Tilting at windmills in the heart of London

A CROWDFUNDING campaign launched by a group of London-based artists aims to establish the first Spanish-speaking theatre in the UK capital.

The Spanish Theatre Company (STC), headed by actor and director Jorge de Juan aims to raise €150,000 in order to complete work on the Cervantes Theatre of London in Southwark, a stone’s throw from the world famous Globe and Vic playhouses in Southwark.

The Cartagena native said: “We’re going to give a voice to Spanish-speaking talent and culture, and share our authors with British artists, interpreted in Spanish and English.”

“Everybody in Spain knows Shakespeare, but here Cervantes is still poorly known, and that is a tragedy for both us and them,” added actress Maite Jauregui.

Large scale funding has not been forthcoming despite the Spanish Ministry of Culture approving the project “in writing,” although a number of private donations have been received, and de Juan now hopes that crowd funding will prove the answer.

“I am still battling with a combative and quixotic spirit, above all for the enthusiasm and talent of the young people that surround me,” said the director, adding “we want to include the most people possible in this project with our motto ‘Be part of history’…it is this: to make history in the theatrical capital of the world.”