Shock 2 is emerging under another great crisis -the impact of Coronavirus- and we are still bewildered, gripped by fear and uncertainty, leaving us tremendously vulnerable. We can draw strength and intelligence from our joint reflection, from our courage to face this disease, from our sense of fraternity, to come out of this great crisis with the hope of improving ourselves. However, every great shock can be taken advantage of to the detriment of others; the power of money is well aware of this. The big corporations around the world know this, and it would be surprising to think that they would not seize the opportunity to do so. That is what this production is about, our recent history and how neoliberalism has been able to push forward like a steamroller to the present day (Naomi Klein and her book The Shock Doctrine are our inspiration).
Shock 2 begins in the 1980s during the conservative revolution led in Europe by Margaret Thatcher and in the US by Ronald Reagan, culminating in the first great shock of the 21st century -the war in Iraq- a war that we were complicit in. That is what Shock is about, reflecting on the extent to which we are participants in our history, our shocks, our coups and our violence.
Theatre is emotion, rhythm, and harmony, and that is our approach, our point of view, to question ourselves. Journalism is criticism; it is a document and a reflection. It is another way of looking and a mirror, just as theatre is. The mixture of the two is Shock.
We are committed to trying to understand and enjoy with the audience. And like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, we say: "There's no place like the theatre".
+ Accessible feature This show will be available with closed captioning, audio description, hearing impaired magnetic loop and amplified sound with headphones. More information: educa@teatreprincipal.com
Script
Albert Boronat, Juan Cavestany, Andrés Lima and Juan Mayorga (based on real events and texts by Olga Rodríguez and Alba Sotorra)
Playwriting
Albert Boronat, Andrés Lima
Director
Andrés Lima
Cast
Alba Flores: Arab woman, Robert Fisk, Minal, Journalist, Singer, Corporal H. H and Chorus
Antonio Durán "Morris": Carl Schmitt, Dick Cheney, Boris Yeltsin, Theatre director, Spanish Navy Soldier and Chorus
Guillermo Toledo: Osama Bin Laden, George Bush Sr., George Bush Jr., Ronald Reagan, General Miller and Chorus
Juan Vinuesa: José María Aznar, Yaser, Boris Yeltsin, Journalist Deng Xiaoping, Spanish Navy Soldier, Soldier H. and Chorus
María Morales: Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney, Yamila, Margaret Thatcher, Olga Rodríguez, Singer, Sergeant J. P. K. and Chorus
Natalia Hernández: Marta Sánchez, Ana Botella, Dorothy, Commander Arian, Joyce Rumsfeld, Soldier Sabrina, Nancy Reagan and Chorus
Paco Ochoa: Víctor Gao, Tony Blair, Donald Rumsfeld, Spanish Navy Soldie, Wojtyla and Chorus
Andrés Lima (Den Xiaoping i José Antonio Marcos), Alberto San Juan (Charlton Heston), Olga Rodríguez
Stage design and costumes
Beatriz San Juan
Lighting
Pedro Yagüe
Music and Sound
Jaume Manresa
Sound design
Enrique Mingo
Video creation
Miquel Àngel Raió
Characterisation
Cécile Kretschmar
Assistant Director
Laura Ortega
Costume assistant
Carlota Ricart / Remedios Gómez
Lighting assistant
Enrique Chueca
Video creation assistants
Arantxa Melero
Photography
Laura Ortega, Bárbara Sánchez Palomero, Luz Soria
Trailer
Bárbara Sánchez Palomero
Poster design
Equipo SOPA
Communication
Pepe Iglesias
Internship students
Olga Abolina, Fran Weber, Jorge Mediero
Production
Check-in Producciones
Joseba Gil
Co-production
Centro Dramático Nacional, Check-in Producciones
Sound archive
Olga Rodríguez. Departamento de Documentación de la Cadena SER © Sociedad Española de Radiodifusión, S.L.U., 2020, España
Acknowledgements
A huge thanks to Naomi Klein, Nahla Alkhatib, Robert Fisk, Yamila, Minal, Amin Maalouf, Yaser, Eduardo Galeano, Jean Genet, Olga Rodríguez and her books El hombre mojado no teme la lluvia (The wet man does not fear the rain) and Aquí Bagdad. Crónica de una guerra (This is Baghdad. Chronicle of a war), Jon Sistiaga, Marta Herrero, Alba Sotorra and her images from the film Commander Arian, Alberto Arce and images from the documentary To shoot an Elephant, Natalia Sancha, NGO “Mundo en Movimiento”, Berta de la Dehesa, María Peñalosa, Alberto San Juan, Daniel Pérez Prada, Ramón Barea, Ernesto Alterio, Celia Hervás and Laura Galán