Alberto Agüero: A remarkable creator is back

Theatregoers Choice
by Amalia Cuestas

GESTOS & Tap is a show based on a rich imagination, great poetry and refined humour. This new Alberto Agüero production has enabled us, once again, to admire the talent of a remarkable creator.

Structured around a dozen sketches, the production deals with intelligence and fantasy on human feelings, and internal needs. Sentiment is what best defines the intrinsic nature of this appealing production, don in Agüero's characteristic good taste. Here we have a subtle combination of "tap," mimicry, dancing and -most of all- an able succession of brilliant ideas, expressed through a most particular language: gestures, and their immense descriptive potential.

Gestures are enhanced by the quality of the music (Cole Porter, Nino Rota, Glenn Miller, among others) that helps to strengthen the different brief plots. Starting with Entre Silencios, the programme covers colourful moments entitled Alter-acciones, Oh, el amor...!,Desde que se fue..., El prestidigitador y su partenaire, and others. Together they are a lively demonstration of theatrical quality and tap and dancing expertise.

Alberto Agüero -actor, dancer, mime, acrobat- is very well supported by Carmen Márquez and Mónica Povoli: these two able performers offer solid work all along.

Accompanying Agüero, or appearing together, these two young women are flawless. Both deserve especial praise. The degree of excellence of the sketches is high, tough, as invariably happens, we tough some of them more attractive. We particularly enjoyed the scenes in Desde que se fue... and in , plus El prestidigitador y su partenaire, La Pasión, and Flor de Vida. Tough it is original, we thing El médico is rather longish. But this is, of course, quite an unimportant remark. What counts is the general brilliance of this production that clearly underlines the importance of real talent as the vital element in a show. For there are practically no visual distractions. Props are scarce (only two chairs) and thus, attention is fixed on acting itself, and on costumes, a most important contribution by María de los Ángeles Favale. This skilful trio, their faces painted white, manage to captivate the audience with their sheer body mastership. They are tops: funny and effective from start to finish. They are delightful to watch. There shrewd message is conveyed by magic instances, lots of spontaneous, elegant plasticity. The famous prize-winner artist for El Circo (Molière 1985 Award) has renewed his contact with the public, and has done it in his usually consistent, solid manner. Definitely, a show not to miss. (Empire; 1934 Hipólito Yrigoyen St. Tel. 951-1200. Friday & Sunday at 9pm; Saturday at 11pm.)