The City Council of La Laguna and Timaginas Teatro have presented the first edition of the Siglo de Oro Festival, which will transform the ancient Convent of Santo Domingo into a corral de comedias on August 1 and 2.
The Culture Department of the City Council of La Laguna presented the first edition of the Siglo de Oro Festival last Friday, July 24. The initiative, driven by the company Timaginas Teatro, will take place on August 1 and 2 at the ancient Convent of Santo Domingo, which will be transformed into a corral de comedias to recover the atmosphere of the 16th and 17th centuries.
The programme includes theatrical performances, music, poetry, and immersive proposals. The audience will enjoy an atmosphere inspired by the Siglo de Oro, with themed photocalls and spaces that invite attendees to become characters from the era.
During the presentation, the Councillor for Culture of La Laguna and president of the Autonomous Organisation of Musical Activities (OAAM), Adrián del Castillo, highlighted that the festival “recovers the atmosphere of the ancient corrales de comedias and does so in an environment that has been linked to culture, knowledge, and heritage for centuries.”
Del Castillo also praised the trajectory of Timaginas Teatro, “a company that has dedicated over twenty years to classical theatre, touring with works by Cervantes, Lope de Vega, or Calderón and demonstrating that their texts continue to connect with the audience when performed with creativity, humour, and closeness.”
For her part, the co-director of Timaginas Teatro, María Rodríguez, thanked the support of the City Council and the Culture team. “The theatre needs lovers, and our great hope is to bring these classic texts closer to audiences of all ages, both to those who love theatre and to those who have never approached it,” she stated.
The festival will kick off on Saturday, August 1, with the reading of the manifesto by Miguel Ángel Jerez. Following this, Imprudentes Teatro and Zalatta Teatro will perform the play The Ridiculous Suitor. The day will conclude with musical ambience from Raquel Tejerina and the cast of Timaginas Teatro, who will perform a selection of interludes from Cervantes and Lope de Vega.
On Sunday, August 2, Imprudentes Teatro will return to the stage, and the Fundación Siglo de Oro will present The Sonnets of Lope. The final touch will be provided by Timaginas Teatro with The Farce of the Golden Age, their most recognised show and considered one of the benchmark productions of contemporary classical theatre.
Councillor Adrián del Castillo emphasised that the festival aims to position La Laguna as a reference point for classical theatre in the Canary Islands. “This type of initiative not only enriches the cultural offering of the municipality but also attracts visitors interested in heritage and culture,” he noted.
The ancient Convent of Santo Domingo, the festival's venue, is an emblematic space in La Laguna, declared a World Heritage Site. The choice of location is not coincidental: the convent has been a meeting point for culture and knowledge in the city for centuries.
María Rodríguez from Timaginas Teatro explained that the festival is born with a vocation for continuity. “We want this first edition to be the seed of an annual event that consolidates La Laguna as an essential place for lovers of classical theatre,” she affirmed.
Tickets for the festival are already on sale through the municipal website and at the box office. The organisers recommend purchasing them in advance due to the limited capacity of the Convent of Santo Domingo.
With this initiative, La Laguna joins other Spanish cities that have opted to recover theatre from the Siglo de Oro in historic spaces, such as Almagro or Alcalá de Henares. The commitment to heritage and classical culture aims to attract both residents and cultural tourists.
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