The Concert

Published by Nick Hern Books and featured in Performing International Plays, launched 2021.

Fidel Castro has just unveiled a life-size statue of John Lennon.  But former musician Johnny can remember a time, thirty years before, when The Beatles were not so celebrated in Cuba.  He sets about trying to re-form the rock band of his youth, but dredging up the past only rubs salt into today’s wounds.  Winner of the 2004 Virgilio Piñera Award for the best Cuban play of the previous two years.

John…!  John Lennon!  You’re here at last!  I never thought I’d see you so close.  Smell you. 

Gimme a hug, man.  You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment.  Oh, if the Crusaders could see you now!  Well, I’m sure they have seen you, wherever they are.  We were a group of young guys, see, and we sang your songs, John.  For us, it was like the Beatles themselves were right here in Cuba.  That’s what we believed, anyway. 

You and me are gonna be good friends, man.  We already are.      

The Concert was first performed in English at the Royal Court Theatre in March 2004, directed by Indhu Rubasingham and performed by Allun Corduner, Zita Sattar, Cherry Morris, Mossie Smith, Trevor Cooper, Ewan Hooper, Roddy Maude-Roxby, Alan Williams and Jimmy Akingbola.

It was later broadcast on the BBC World Service, and staged in 2008 by Upstream Theater, St Louis, MO.  Read a local review here.

Playtext available from Nick Hern Books here.

The Concert by Ulises Rodríguez Febles – Excerpt (English translation by William Gregory) from Performing International Plays on Vimeo.

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