Dr Alejandro Postigo
Alejandro Postigo is a theatre artist and researcher with keen interest in musical theatre and cultural exchange, and a PhD from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a thesis in ‘Intercultural Adaptation of Copla’. He is leader of HisPanic Breakdown, a young theatre collective exploring issues of cultural and sexual identity through original collaborations between English and Spanish artists. Past projects include ‘Wondering Thoughts’ (Bangkok, 2014), ‘Men on the Verge of a HisPanic Breakdown’ (USA, 2009), and ‘The Copla Musical’ (2014-20) recently seen in Europe and South America. In London, Alejandro has participated in projects such as the West End production of ‘In The Heights’, TV sitcom ‘Episodes’ (BBC) and regularly collaborates with the Royal Ballet since 2012. He is due to appear in Arthur Pita’s latest production ‘Ten Sorry Tales’ (Sadler’s Wells, 2022).
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Qualifications
- BA Media Studies, Film and Journalism. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2006.
- MA Music Theatre, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (University of London). London, 2010.
- PhD, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (University of London). London, 2019.
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Memberships
FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy)PSi (Performance Studies International)IFTR (International Federation of Theatre Research)MTN (Musical Theatre Network)YVGN (Young Vic Genesis Network)
Teaching
Courses taught:
- Course Leader of the MA Acting and Theatre Making.
- Lecturer in BA Musical Theatre: Acting Through Song, Movement and Research modules.
- Link Tutor to Academic Partner Institutions: Tanzwerk101, Dundee & Angus College, Creative Academy & Addict Dance Academy.
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Research and publications
Book chapters
2022: ‘The Queerness of Copla: musical hope for the Spanish LGBTQ’ in Anthology on Gender and Sexuality in Musical Theatre, ed. by Kelly Kessler, Intellect (upcoming).
2019: ‘The evolution of musical theatre in Spain throughout the 20th and 21st centuries’ in Reframing the Musical: Race, Culture, and Identity, ed. by Sarah Whitfield, Palgrave, pp.111-128.
2018: ‘A political evolution of copla’ in Music on Stage Volume III, ed. by Fiona Jane Schopf, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 155-171.
2016: ‘New insights into the notion of interculturalism and hybridity in musical theatre’ in Music on Stage Volume II, ed. by Fiona Jane Schopf, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 96-110.
2014: ‘Rediscovering Spanish Musical Theatre: Exploring an Intercultural Adaptation of copla’ in Music on Stage, ed. by Fiona Jane Schopf, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 184-197.
Journal articles
2021. ‘Adapting Copla: The interplay of languages in making The Copla Musical’. European Journal of Theatre and Performance, Issue 3, pp.214-255
2018: ‘In conversation with Naz Yeni: crossovers and connections between new writing, exile and migration in Spanish and Turkish Traditions’. Book 2.0, 8 (1-2), pp. 85-100.
2017: ‘El musical del siglo XXI’. Fundación Juan March, Ensayos de teatro musical español, 19 (march.es).
2015. ‘The Copla Musical: exchanges between English and Spanish musical theatre’. Acotaciones, 34, pp. 53-81.
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Conferences
2021. ‘The Copla Musical: Escapist Songs for Marginal Collectives from the Spain of Franco to the Rest of the World’ Outing the Past (UK/online).
2021. Musical Theatre Brexit: the future of Anglo- Centric musical theatre training, Song, Stage & Screen XV, University of Salzburg & Linz (Austria/online).
2020. ‘The Copla Cabaret: Presenting Spanish Copla in the 21st century’. IASPM UK & Ireland, London College of Music, UWL.
2019. ‘Cultural Elasticity and Adaptability’. Performance Studies International, University of Calgary (Canada).
2019. ‘Spanish history made into an international musical’. Song, Stage and Screen XIV, University of Leeds.
2018. ‘Labelling the historical development of Spanish musical theatre’. Music on stage, Rose Bruford.
2018. ‘Transforming Copla for International audiences’. Comparative Drama Conference, Rollins College (Orlando, USA).
2017. ‘The Spanish Musical of the 21st Century’. Song, Stage and Screen XII, Guilford School of Acting.
2017. ‘Making ‘The Copla Musical’: developing a PaR methodology’. Interweaving cultures, University of Malta.
2016. ‘PaR and interculturalism in musical theatre’. IFTR-FIRT (University of Stockholm), Musical Theatre group.
2015. ‘The Impact of Spanish Copla in Anglophone musical theatre’. Intersections, RCSSD.
2015. 'Imposing star systems: the political popularization of role models’. Song, Stage and Screen X, Regent’s University.
2014. ‘Interculturalism and hybridity in musical theatre’, Music on stage, Rose Bruford.
2013. ‘Copla & Flamenco outside Spanish borders’, Flamenco in the media. Spanish National Library.
2013. 'The Copla Musical: the challenges of adaptation’. Song, Stage and Screen VIII, RCSSD.
2012. ‘The development of an intercultural musical’. Music on stage, Rose Bruford.
2012. 'The Copla Musical: An intercultural approach to Spanish folklore’. Song, Stage and Screen VII, University of Groningen (Holland).
2012. ‘Interculturally adapting Copla’. Contemporary Ethnography and Traditional Performance, University of Chester.
