Hand in Hand (de la Mano)

Spanish Theatre Company presents a recital of sonnets and monologues, in Spanish and English, by Lope de Vega and William Shakespeare, performed by Alicia Sánchez, Jorge de Juan, Pablo Turégano , and Maite Jáuregui. They are accompanied by chamber music of the period, performed by Trío Roncesvalles, which is composed of a guitar, a violin and a mezzo-soprano.

'Hand in Hand' sees the performance of a selection of outstanding works about love by two of the greatest playwrights ever: Lope and Shakespeare. These two geniuses were contemporaries, at a time when there was an unparalleled explosion in both the Spanish and English theatre. This is a unique opportunity to experience them side by side, or 'Hand in Hand', in the very cathedral where Shakespeare buried his brother, Edmund. The event is an important step for the Spanish Theatre Company, which is determined to create links between the vibrant theatre cultures of Spain and the UK. Furthermore, it will take place in the Borough of Southwark, where the company will be opening its own theatre late in 2015.

Amongst the texts, there is a monologue each from the Lope de Vega plays ‘Las Bizarrías de Belisa’, ‘El Perro Del Hortelano’, ‘El Caballero de Olmedo’ and ‘Castigo y Venganza’; as well as from Shakespeare's ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘As you Like It’, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ and ‘Hamlet’. In addition, there is a range of famous sonnets from both authors.

Alicia Sánchez Araujo is a Spanish actress, director, and acting coach. She knew early film success when she was the protagonist of José Luis Borau’s ‘Furtivos’ in 1975. Since then she has appeared in Cinco Tenedores’ (1979), ‘Dulces Horas’ (1982), ‘The Death of Mikel’ (1984), ‘La Vida Alegre’ (1987); ‘Total’ (1985), ‘El Bosque Animado’ (1987), ‘Así en el Cielo como en la Tierra’ (1996), ‘Barrio’ (1998), ‘Celos’ (1999) and ‘Silencio Roto (2001).

Besides many performances in independent theatre, she has appeared in ‘Samarkanda’ (1985), and ‘Vidas Privadas (2003). She was director of the company ‘Ménades y Sátiros’, adapting classics such as ‘Lysistrata’ (2001) and ‘The Great Inquisitor’ (2011), a chapter from ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ by Dostoyevsky. In 1998 she was nominated for a best female performance Goya for her role in the film ‘Barrio’.

Jorge de Juan is a renowned Spanish producer, director, and actor. In the past decade he has produced 5 major plays in Spain, 4 of which he directed himself. These include the Spanish production of The Woman in Black, and The 39 Steps. He also acted in The Woman in Black for which he won a Turia Theatre Award.

Jorge is a film, TV, and theatre actor. He has appeared in more than twenty plays and has played the lead in twelve. He has appeared in thirty films and TV series, having played the lead in fourteen, and has worked with both Spanish and foreign directors. He won the Best Actor Award at the Francisco Rabal Film Awards for his role in the Spanish El Mejor de los Tiempos. He has also produced and directed several film and theatre productions.

Pablo Turégano trained as an actor in Madrid, where he debuted with Lorca's play Amor de Don Perlimplín con Belisa en su Jardín. He went on to appear in several TV series, short films and plays. Next, he moved to London for a number of years, where he continued his training, attending Lamda, and training privately with actors such as Paul Gregory (Renaissance Theatre Company), Greg Hicks ( RSC), and Will Keen. His work covers both classical and modern plays including The Knights, Life is a Dream, Twelfth Night, Metro, and The Shape of Things. Collaborating with Spanish Theatre Company, he has performed in their Dramatised Readings Hay que deshacer la Casa, and Olvida los Tambores.

Maite Jáuregui was born in Los Angeles, but she was living in Madrid by the age of 2. She started playing the violin when she was 3 and dancing when she was 10. At the age of 12 she got her first acting job in theatre and at 15 she played her first part in a feature film, 4th Floor (directed by Antonio Mercero). She has a degree in psychology, and has studied drama at RADA. TV credits include 18, To Love is Forever, Abuela de Verano, and El Comisario.

Trío Roncesvalles, with Gudrún Ólafsdóttir (mezzo-soprano), Elena Jáuregui (violin) and Francisco Javier Jáuregui (guitar), is an original ensemble which is passionate about Spanish music, with its rich cultural and historical heritage, and about contemporary music. The trio´s repertoire is composed of pieces by the trio´s guitarist, as well as composers who have written specifically for them, such as David del Puerto, Agustín Castilla-Ávila, Þóra Marteinsdóttir and Polina Medyulyanova. Future commissions include works by composers Federico Jusid and John Barber. Their new CD, Secretos quiero descubrir (Secrets I Wish to Discover) has been broadcast on Spanish and Icelandic National Radios and has been presented in festivals in Spain, France, UK, Germany, Austria and Iceland.