The street theatre event Malpais returns to Arrecife for an extended run, from March 26th until 22nd May. Featuring an eclectic mix of entertainment, live music, acrobatics, cabaret, story telling, comedy shows and much more besides.
Malpais 2010 :: Event Programme
Malpais 2010 takes place in the streets of the island capital of Arrecife. View our map of Arrecife to locate each event.
Parking in the capital can be testing – the easiest spot is the pay car park which is located underneath the Arrecife Gran Hotel. There is also free parking available opposite the main Cabildo building by the seafront (to the right of the main beach at Playa El Reducto) and at El Charco at the other end of the capital.
March 26th :: Fito & Fitipaldis
The festival opens with a performance by well-known Spanish rock group Fito & Fitipaldis, who have managed to create a large fan base during their eleven-year history. Originally Fito, or Adolfo Cabrales, started his musical career in 1989 and formed the band Platero y Tu with several musicians from his native Bilbao.
After several years performing more traditional rock and roll numbers and building up their fan base, the band changed their identity, transforming themselves into Fito & Fitipaldis. The reasons behind this alteration were to do with Fito’s desire to work in other genres as well as rock and roll. He began composing songs that drew inspiration from rockabilly, rhythm and blues, swing, jazz and the sounds of the south of Spain.
Since then the band have gone from strength to strength and were awarded three prizes at the 14th Edition of Music Prizes in Spain – one for best song, one for best rock album and one for best artistic production.
Fito & Fitipaldis will be appearing at the football stadium in Altavista, Arrecife on 26th March from 20.00 onwards. Appearing alongside them will be La Cabra Mecánica. Tickets are €10 and €15 and can be bought from Luna Records, Suspicius Style and the bar Tsunami in Arrecife.
April 23rd :: Barricada
The group Barricada will be playing at the Recinto Ferial in Arrecife on April 23rd. This is another Spanish rock group formed in 1982. Their music is more heavy metal oriented, with elements of the punk sound. Bassist and lead singer Enrique Villareal (El Drogas) is accompanied by Javier Hernandez (Boni), Alfredo Piedrafita on guitar and Ibon Sagarra (Ibi) on drums. The time of the concert is yet to be confirmed.
April 30th :: Voala
Voalá is a dance group with a difference as they use the sky as their backdrop. Combining the artistic grace of ballet with acrobatics they have created what they call an ‘Aerial Show’. The event promises to be a visual spectacular with airborne dances that illustrate a new type of choreography, bearing a similarity to skydiving. Catch sight of Voalá at the Plaza Pio XII de Titerroy in Arrecife. Time to be confirmed
May 6th, 7th and 8th :: Circo Activo
Circo Activo area street theatre company whose show mixes the visual humour of clowns, circus acrobatics and live music. Formed in 2002, Circo Activo is composed of Iván Alonso, Eric de Bont and Michelle Dallaire. They use the urban environment as a source of inspiration for their clown routines.
Pep Bruno is a Spanish-speaking storyteller who has travelled extensively in Spain and Latin America, regaling children and adults alike with his tales. His appearance at Malpais 2010 coincides with the Book Fair. Time and exact location for these two events to be confirmed.
May 14th and 15th
Numerous theatre companies, cabaret artists, visual comedians and acrobats will be performing in and around the streets of central Arrecife, such as the Plaza de la Constitución, the Calle Real and in Parque Ramirez Cerda during the 14th and 15th May. Time and exact locations to be confirmed. Included in the line up are the following:
Mr Spin
This is a mime artist show in the vaudeville style, which incorporates a degree of technical sophistication. Mr Spin uses a monocycle, juggles with baseball bats and numerous other implements, performing precision acrobatics that will enthral both children and adults.
Daredevil Chicken Club
The duo of Jonathan Taylor and Anne Goldmann explore the tradition of cabaret in the more informal environment of street theatre. Together they cover a range of skits that teeter between reality and absurdity, comedy and the taboo. They have been working together since 2001 and have toured New York, Berlin and Dubai amongst other places.
Michel Lauzierre
A visual humorist, Michel Lauzierre uses a number of props to entertain the crowd, including balloons, horns, musical instruments and toys. His main aim is to capture the audience’s attention and keep it in his grasp. A talented linguist, he is also able to communicate in Spanish, English, German, Italian, French and Japanese, making the show particularly accessible to a culturally diverse public.
Los Estramóticos
This Spanish pair of visual comedians entertains with a variety of choreographed skits, including surrealist boxing, weightlifting and games in which the audience can participate.
Producciones Clapso
Clapso hail from neighbouring island Gran Canaria and have developed a routine that uses any number of diverse references, from Hip Hop to the voyage of Phileas Fogg and the works of Jules Verne. Skating, street dance and acrobatics all contribute to their captivating presentation.
Abigail Collins
A former ballet dancer, Abigail Collins has developed a cabaret routine that incorporates elements of the circus and comedy. She comes from London originally but has toured extensively around Europe. Her work attempts to combine the humour and immediacy of street theatre with high art, such as ‘Buttafly’, a reinterpretation of Puccini’s opera set in the mean streets of New York.
Krosny
Working in the traditional art of mime, Krosny displays extraordinary creativity in communicating with his audience without words.
May 21st and 22nd
Closing the festival are two shows taking place in the Parque Ramirez Cerda. Time to be confirmed.
Elliot
This is a rock comedy show performed by Elliot, who honed his skills as a visual comic during a career as a social educator of children with behavioural difficulties. Accompanied by a synchronised soundtrack Elliot entertains the crowd with a range of facial contortions and verbal humour.
The Chanclettes
The Chanclettes are a comedy theatre duo who use music, dance and humour with diverse cultural references thrown in to their routines. Now in their fifteenth year of performing, the pair mixes glamour, absurdity and vulgarity to maximum effect.
