The International Festival of Theatre, Music and Dance of San Javier closed its 53rd edition with «Salomé», with more than 20,000 spectators accumulated over the 14 nights of performances programmed between 4 and 24 August. The Festival’s director, David Martínez, described this year’s edition of the Festival as a «resounding success, backed by the figures and the reception from audiences and critics». David Martínez added that the San Javier Festival, which has returned to full normality after the pandemic, «shows that the performing arts and especially theatre are more alive than ever and have shone this August in San Javier where we have been able to hang the sold-out sign on four occasions».
The Festival said goodbye last night with a full house to see «Salomé», by Magüi Mira, with Belén Rueda, one of the shows that sold out, as was the case with «La comedia de los errores» starring Pepón Nieto, who received the Festival Award in this edition. Also sold out were «En mitad de tanto fuego», and the Festival co-production «Bodas de sangre, el musical». The Festival also attracted hundreds of people to the street performances which, as every year, were programmed in public spaces in San Javier, Santiago de la Ribera and La Manga del Mar Menor. David Martínez emphasised the value of the Festival as a cultural industry for San Javier due to its economic impact, especially in the hotel and catering sector, and its capacity to attract tourism.
In the chapter of thanks, David Martínez highlighted the loyal audience of the Festival and those who are joining each year for their response to this 53rd edition, as well as the regional government for its support and the sponsors «who year after year contribute their grain of sand so that culture continues to be one of the flags of San Javier». Martínez underlined «the enormous effort made by the City Council of San Javier to continue supporting and keeping alive one of the oldest theatre festivals in the country, a reference point for companies and productions from both inside and outside Spain».
The 53rd International Festival of Theatre, Music and Dance of San Javier was committed to two first class international shows such as «Tenmei», by Yamato (Japan) and «Carmina Burana» by the Szeged Contemporary Dance Company (Hungary). The Festival continued its eclectic line of programming for a varied audience with proposals ranging from «La ilusión conyugal» to «Manual para armar un sueño» by La Zaranda, which, like the actors Carlos Hipólito, with «El proceso» and Belén Rueda with «Salomé», stepped onto the stage of the Parque Almansa auditorium for the first time. Murcian theatre was present with the company Agosto del 36 in a programme that also looked at classical theatre with plays recently arrived from Mérida such as «La comedia de los errores» and «Salomé». Plays for reflection such as the monologue «En mitad de tanto fuego», with Rubén de Eguía, and for historical revision such as «Feísima enfermedad y muy triste muerte de la reina Isabel I», by La Calòrica, completed a programme that as every year welcomes a premiere by the local amateur theatre group, Grupo de Teatro San Javier, which this year performed «Las mujeres sabias» by Molière, in homage to the local theatre group that 53 years ago gave birth to the Festival.