Cuzco

Cuzco
by Víctor Sánchez Rodríguez (Spain), 2017
One male, one female.

Published in The Oberon Anthology of Contemporary Spanish Plays, finalist for the 2019 Valle Inclán Award for literary translation, out now.

‘I can honestly say that it is the best translation of a foreign language play that I have ever seen.’ Theatre Box

‘Leaves you open-mouthed.’ ‘Great writing.’ ‘True theatre.’ Las Provinicas.

A couple crosses the globe for a relationship-salvaging trip of a lifetime, to Peru, and the Inca Trail.  But the promise of rekindling and spiritual awakening soon gives way to disorientation, frustration, and the emergence of long-held resentments.  Hooking up with a beautiful, successful, seductive pair of fellow travellers from the States does little to help, while altitude sickness, post-colonial guilt and run-ins with the locals only make things worse.  Trapped in their hotel rooms, and overwhelmed by the weight of landscape and history, the pair struggles to withstand the strain.  It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this.

Everyone in Cuzco wants to sell you some mystery

Tourists spend six months, every night after work, preparing for their holidays

So they can come to Cuzco

And buy themselves some mystery.

The world premiere of Cuzco took place as a rehearsed reading as part of Out of the Wings 2017 at the Cervantes Theatre, London, on 12 July 2017.  It was performed by Denise Hoey and Richard Glaves, with narration by Gigi Guizado.

US premiere:  LaMicro Theater, New York, 13 December 2019, as part of Escena Sur.

UK premiere production:  23 January-16 February 2019 at Theatre 503, London. Starring Dilek Rose and Gareth Kieran Jones, directed by Kate O’Connor and produced by Dais Hale.

Videos, reviews and images from the London production

Some clips and images from the Spanish production at the Teatre Rialto, Valencia, in 2017.  Photos (c) Vicente A Jiménez

Cuzco Teaser from Wichita Co on Vimeo.

Other works by Víctor Sánchez Rodríguez: La Florida, A House, Once.

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