Tourists and locals

PalmTwenty-eight editions have taken place in the bars of various Ciutat establishments, which over the years have become theatrical havens, where every Thursday they fill up to enjoy these wonderful little stories with a beer in hand and a tapa in mouth. The theme for this year's event offers plenty of material: tourism, which none of the authors have glorified or even hinted at. On the other hand, recommending one performance over another is more difficult than ever.

WaterBy Alfonso Morillas, directed by the ever-surprising and eccentric Bernat Molina, and starring Laura Andújar and Héctor Seoane. Outlandish, bizarre, and pathetic, they offer us an apocalyptic piece, like a grotesque farce. Mad Max which takes place in The Love Boat. A naturally explosive combination.

The silence of the residentsWritten and directed by Jaume Sureda and starring Marina Font and Enric Garcia, this film is a parody of the famous relationship between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, reimagined as a tourism inspector and a doctor turned owner and chef of a restaurant specializing in unusual dishes. Perhaps the protagonist's character is a bit unbalanced, somewhat overly caricatured, and the chef is peculiar and enigmatic. Nevertheless, it's very funny.

Zu verkaufenXisco Joan's play, directed by Pedro Orell and starring the amazing Aina Jagla and Pedro Mas, is a laugh riot, a humorous Molotov cocktail, with a pairing that works wonderfully. A Mallorcan man, bitten by a tourist cat, transforms into a German on full moon nights. This metamorphosis is also a commentary on the changing nature of our customs, from food to language. A film to make you think and laugh.

Piano ManWritten and directed by Alba Vinton and starring Mariona Hauf and Richard Vinton, this film is an ode to nostalgia, a portrait of a man who refuses to let go of the idea that the past is possible, seated at a piano as an allegory for a time that will never return. Endearing, with the added value of Richard Vinton's musical performances, which in a way tell his own story. Funny? Not at all. Endearing? Very much so.

FastpassWritten and directed by Maria Garalve, and starring Aina Zuazaga and José Artero, this play is a real scathing critique. It takes a different turn, focusing on the Germans who arrive, look around, and buy everything. And everything means everything. It's the story of the buyer and the merchandise. It's a metaphor for the new conquerors, those who don't arrive with a gun, but with a check that crumbles all our principles and rhetoric, and makes every kind of prejudice vanish. After laughing, think, and you'll stop laughing. It's a mirror in which we see ourselves reflected with total and absolute clarity.

PS- A new edition dedicated to tourism, featuring Mallorcans as protagonists, is highly recommended.