El Teatre Nacional de Catalunya se suma al Grec Festival de Barcelona amb dues estrenes: Bovary i Nascuts lliures

The 50th edition of the Grec Festival takes place from June 29 to July 31, and thel Teatre Nacional de Catalunya is participating with two premieres that exemplify its commitment to creation: Bovary, a contemporary opera inspired by Gustave Flaubert’s classic; and Nascuts lliures, a documentary theater piece by La Conquesta del Pol Sud that reflects on the challenges of education in today’s world.

• Bovary: July 4 and 5 in the Sala Gran

Emma Bovary becomes the protagonist of a contemporary opera

Following the theatrical adaptation presented at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya and its European tour, Michael de Cock and Carme Portaceli resume their exploration of the Madame Bovary universe with a new stage production that transforms Gustave Flaubert’s classic into a contemporary opera.

Bovary delves into the complexity of one of the most iconic female characters in world literature, revisiting her anxieties, desires, and contradictions from a contemporary perspective. The production will be performed on July 4 and 5 for two exclusive shows in the Sala Gran of the TNC. Featuring a text by Michael de Cock based on Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and directed by Carme Portaceli, the piece offers a fresh reading of this great literary classic. The music is composed by the Belgian composer Harold Noben and performed live by the ESMUC Symphony Orchestra, bringing a new sonic and emotional dimension to this masterpiece of literature.

• Nascuts lliures: From July 9 to 19 in the Sala Tallers

What challenges does education face in today’s world?

After presenting the documentary theater trilogy formed by Nadia, Claudia, and Raphaëlle at the TNC, La Conquesta del Pol Sud returns to the theater with their new creation, Nascuts lliures. The production is a stage project that centers on education and the challenges it faces in an increasingly unstable world, marked by major technological innovations such as AI and social media.

On stage, a group of education professionals share their questions, concerns, hopes, and fears through their own personal experiences. It is a theatrical anthem to the idea of individual transformation and to education as a form of growth.

Nascuts lliures can be seen from July 9 to 19 in the Sala Tallers of the TNC. The direction and creation are by Carles Fernández Giua; dramaturgy and research are by Carles Fernández Giua and Irene Vicente Salas; and the cast features Eugènia Arús, Manel Barceló, Irene Bonilla, Aleix Escursell, Ferran Galimany, Laia González Fernández, and Micky Jarra.