Theatre in Basque on the international stage: Miñan and Erreka Mari

On 6 June 2025, two plays will be performed in Basque outside of Euskal Herria, on two different continents. Basque will take centre stage in South America and Europe.

In Colombia, at the Teatro Mayor in Bogotá, Egoitz Sánchez´s company, Doña Perfectita, will perform the play ´Erreka Mari´; at the same time, in Corti, Corsica, Artedrama will perform ´Miñan´ at the Pascale Paoli University Theatre. Both performances reinforce the international presence of theatre in the Basque language, as both will be performed entirely in Euskara with subtitles in Spanish and Corsican, respectively.

Miñan

´Miñan´ is the story of Ibrahima Balde’s migration, which Balde shared with Amets Arzallus, who then wrote it in Basque. Brought to the stage by Artedrama, the story offers a powerful account of the journey from Africa to Europe, highlighting the dangers, losses, and hopes experienced along the way.

The work´s impact is unparalleled. It has been translated into several languages, including English, French, Italian and Catalan. It received the Euskadi Silver Award in 2020 and has been praised by several high-profile figures, including Pope Francis I, for its power and ability to connect with readers.

Today, ´Miñan´ is well on its way to becoming one of the most widely read books in the Basque language, and people have played their part in making this happen. The stage adaptation, directed by Ander Lipus, Manex Fuch and Philippe Doucourt, premiered at the Arriaga Theatre in Bilbao in October 2024. Since then, theatres have been filling up, with audiences warmly welcomed by Ander Lipus, Sambou Diavy, Eidera Fernández de Larrea and Mikel Kaye.

Erreka Mari

The play ´Erreka Mari´ (´Cola de pez´), which is set in the 1990s, will be performed in Bogotá. Based on the life of Egoitz Sánchez, it explores themes such as memory, childhood and the creation of identity, offering personal insights into issues like media stereotypes, bullying and the hypersexualisation of children.

This work will be included in the Julio Mario Santo Domingo Teatro Mayor´s annual programme for ´Diversity and Pride Month´. The programme on 6 June will open the Basque Window programme in Colombia. The play was developed under the direction of Javier Lara from the Doña Perfectita theatre company.