π π» The Tapa Weekend: November 22
Christmas markets are back, a monologue about time and some poetry for a change.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | November 22, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #76
π Welcome to a new issue of The Tapa: Weekend Edition! An English-language newsletter about what to do this weekend in Madrid (plus memes!)
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Itβs Friday again!
And yes, yesterday was a long day for news, which pushed us to publish really late. (You should be aware that a lot of parliamentary drama takes place on Thursdays, and sometimes, we need to wait until the afternoon/evening to send, or Tapa gets old really fast.)
Case in point: yesterdayβs drama with Victor de Aldama and his bonkers statement in court, which weβre sure weβll be covering next week because this case is only getting started.
We know, we know. βHey, no politics on the Friday issue!β youβre probably saying. And youβre right. But you know us, we couldnβt let it slide.
Anyway, donβt miss next weekβs Tapa Newsletter. Itβs gonna be cray.
Oh, and here are five things for you to do this weekend, courtesy of us.
Enjoy!
1.π
π» The Christmas Markets are back. (Yes, already)
Did you freak out a bit when you saw the Santa emoji in todayβs issue? Us too.
2024 has come and gone.
But at least the Christmas markets in Madrid are back! This is one of the most cherished traditions in the city this time of the year as multiple festive markets spring up across the city. These markets are a great opportunity to buy cheap original gifts this holiday season.
The first is in the Plaza de EspaΓ±a and starts tomorrow (yay!). The square becomes home to La NavideΓ±a and it features a market and ice-skating rink. Just like the one in the Rockefeller Center! Suck it, NYC. This yearβs theme is The Nutcracker, so expect a lot of it everywhere. Thereβs also Swiss and German food. Maybe even some mulled wine! Go there tomorrow. Itβs a classic.
Then of course you have the Christmas Market in the Plaza Mayor (thatβs the big one), which makes its return in Nov. 28. There are 104 stalls there, so you have no excuse when it comes to finding a gift. Itβs organized by the Plaza Mayor Traditional Christmas Market Association and, for over a month, it becomes a hub for seasonal shopping, there are truly weird nativity scenes, holiday decorations, and novelty items.
Then thereβs one at Juan Goytisolo Square, next to the Reina SofΓa Museum, in which traditional stalls are usually set up, and visitors can enjoy ice skating on the nearby rink. The Isabel II Square also hosts a variety of stands where locals and tourists can pick up Christmas items.
Ho ho ho! Get your presents while you can.
Christmas Market at Plaza de EspaΓ±a. Plaza de EspaΓ±a, Madrid. Opens Nov. 23. Free admission.
2.β±οΈ A monologue: βTo Move in Timeβ (and itβs in English!)
Arenβt you happy when sometimes you get to experience events in English here? Not that thereβs anything wrong with practicing your Spanish, of course (in fact, we always encourage it). But thereβs nothing wrong with giving your brain a break.
To Move In TimeΒ is a monologue written by Tim Etchells for performer and collaborator Tyrone Huggins, in which an unnamed protagonist speculates playfully about what heβd do if he were able to travel backwards and forwards in time.
From fantasies of changing the present, to obsessions with everyday events in the past, to dreaming up ways to get rich from knowledge of the future, the text is an unfolding compulsive thought process.
In the end though, far from the science fiction of time travel it is ostensibly working with, To Move In Time concerns itself with questions of value and priority β what matters, what needs to be cared for and what can be changed.
An obsessive stream of consciousness tangled and contradictory, the workΒ combinesΒ Etchellsβ text with Huggins' powerful performance to walk a line between comic absurdity and melancholia. (And you complain we only recommend reggaeton and street markets!)
Also, your only chance to see this is tonight so get your tickets quickly.
To Move in Time. Centro de Cultura Contemporanea CondeDuque. Conde Duque 11, Madrid. Nov. 22. 8 p.m. Tickets: β¬18.
3.π The Play that Goes Wrong but in Spanish
See? And now we have the opposite. Youβve probably heard of the classic Broadway and West End comedy The Play that Goes Wrong. Well, this is the Spanish version and you shouldnβt miss it.
Now in its fifth season in Spain, with an adaptation by ZenΓ³n Recalde and direction by Sean Turner and David Ottone, the show has captivated over 8 million audience members worldwide. In Spain, it has surpassed 1,000 performances and over 450,000 people have seen it already.
They play is often described as βa blend of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmesβ, and it follows a group of actors attempting to stage Murder at Haversham Manor, a mystery in the vein of Agatha Christieβs The Mousetrap.
But, true to its name, everything in this production that can go wrong does go wrong. Props fall apart, fires break out, actors forget their lines, miss their cues, or are forced to make unconventional entrances when doors refuse to open. Itβs all pretty hilarious.
Worth the money if youβre looking to escape the sorry state of the world.
La funciΓ³n que sale mal. Teatro Amaya. Paseo del General MartΓnez Campos 9, Madrid. Check website for schedule. Tickets: β¬22.
4.π―οΈ Some Poetry: POETAS del Viernes at La Casa Encendida
Enough with the mundane and the frivolous. Letβs talk poetry! Because POETAS del Viernes (Friday Poets) is here to present you with some high-brow event for those of you who love to look smart on your Instagram stories.
POETAS today (its opening day!) presents a diverse lineup, including a unique poetic performance by Alberto CortΓ©s created specifically for the occasion, intimate readings by MΓ‘laga poet MarΓa Eloy-GarcΓa and Slovenian writer Nina DragiΔeviΔ, and a selection of video poems curated by the directors of the Maldito Festival (now on its fifth edition).
In the Patio, audiences will witness the premiere of Preludio a la Lentitud, a poetic stage production by the award-winning Versonautas, before closing the night with an unusual blend of poetry and classical music in a session by Furtiva feat. Omvra, specially produced for this yearβs festival.
See? High-brow!
Also, this is today at 6 p.m. so if youβre planning on going better get your tickets now.
POETAS del Viernes. La Casa Encendida. Ronda de Valencia 2, Madrid. Nov. 22, 6 p.m. Tickets: β¬6.
5.πΈ Mercado de las Ranas street market
Yes. Again.
The Mercado de las Ranas is back this Saturday so if youβre wondering where to spend your hard earned euros, this is the place.
This street market (which we recommend here regularly) is similar to the Portobello Road or Candem Town markets in London. This Saturday, stores participating in this mercado in Plaza Santa Ana, in the Las Letras district, bring their goods outside into the street so visitors can buy their favorite book, t-shirt or grab a slice of pizza on the go.
If thereβs one thing we love about Madrid (and there are actually many), itβs the street market scene, and this one doesnβt disappoint. After a bit of retail therapy, grab a table at the plaza and sip a cool caΓ±a. Youβre welcome.
Mercado de las Ranas. All along Calle de las Huertas in Las Letras, Madrid. Saturday, Nov. 23, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
π¨π»βπ» Viral Story of the Week
π Someone calls cocido madrileΓ±o βSpanish ramenβ and all hell breaks loose
π A Message From Our Sponsor
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Located on Calle de MoratΓn 7 β a few blocks away from the Prado Museum β and with over 20,000 new and used books, Secret Kingdoms has something for everyone.
Find out more at www.thesecretkingdoms.com
π Once again, please remember to share this newsletter with your friends on social media. The more we grow, the more information weβll be able to offer each week.
Weβll be back next week with more.
I saw The Play that Goes Wrong first in English and nearly died laughing; I then saw it in Spanish in Colombia, and it was way less intelligible but I nearly died laughing AGAIN. What I'm saying is, it's a dangerous business.