Through the rebirth of Alejandro Postigo’s fabulous alter ego, La Gitana, the musical will offer audiences an evening brimming with music, interaction and laughter. We spoke to Alejandro about his career, the originations of Copla and it’s significance for queer people ahead of his new show, Copla: a Spanish Cabaret at The Other Palace Theatre from 14 January 2025.
Discount Code for Copla: a Spanish Cabaret
**20% off with the code DIVA20 for performances 14th – 16th Jan.**
You are a University lecturer as well as a performing artist. That must keep you very busy. Would you like to tell us about your career?
Since starting my PhD in Copla in 2010, I have attended both academic conferences and theatre festivals in equal measure. For the last decade I have lectured in various universities, training new generations of actors and sustaining an active research profile. Meanwhile I have also kept my artistic practice alive, doing some musical theatre and dance shows as an actor, and developing my own theatre work.
You are the leader of Hispanic Breakdown, a young theatre collective. Tell us something about the collective’s history and its ambitions going forward.
HisPanic is the label I use to frame the shows I have created with a pool of English and Spanish artists that collaborate to generate work that appeals to international audiences. Our ambition is to amplify the voices of queer migrant artists, challenging perceptions and transforming the theatre landscape by introducing our culturally rich, yet underrepresented, perspectives.
Your next show, which you have written and perform in, is Copla: A Spanish Cabaret. Copla songs have a long tradition in Spain. What are they, and from what were they born?
Copla is a Spanish music genre that channels the raw, unfiltered emotions of those who have felt out of place. Emerging in the early 20th century, it became a lifeline during Franco’s dictatorship—a voice for the oppressed, the exiled, and the forgotten. These poignant songs told stories of longing, heartbreak, and resilience, offering a way for people to preserve their identities and memories in the face of oppression.
The Spanish drag artists of the 80s transformed Copla music into something they could call theirs. How has that manifested itself?
With Spain’s transition to democracy in 1975, Copla found new life in the hands of drag and queer artists like Pedro Almodóvar, evolving into a form of resistance, reclaiming its drama and defiance as anthems for marginalised voices. This rich legacy inspired us to reimagine Copla for an international stage, presenting it as a living, breathing expression of queerness, migration, and the beauty of being in-between.
How have you drawn on your personal life to create the show?
As a gay Spanish theatre-maker who migrated to London 16 years ago, the show explores the intersections of my migrant and queer identities through Copla. I rediscovered Copla in the UK, as I tried reconnecting to my roots while in exile, and that made me want to share Copla with the word. My PhD in the Intercultural Adaptation of Copla underpins much of this work, bringing academic depth to the project, but what excites me most is witnessing how my personal narrative resonates universally.
Who is La Gitana and what can the audience expect from the show?
La Gitana is my drag alter-ego. She is camp, saucy, and unapologetic, and Copla is her artistic language. Audiences can expect La Gitana to sit in their laps but also to offer them her empathy. The show combines live music, storytelling, and audience interaction to explore belonging and identity. I think whether sparking recognition in one audience member or helping someone discover their own voice,Copla: A Spanish Cabaret offers the power to build bridges across cultures and identities.
Finally, do you have any plans for the future that you would like to share with us?
Copla as an interactive cabaret resonates strongly with audiences in festival environments. If things go well at The Other Palace, we would hope to build on this momentum at EdFringe and other international platforms. When we perform Copla, we relive the stories of those who came before us and share a part of ourselves with audiences from very different backgrounds. Each performance creates a space for queer migrant voices, sharing overlooked stories and inviting audiences to connect with this unique cultural expression. This inspires us to expand its reach and fuels our passion every time we take the show to a new venue.
**20% off with the code DIVA20 for performances 14th – 16th Jan.**
Copla: a Spanish Cabaret runs from 14 – 26 January 2025, The Other Palace Theatre, 12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA, United Kingdom.
All images supplied.
