The payo, the guiri and the gypsy

Synopsis

A flamenco show that brings together a flamenco singer from Albacete, a guitarist from the Netherlands and a dancer from Seville. We witness an open rehearsal in which the protagonists reflect, with humour and irony, on the inclusion/exclusion within the flamenco universe and each one’s own journey. An artistic and socio-cultural investigation impregnated with education, convictions, desires, challenges and contradictions that give rise to a very particular interpretation of flamenco, the result of polarised identities offering a meeting place.

El Payo, el Guiri y el Gitano is a theatrical flamenco show with a dramaturgy that places us in front of a flamenco singer from Albacete, a guitarist from the Netherlands, a dancer from Seville and a Belgian stage director, each character linking their own cultural background.

An artistic and socio-cultural investigation impregnated with education, convictions, desires, challenges and contradictions that give rise to a very particular interpretation of flamenco, the fruit of polarised identities offering a space for re-union. 

By delving into their childhood, the performers try to understand how the art of flamenco has come into their lives, revealing the path it took to become their training, while asking each other if they have found their place in the world of flamenco. 

This unique show responds to a great expectation, since the aficionados – or a large part of them – have been arguing since time immemorial about the origins of a flamenco artist, claiming that, depending on his origin, the art that springs from his expression will have more or less relevance. In this way, without seeking to contradict the general opinion, the flamenco artists themselves will take a look at the world of this ancestral art to observe it from all its angles, always from their own subjectivity and loving feelings. 

Throughout the play, the three performers stage a meeting for a dress rehearsal. Thus, the audience witnesses what happens in a rehearsal room, while the difficulties that arise when working together become evident. Exchanging anecdotes and experiences, the three flamencos reveal with humour the steps that led them to a certain recognition, each from a radically different background, in the complex world of flamenco.