October 19 Traditional performance of Don Juan Tenorio in the cemetery of San Javier
A wide range of performers prepare Prensa for the San Javier tradition which has been described as “a unique cultural experience in Spain”
Every year it is a longstanding tradition in Spain for the play “Don Juan Tenorio” to be performed on or around All Saints’ Day on 1st November, making this 1844 work by José Zorrilla by far the most seen drama in the country, but the staging and additional elements in the version which has been presented in San Javier for the last 11 years have made this a unique evening which attracts larger and larger audiences.
Last year, with a cast numbering over 200, there were approximately 1,500 people in attendance, making this a true community event!
This year, on October 19 “Don Juan Tenorio. Sueño y realidad” begins at 20.30 with a tour of the late-19th-century cemetery, which is lit for the occasion by over 6,000 candles. To add yet more atmosphere, the visit includes dozens of the grandiose altars and shrines in the cemetery as well as music from the choirs of Orfeón Fernández Caballero, Coro de Cámara Patnia, Çoral Stella Maris Björk, the Conservatorio of San Javier, the Orquesta de Cámara Virtuos Mediterrani, the Banda Sinfónica de San Javier, Coros y Danzas San Javier and the Campaña de Auroros de Torres de Cotillas.
Having completed the tour, participants then sit down outside the cemetery to enjoy the play itself, with the addition of two narrators in order to make it shorter and less ponderous than the original script. As has been the case in previous years, the evening ends with dance by Ruth Olmos and the singing of “Nessun Dorma”.
The choice of this setting is due to the fact that the setting of a large part of the original play in a cemetery.
Tickets for this very special event are available online here and in Confiterías La Cierva for 15 euros.
For more local information visit the tourist offices of San Javier or go to the home page of San Javier Today.
