Barcelona hosted an unusual theatre premiere that captured the attention of both the public and critics. On the stage of the Teatre Romea an experimental performance was presented: a single actor played eight characters in a modern adaptation of the play “Uncle Vanya” by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.
The production is based on a version by British playwright Simon Stephens and has been adapted for the Catalan audience in a translation by Joan Sellent. The play was directed by Nelson Valente, with the sole and leading role performed by Joel Joan, who had to embody eight characters, including female roles.
An experiment on stage
The premiere turned out to be a real challenge for the actor: over 100 minutes, he switched between eight distinct characters without resorting to traditional theatre techniques like changing costumes or makeup. Each character was differentiated not by appearance, but by their inner motives and emotions. For the audience, it became a kind of game—guessing who was in front of them now and following the subtle transitions between roles. According to organizers, this format demands maximum focus and imagination from the audience.
Director Valente noted that working with Joel Joan was a new experience for him. Although they had not collaborated before, mutual understanding quickly developed between them. The Argentine director brought more humor to the production than is typical in Catalan theater, which helped to create a unique atmosphere on stage. The actor himself admitted that he agreed to the project immediately after seeing the original version of the play in London, where a single performer also played all the roles.
Catalan adaptation
In the Catalan version of the play, the action is moved from 19th-century Russia to modern-day Catalonia. This shift made the storyline more relatable for the local audience and added new layers of meaning. According to El Pais, the creators preserved the spirit of the original, but focused on the characters’ personal experiences and inner struggles. Special attention was paid to the female characters, whom the actor had to portray on par with the male roles.
Joel Joan emphasized that he was not aiming to showcase his acting skills, but wanted to create a performance that would be engaging and understandable for the audience. He noted that the challenge of the production lay not only in the number of roles, but also in the need to keep the audience’s attention throughout the performance. To achieve this, distinctive details and props were used to help viewers distinguish the characters without resorting to obvious theatrical tricks.
Reception and prospects
The premiere sparked a lively response from both audiences and critics. Many noted that the production exemplified ‘hypertheatricality’—when a single actor takes on the entire load and transforms a classic play into a contemporary show. This approach demands not just technical skill from the performer but also a delicate sense of restraint to avoid veering into parody. According to the creators, the production’s success depends on how willing the audience is to join the game and accept the new rules of theater.
The production ‘Vània’ will go on tour across Catalonia and neighboring regions. Organizers are confident that this original format will resonate beyond Barcelona. In recent years, Spain has seen a growing trend of projects where actors take on multiple roles at once, becoming something of a hallmark on the theater scene. This approach offers a fresh perspective on classic works and helps attract new audiences.
In recent years, Spanish theaters have increasingly experimented with both form and content. For example, productions in Madrid and Valencia have featured actors playing several characters at once and have adapted classic plays to fit modern realities. These kinds of projects intrigue not only audiences but also theater professionals, as they allow familiar stories to be explored in new ways. In 2025, a premiere in Seville saw one actor perform five roles in a single play, which also became a notable event in the country’s theater life.
