We first met Jorge de Juan (Cartagena, 1961) when we interviewed him a while back in 2014. Back then, he was telling us about his return to London and plans of setting up The Spanish Theatre Company in the capital…
Adapted and directed by the National Theatre of Scotland’s Artistic Director Laurie Sansom and designed by Spanish stage designer Ana Inés Jabares Pita (winner of the 2013 Linbury Prize for Stage Design), ‘The Driver’s Seat’ is the first theatrical presentation of Muriel Spark’s psychologically thrilling 1970 short novel which plays at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and tramway, Glasgow from 13 June 2015.
On a sunny London morning in February, we meet Jorge de Juan, Spanish actor, director and producer who came to live in London just a few months ago, following a long career in Spain. He tells us that in the short space of time since he arrived, he has been to see more than fifty plays in the capital. Amongst these, of course, are a handful of Spanish classics performed at the Arcola Theatre in Hackney.
A video presentation featuring the ‘Linbury Prize 2013’ finalists, featuring Ana Inés Jabares Pita, overall winner of the Linbury Prize for stage design. She is the first Spaniard to receive the accolade.
I came to London to do an MA in Set Design at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. It has really opened my eyes and given me lots of great opportunities. I am currently a member of the Society of British Designers and I have contributed to their magazine, Blue Pages. I started working with Second Skin Theatre just a few days after I handed in the final project for my Masters. Real life is not at all like working on speculative projects, there are so many limitations: space, budget… but in some sense I can turn these to my advantage; it allows me to use my creativity to the full