An eclectic evening of bite-sized plays, ranging from delicious pieces to others still finding their flavour.
If Short & Mighty recalls Spain’s tapas culture with its show-hopping model, Instituto Cervantes proves the perfect host for this dynamic theatre event, in which five new short plays run in rotation across the building. Produced in collaboration with Untold Collectiv, this micro-theatre experience offers an evening of stories about power, each performance with a limited audience of fifteen people.
The micro-theatre model (indeed coined in Madrid) may echo immersive experiences or short play nights, but it has its own particularities. In Short & Mighty, audiences
are divided into groups with colour-coded programmes indicating the performances’ running order, room and time. Each group then journeys across the building’s four
floors, the atmosphere quiet and organised.
Unlike immersive theatre, the venue itself is not part of the world, and moving between performances feels like pressing a pause button. The brief expeditions between shows become a subtle bonding experience, as audiences find their way together and chat in whispers while the next show resets.
Every bite-sized story brings different flavours to the table: from surreal comedy to grounded realism, from tension-heavy drama to absurdist scenarios. Those with a blue programme begin with a strong opening in Spread, by Maya Owen (directed by Felipe Jara, performed by Helena Westerman, Isio Ighofose, and Bradley Tiffin). A queer young woman, a self-absorbed teenager and a mythical drag being find themselves stuck on a late-night train. Vibrant and witty, this surreal encounter explores personal space and nudges us to resist snap judgements, landing as a playful piece with a feel-good aftertaste.
Next comes Raquel Bartra’s Devolved (directed by Emma J Lever and performed by Farbod Montazeri and Esther O’Loughlin), in which a disillusioned politician is unexpectedly made Mayor of his hometown. None of his fellow townsmen seems to understand what that entails, except one: an old, power-hungry friend. A tale of
political blackmail, the dialogue traces a clear path but is short of dramatic drive. While it doesn’t quite ignite the turmoil faced by those in power, it remains a timely piece discussing the weight of leadership.
In The Target, by Diana Hognogi (directed by Raian Moore, performed by Sammy Attalah, David Hebb, and Shashank Sharma), two broke flatmates swim the deep web waters in a naïve attempt to make money, which spirals into a life-threatening enterprise. The piece is playful and packed with twists, and even if comedy and tension don’t fully land, its premise feels sharply relevant in times of financial
precarity.
Then follows Children of the Empire, by Jake Turner Chan (directed by Sofia Zaragoza, performed by Marisol Rojas and Tristan Pretty), in which a father and daughter drive through the city, quietly removing English flags. A powerful interaction neatly encapsulated, it evokes a political landscape in a deeply intimate way. The pair give truthful performances and achieve a moving 3D quality, their rebellious night ride revealing both disenchantment and hope.
A gripping duo brings to life Jessica’s Trap, by Laura Bay (directed by Rebeca Pereira, performed by Durassie Kiangangu and Chloe Wigmore), in which a woman finds herself captive in a room with a colleague she barely knows; though he knows everything about her. Impactful from the start, the room holds a quiet, breath-held
tension as we trace the layered psyche of a man caught between devotion and obsession.
An eclectic evening with varied outcomes, Short & Mighty is perfect for the curious theatregoer. At its best, it truly hones proximity to magnify the stories’ resonance, and captures how brief moments can carry lasting weight. Together, these pieces offer a reminder of how unstable and shape-shifting power can be.