Nuts Coco Nuts

Origin

Nuts Coconuts is an adaptation of the show Cómeme el Coco, Negro first premiered in Spain in 1989, produced by the Edinburgh Theatre Festival 2005. La Cubana adapted the successful play for the British audience and choses British actors for the cast. The show is rehearsed in Barcelona and is premiered in the festival on the August the 15^th 2005 on The Out of the Blue Drill Hall.

Why this show

Nuts Coconuts is a homage to all the traveling show companies that existed and still exist around the world that bring music, theatre and dance to every corner.

Nuts Coconuts is an homage to all the artist that built their life around theatre and made stages their home.

We chose a “Music-Hall” company to talk about a nearly extinguish theatre genre that sometimes has been despised by mainstream arts and culture spheres.

La Cubana, which is also a nomad theatre company, was interested to show “the show” of what happens after the show is over. How everything is dismantled; how the scenery, the props and the wardrobe is stored; and how the truck is loaded with everything before to leave to another city. Comedy is behind all the dismantling.

The excuse

“Gibraltar Follies” is a “Music-Hall” traveling company, established in Gibraltar from 1930, nowadays formed by artists from varied origins and at their “penultimate step of their career” are performing a variety show called Nuts Coconuts.

The company is taking advantage of a commission given by a British Council campaign called “MEET OUR THEATRE”, so to travel around their own country, United Kingdom, performing their show.

The opening of the tour takes place, unbelievingly, within the prestigious Edinburgh Theatre Festival. That tour will continue on stopping at every single corner of their beautiful country.

Gibraltar Follies

It is a native company from Gibraltar founded in 1930 by Jerome Linares, a big fan of Music-hall and Variety plays. Eternally in love with Paris and its Moulin Rouge, he wanted Gibraltar to have something alike. A place where perform British Varietes with a clear French influence.

Mr. Linares died in 1950 from Malaria and the company was left to its group members. In 1960, after a financial crisis, they decide to sell the legacy to Rogelia Edwards, who started to manage the company with the help of her husband, Paco López.

But then fatality strikes at the Gibraltar Follies. Rogelia and Paco die in a car crash the same day when Yoko Ono & John Lennon where celebrating their wedding party in Gibraltar. From then on the company is inherited and managed by their son, Teddy López Edwards, till today.

The repertoire mixes different songs from the British, French and Spanish “Music-Hall” songs. They work all through the Costa del Sol, performing in hotels and ballrooms for English tourists. They also travel to Canary Islands, some cruises through the Mediterranean sea and north of Morocco.

The story

Due to a mistake, the show has started an hour earlier today. The audience is late and just when they are about to take their seats the show is in its finale. The comedians go on with their usual encore, they salute, and the curtain falls. The real show starts here.

The company has to dismantle and clear up quickly, because they are expected to perform somewhere 600 km away the next day. The comedians give the audience all sorts of explanations and apologies, but naturally, the public refuses to leave, as they are just seated, so they protest. Without giving it a second thought, they get ready for packing, and while they are at it, they start a conversation about their origins, their private life, their secrets and their miseries. They become friendly with the audience and in return, the public helps them packing, folding up the curtains, looking after the star’s pet dog, picking up bits and pieces, moving furniture, containers, etc. They become so intimate that the audience is invited to put on the feather-outfits and to share with them the typical comedians’ dinner: Sandwiches. At the end, once everything is packed, the comedians sweep out the empty stage, heading off and leaving everybody sitting down. The show is over.

Nuts Coconuts, versió en anglès de l’espectacle Cómeme el Coco, Negro, es una producció del Festival Internacional d’Edimburg. Per encàrrec del Festival, La Cubana realitza una adaptació del seu antic espectacle amb actors anglesos triats especialment per l’ocasió. La Cubana dirigeix tota la producció artística. L’espectacle es crea i s’assaja a Barcelona i s’estrena al Festival el 15 d’agost de 2005 en el The Out of The Blue Drill Hall.

Here’s a little summary. Check it out: