“La mujer y el pelele” Isabel Bayón” Saturday, October 2nd, 2004. 9:00pm. Teatro Central, Seville       Program XIII Bienal de Arte Flamenco Seville

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Conchita: Isabel Bayón. Don Mateo: Juan Motilla. Guest artist: Tomasito. Blind man: Juan José Amador. Guitar: Jesús Torres, Paco Arriaga. Cante: Juan José Amador, Miguel Ortega. Percussion: Juan Ruiz. Director: Pepa Gamboa.

It seems to be a mathematical constant that there is a finite amount of flamenco in the world, and the more the boom grows, the less flamenco there is for any given work. The Bienal de Sevilla has for all practical purposes turned into a festival of theater rather than of a musical form, and “La mujer y el pelele”, the show presented on October 2nd at the Teatro Central falls into the category of “theatrical work with a flamenco motif”. The story is based on “La femme et le pantin” (1898) by Pierre Louÿs which was later made into Buñel’s famous film “Ese oscuro objeto del deseo”.

The good thing about these musical plays is they don’t require great feats of dance, guitar or toque. Isabel Bayón is a competent dancer without being exceptional, but she does a fine job within the framework of this theatrical piece where the biggest role is held down by actor Juan Motilla who narrates the story in first person as the pathetic Don Mateo, obsessively in love with the cynical Conchita (Bayón).

The audiovisual work with actual images of Isabel Bayón filmed 25 years ago when she was a child prodigy, in some scenes with a young Chano Lobato singing is remarkable. Adult Isabel dances on stage the same movements as her child shadow and the fascinating effect seduces the eye and adds a sort of time machine effect.

A story as visual as verbal with an acceptable ratio of theater to flamenco.

Sevillanas with Isabel singing the famous comic verse “I married a dwarf” is followed by danced bamberas, not something you see every day, especially with Camarón’s “La leyenda del tiempo” thrown in. This dancer, usually cold and distant, allows herself to be a little more outgoing than usual because the role requires it. Don Mateo sets the scene for carnival and Christmas songs are sung, that’s how it goes, with mixed references, dreams, memories and some humorous touches as well.

Singer Juan José Amador is brilliant in the part of a blind guitarist who comes and goes wearing a long trenchcoat and dark glasses to act as a sort of Greek chorus as he plays and sings verses that refer to the plot. There are short dances at the service of the play, polo with soleá apolá, siguiriyas with the traditional verse “a curse upon this recurring dream” that suits the story so well, cabales and martinete. A tablao in Cádiz is represented by guitars lined up playing in A position for some Pastora Pavón cantes giving the feeling of old flamenco, then Isabel dances sevillanas with a bata de cola and castanets.

The appearance on stage of Tomasito dressed in white is enough to trigger enthusiastic applause. The talented dancer-singer does his clever bulerías breakdance and just about steals the show. For the famous scene from the film when Don Mateo discovers Conchita dancing naked for some Englishmen in a private booth, Isabel wears a flesh-colored body-suit and dances por tangos.

One wonders if the large foreign audience catches the Spanish narration, but the story is as visual as verbal and in the end there’s an acceptable ratio of theater to flamenco.