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Postigo, Alejandro 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7922-8953
(2025)
Language, Queer Migration, and the Reimagining of Copla in the UK.
In: 47th Comparative Drama Conference, London, UK.
(Submitted)
Abstract
Copla: A Spanish Cabaret is a solo performance that reimagines the traditional Spanish music genre of Copla through a queer, migrant lens. Historically censored under Franco’s dictatorship (1939–75) and later reclaimed by Spanish drag artists as an act of subversion, Copla’s journey exemplifies the resilience of cultural expression at the margins. This performance introduces Copla to UK audiences for the first time in English, bridging linguistic and cultural divides while interrogating the challenges faced by migrant performers working in an Anglo-centric theatre landscape.
As an artist who speaks English as an Additional Language (EAL), I navigate the complexities of performing across linguistic boundaries, where translation becomes both an artistic and cultural negotiation. Developed through practice-research and informed by my PhD in Intercultural Adaptation of Copla, the show blends live music, personal storytelling, and audience engagement to explore bilingualism, hybrid identities, and mid-level theatre production. By positioning Copla within the UK’s performance ecology, the work challenges industry frameworks that often sideline LGBTQ+ migrant voices. This paper examines how multilingual performers navigate linguistic, cultural, and institutional barriers, turning perceived limitations into artistic agency.
Reflecting on the 2025 run at The Other Palace and public engagement with UK-based organisations, this paper contributes to discussions on linguistic hybridity, the politics of cultural adaptation, and the role of the “in-between” in shaping theatre practice today.
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (Lecture) |
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| Related URLs: | |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Apr 2026 |
| URI: | https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/14886 |
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