The popular comedian continues on tour with ‘One man show’, making the leap to the US and Latin America
The versatile actor and presenter who rose to fame as an impersonator returns to the Teatre Coliseum in Barcelona, where he made his stage debut with a renewed show, with lots of new material and some of his classics. Those who only know him from ‘El Hormiguero’ and ‘Tu cara me suena’, will discover another Latre.
He was already with ‘One man show’ last year at the Coliseum and left people out due to covid restrictions. Is it the same or have you added new material?A lot has changed in the show. The good thing about this ‘show’ is that it is based on the present. This show started post-pandemic when we were still wearing masks and there were restrictions in the theater. And since today is different, so is the show.Count, count.-We will see Pedro Sánchez boasting of his European achievements and emulating Chanel with the ‘SloM0’, we will see the candidates for the Barcelona elections with Ada Colau and her proposals, Pere Aragonès and the issue of budgets, the theme of the World Cup. Messi who longs for Barça and Sergio Ramos for Madrid emulating C. Tangana and interpreting ‘You left me wanting’ or Florentino singing by Bizarrap and Quevedo. And a tribute to Serrat who says goodbye to the stage.There is also a tribute to humor classics.You can’t miss the classics like Gila and Pepe Rubianes, whom I imagine shooting with his irony the current reality of Barcelona with issues such as security on Las Ramblas, the disappearance of Club Capitol where he performed so much.Apart from ‘One man show’, he has two radio programs a week and appears on television in ‘El hormiguero’ and ‘Tu cara me suena’. Do you have free hours?Very few, especially at this time, because I also do more things that people don’t know about. But I’m happy: I do what I like and I make people have a good time.What is the secret to getting to everything?You have to be very monastic in these seasons. Now I have medical monitoring, a balanced diet. I have to lose a little weight that I have gained lately and do sports three or four times a week. And, of course, try to sleep 7 or 8 hours each day.Is the Latre of the theater very different from what we see on television?Anyone who has never seen me live is surprised. He does not expect this display of characters, songs. Although imitations are the base, there is much more. They are going to see a multidisciplinary artist because I sing, dance, interpret… I do a little of everything. I am transforming into a very positive, fun, white and family show. Everyone can connect with him and with the more than 100 voices or characters that appear for an hour and a half.And people connect with him.This ‘show’ is being crazy. In 17 cities we have 150,000 spectators.You are alone on stage but how many people are behind?We are 10 people and a script team behind us that has been with me for many years.
“In Spain we tend to label: this is an imitator and he dies an imitator. In addition to that, I feel attracted to many other disciplines”
It is the same as his programs, of course.We have great teams. Our production company is superformed by people who have known each other for a long time. It is a family where we all work very well. A marvel.He doesn’t seem like one of those comedians who radically change out of focus.It is true, some companions are very serious. I am not humorous. Humor is part of my life, it is my backbone. But I like the variety. In Spain we tend to label: this is an imitator and he dies an imitator. In addition to that, I feel attracted to many other disciplines on stage.He starred in the Spanish version of ‘Golfus de Roma’, currently at the Condal in Catalan.Interpreting that was a super challenge. She did 140 performances, 10 of them at the Teatro de Mérida. That was amazing. Being with that great company directed by Dani Anglès. I will always be grateful to him. It was very hard but very beautiful.Would you do a musical again?Of course, I would love to do one again and in another way. Now knowing what it means, I would do it with ‘cover’.
“If everything goes well we will go to Miami, New York, Mexico, Peru… The idea is that, although there is nothing yet”
What else is on your to-do list?Ugh! There are many challenges. But if I am 43 years old. I am made a youngster. I’ve had the opportunity to do a show on CBS in America and perform in the US once, but I still need to take my ‘show’ to Latin America and the US. I’m preparing a tour there for next year.Geez, well, he’ll have to look for new characters for the show.It will be a much more musical show made from this ‘One man show’. In fact, we are already working on it. If all goes well we will go to Miami, New York, Mexico, Peru… The idea is that, although there is nothing yet. I work with two teams of scriptwriters: a team for shows, company conventions and company presentations that write scripts based on current affairs; and then we have another team dedicated to ‘Your face sounds familiar to me’, the radio and the other activities that I do.Does making humor series not tempt you?No. I had the bad luck of making one years ago, ‘El mundo de Chema’, which was a resounding failure. It was my first production and I was absolutely ruined. The opportunity has not been given again but I am not afraid to try again. The problem is that in Spain they label you too much and that’s why there aren’t many opportunities for me, neither in series, nor in cinema, nor in fiction.
“There are great classics that you can see today and you keep laughing like Gila, Rubianes or Tip y Coll. Others have become old”
Is the humor sector in Spain better, the same or worse than when it started?It is different because humor evolves with the times. It is very much based on the present. There are great classics that you can see today and you keep laughing like Gila, Pepe Rubianes or Tip y Coll. Others have remained old, they made people laugh at a certain time but not anymore. We cannot judge the humor of another era with today’s eyes. Today in humor there is much more self-censorship. We are much more ‘polite’, ‘well fit’, everything is much more ‘happy flower’. We keep saying the same thing but you have to be more careful what you say and how you say it. I have never had problems because my humor is very white and familiar, but I have had colleagues who have had to slow down a bit. What they said years ago can no longer be said.And there are more women than before.Goodness! There have always been great female comedians from Lina Morgan to Mari Sampere to La Maña, Amparo Moreno… In La Cubana there have also been several wonderful comedic actresses. Luckily more and more space is being given to female humor and there are very good people. It is wonderful, how it has to be and to last!