comprehensive catalogue documenting every production staged over the past twenty years.
— If you could travel back in time to any opening night across this half-century, which would you pick?
— I have attended countless premieres, and picking just one is almost impossible because a theatre’s journey is continuous. Rather than a specific production, I would choose an archival piece featured in the exhibition: the footage Antoni Chic captured on 2 December 1976 during our opening night. You see audiences filing into the auditorium dressed in the style of the era, and above all, the spontaneous standing ovation that erupted before the curtain even rose. They weren’t applauding the play; they were applauding hope: a project coming to life and a shared future of freedom. It remains one of the most iconic, cathartic moments in the history of the house.
They weren’t applauding the play; they were applauding hope: a project coming to life and a shared future of freedom.
— You have also developed an initiative around that moment inside the Gràcia bar.
— We tracked down around twenty of the individuals who appear in that archival footage entering the hall. Using a static camera installed in the bar at Lliure de Gràcia, we asked them what that opening ovation meant to them. It is showcased right there in the bar and will also be accessible online.
— Looking ahead, how do you envision theatre fifty years from now?
— As a programmer, I have to constantly anticipate what lies ahead. Over these fifty years, the Lliure has never stood still and remains remarkably vibrant. As long as we stay attuned to our surroundings and respond to collective anxieties, the theatre will remain a platform for revolution, enquiry, and social reflection. It can take a two-thousand-year-old text, place it before you, and challenge how you would act today. The themes and artists will evolve, but theatre will always address fundamental human urgencies.
Theatre will remain a platform for revolution, enquiry, and social reflection.
— How will technological development and artificial intelligence affect the stage?
— Theatre has always swiftly integrated practical technical advances, as recently shown with the complete transition to LED lighting and renewable energy sources. Artists will be the first to experiment with artificial intelligence, and it will eventually make its way onto the stage – hopefully from as humane a perspective as possible. Society will use technology to ask its own questions.
— Does the sector apply environmental sustainability standards?
— Yes, we adhere to the Theatre Green Book, an agreed international standard outlining sustainable management: from building energy efficiency to the reuse and recycling of production materials. At the Lliure, we have been working under these guidelines for years.
— Unlike cinema, where artificial intelligence sparks concern over job losses, is there anxiety in theatre that it could displace creative processes?
— Theatre is a live art form that is radically artisanal. I don’t believe AI will ever replace actors on stage, though it can streamline technical workflows. Certain professions are on higher alert, such as translation, where generative tools provide functional results even if they fall short of literary or artistic nuance. But the live essence of the stage is in no danger.
Theatre is a live art form that is radically artisanal.
— Catalonia is posting record audience figures across its auditoriums. What do you attribute this boom to?
— Beyond headline records or raw metrics, my concern is the artistic quality of what we deliver – and right now both go hand in hand: we have strong box-office numbers coupled with robust, diverse in-house productions deeply invested in contemporary Catalan playwriting. There is a post-pandemic factor – the sheer urge to gather, share experiences, and combat loneliness – but also the ongoing coordination between public and private venues to engage younger audiences and families. We should celebrate this momentum and keep working to ensure this cultural growth endures.
— How are younger audiences responding to recent seasons?
— It hinges on the strength of the artistic programme, but also on tearing down economic barriers. Initiatives like the Generació Lliure pass – aimed at under-35s with highly subsidised ticket prices – prove that when you offer compelling work and eliminate cost barriers, young people turn out in force and pack the auditoriums.
— How is programming for children and families integrated?
— It is integrated organically and transversally across the main season – from exhibition-linked activities like El teatre amagat to productions conceived for specific age brackets. We must cater to all audiences without compartmentalising.
— Do you still provide the childcare service during performances?
— Yes, we continue offering it in partnership with Més que Cures, a local neighbourhood cooperative largely comprising migrant women. The service operates via advance booking, primarily for matinee and late afternoon performances like Saturday slots, which is when families request it most. For evening performances, we found there was very little demand.
— If you had to recommend productions that left a mark on your career to someone new to theatre, which would you choose?
— For my generation, productions like Peter Brook’s The Mahabharata or the choreographies of Pina Bausch were transformative; discovering those international visionary creators visiting Barcelona left a permanent imprint. Even so, every spectator experiences their own epiphany: the precise instant they discover theatre, connect with the stage, and realise they can never walk away from it.
— In your case, that happened with Peter Brook.
— It did.
Theatre asks questions, moves us, and holds us accountable.
— In short, how would you define the role of the performing arts in society?
— To act as a mirror and a reflection. Rather than providing packaged answers, theatre asks questions, moves us, and holds us accountable. It places the audience before universal human stories so they can look into themselves and better comprehend their own reality.