Calderon: Three Plays

The Mayor of Zalamea, Life’s a Dream, The Great Theatre of the World

In The Mayor of Zalamea, commissioned by the Royal National Theatre, peasants’ honour clashes with military discipline. Life’s a Dream is Calderón’s most famous philosophical play. The Great Theatre of the World is an allegorical work that would originally have been performed in the street to the accompaniment of music and dancing.

Born in Madrid, he was educated by the Jesuits, studies law and philosophy, and for 10 years served in the Milanese and in Flanders. Adrian Mitchell was a much-loved playwright, poet and activist. His work in the theatre spans more than four decades. It includes original plays, many of them based on his heroes including William Blake, Mark Twain and Erik Satie, and adaptations of Spanish Golden Age and Russian classics. He worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and the Unicorn Theatre and his plays have been performed across the world.