From masterminding an elaborate heist targeting a global television audience to sharing intimate moments with 640 theatergoers each night, Álvaro Morte brings a different kind of dramatic tension to London’s West End. I have a feeling.
During a break at the Duke of York Theater in London, where he co-stars with Emily in Paris star Lily Collins in the play “Barcelona”, the Spanish “Money Heist” actor was occupied with screen work10 He looked back on returning to the theater after many years. “I love the atmosphere,” he says. variety. “I love the people from all over this wonderful, vibrant city.”
The play, which depicts a late-night encounter between an American traveler and a Spaniard, gives Morte a complex character with multiple layers. “I was given the opportunity to play a guy who was, in a sense, doing two things at the same time,” he says. “When you have a character that you can keep discovering layers upon layers of, that’s always very interesting for any actor.”
Morte suggests that the play touches on important historical events in Spain, avoiding spoilers for the plot, which unfolds from what appears to be a casual encounter into something more political. “I’m very happy to play a Spanish man who talks about something very important that happened in Spain a few years ago,” he says.
The intimate Duke of York Theater, which seats approximately 640 people, has proven to be ideal for performances. “The stage is very connected to the audience,” Morte explains. “You feel like you’re being embraced by the audience and you realize how connected we are to people.” This connection has already created unforgettable moments. After a recent performance, he met fans who had traveled from Japan to see the show. “Please tell me what you want to do as an actor. I want to make it worth it for her to come from Japan,” he says.
Working with Collins is a highlight of the experience. Before accepting the role, Morte arranged a Zoom call with her, he in Mallorca and she in Copenhagen, to ensure they had enough chemistry for the grueling 90-minute two-person play with no intermission.
“You need to feel like you can work together,” he says. “It was so easy from the beginning. She’s so nice, nice, funny, a great professional and a great actress. It was such a great experience working with her.”
Morte’s theatrical roots run deep in Spain, where he began his career working with stars such as Concha Velasco and notable directors such as Andrés Lima and José Tamayo. He then founded his own troupe, 300 Pistolas, which produced Spanish productions ranging from Lope de Vega’s El Perro del Alterano to Federico García Lorca’s La Casa de Bernarda Alba. He directed and performed classical works.
In order to return to stage work, I had to adjust my performance style. “There are some bases that come from the same place in terms of how we find emotion,” he says. “But the language is completely different. There are some things you can do in front of the camera, but it’s very small nuances and you have to find a way to work in the theater and you have to get to the back row of the theater. It’s a completely different code than what you use on stage.
Director Lynette Linton created what Morte describes as “a very safe and comfortable place to work and develop your creativity as an actor.” Playwright Beth Wall was present at rehearsals, optimizing the text and helping make the play “understandable and enjoyable for audiences,” Morte said.
Morte’s career has expanded internationally since his role as a professor in “The Money Heist” on Netflix became a global hit. “It changed completely in that I started getting international offers and got to work with some of my director and acting colleagues that I had dreamed of working with all those years ago. ” he says. One such dream collaboration is the upcoming film “Ocho” with acclaimed Spanish director Julio Medem.
“When I was young, I studied theater arts at this school and was fascinated by Julio Medem’s work,” Morte recalls. “He called me once and said, ‘Hi, I’m Julio Medem.’ He said, ‘I wrote this character with my father in mind, and I’d be really honored if you did that.’ I was killed.”
Additionally, Morte appears in Gerardo Herrero’s new spy film Raqa, where he speaks in English, Spanish, and Arabic. “I had to learn lines in Arabic like someone who is not Arab but has lived in those countries for a long time,” he says. “That was a big challenge.”
There are plans to produce, but for now Morte is firmly focused on connecting with “Barcelona” and West End audiences. “My purpose is…to have them forget everything about the rest of their lives and just enjoy the play here, all of us here together,” he says.
“Barcelona” is playing at the Duke of York Theater until January 11th.
