Pujol, the play – Corruption of the Catalan Kind

The playwright Jordi Casanovas, author of the forthcoming play Pujol. Photo

A forthcoming Catalan-language play by Jordi Casanovas (pictured above) takes on the charismatic, disgraced Catalan ex-premier Jordi Pujol, the former president of the regional ‘Generalitat’ government (1989 to 2003), who, in 2014, admitted to holding undeclared millions in secret foreign bank accounts for a period of 34 years. While he claimed the cash to be an inheritance, the 85-year-old Pujol and members of his family stand accused of a series of corruption charges, including political corruption, money laundering, bribery and tax evasion.

Casanovas investigates
After a gripping treatment of the Ruz-Bárcenas affair, a play and later film (with English subs available!) based on the real minutes of a court case brought against the former treasurer of Spain; and the soon-to-premier-at-Grec Catalan play Port Arthur, a theatrical reworking of the Wikileaks documents recounting the police interrogation of the Australian man accused of a killing spree in Tasmania in 1996, Casanovas now takes on Pujol – a figurehead of Catalan nationalism – with, we can imagine, his signature acuity and penchant for black humour.

Bagés
The role of Pujol is to be played by Reus-born actor David Bagés, and the … Hause & Richman, Velvet Events and Grup Balañá, in collaboration with Atrium de Viladecans theatre … production set to premier for the Sant Jordi festivities in April, 2017.

Photo credit: © David Ruano.

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