A Taste of Spain: Toro! Toro! at the Northcott Theatre

A wonderful story of a young boy growing up in the Andalusían countryside just before the Spanish Civil War throws his life into chaos, this staging of Toro! Toro!, produced by Poonamallee Productions in association with Exeter Northcott Theatre, is not only fascinating for its historical context but also for its overall articulation of ethical and moral dilemmas. The dramatic effect of the one-man production is striking.

Gary Turner does a fantastic job, his enthralling portrayal of young Antonito bringing both laughter and sadness, and his Spanish accent remaining believable throughout! There is lots of authentic Spanish music and singing against the never-changing background of the Andalusían sky, which conjures a beautiful vision of an almost forgotten Spain. This was a thoroughly enjoyable theatre experience.

Originally produced by Salisbury Playhouse and first performed in 2010, Toro! Toro! follows Antonito's growth from a five-year-old boy to a 20-year-old man, during one of the most turbulent periods in Spain's history. During these 15 years, everything changes in his peaceful village of Sauceda, as Civil War wreaks havoc through the country, destroying the innocence of his youth.

Sauceda was, in fact, the first example in Europe of deliberate aerial bombardment of a civilian population, causing a national and international outcry. Since then, of course, we have seen the same thing happening all over the world in Guernica, Warsaw, London etc. At the time of Sauceda's attack though, it was still something completely new, and utterly terrifying.

In Toro! Toro! the horrific violence of the Civil War parallels Antonito's first experience of the Spanish bullfight, something he finds both beautiful and distressing. In particular, this is due to the fact that he has developed a very close relationship with a little bull calf he helped rear, Paco. Antonito sees his Uncle Juan, the great hero, “el bailarín” ('the dancer') fighting a dance of death with a similarly magnificent creature, and hates it. Determined to save Paco from a similar end, he releases all the cattle from his father's farm one fateful night, and runs away with them. This is the night he sees his beloved village razed to the ground, incinerated until “there was nothing left to burn”, only managing to survive himself because he was with his Paco.

His mother, father and (so he believes) sister María are all lost in the flames, along with his friends, home and the rest of his extended family. But Paco still lives. He becomes a great symbol of hope, both for Antonito and for the civilians in surrounding villages, who report seeing a “fantasma negro” ('black phantom') challenging the enemy soldiers. Antonito immediately knows that this ghostly figure is Paco, appearing out of the shadows of the woods and charging the attackers. 

In the end, it is his Uncle Juan who comes to save Antonito, taking him and some other refugees into the caves in the hills to escape the soldiers. He once again becomes Antonito's hero, despite his murderous bullfighting past, showing “great heart” and human strength. During those months in the hills, Antonito realises how important it is to remember that there is “more kindness than evil” in humankind. He eventually finds his sister, and Uncle Juan sends them both away to the safety of Málaga, not wanting them to witness the impending arrival of the enemy soldiers.

Although originally aimed at a young audience, the touching story and history behind Toro! Toro! would definitely appeal to people of all ages, and I absolutely loved it.