Selkie Tour
From 7 to 21 July, we immersed ourselves in the world of Selkie. Although we commissioned and premiered this work by Brais González in 2024, we have been working ever since to take its staging to a whole new level. In this article, we share all the details of the Selkie Tour 2026: how the work has evolved and what is still to come in the future.
A stage production always requires a considerable investment, not only in financial and material resources, but also in time and effort. This new version of Selkie would not have been possible without the support of the European Union Youth Orchestra, which recognised our project with the EUYO Café Bauhaus Award 2026. Thanks to the support of this important institution, we were not only able to take the work to four different cities, but also to learn from two exceptional professionals: Brais González and Laura Moise.
It was with Brais and Laura that we shared the first few days of our residency. From 7 to 15 July, we spent long working days at the Act&Play theatre school. We devoted the first day to re-recording the work’s voice-over narration.
The days went by amid the sweltering Gandía summer heat and rehearsals, both musical and theatrical. One of the new features of this revival was the new costumes, designed by Eva Mula and Pau Fernández, whose excellent work received wonderful feedback from our audiences.
Our first performance would take place at the Teatre del Raval in Gandía, where we would also make a professional recording of the show. With almost everything ready, the day of the revival was getting closer!
And of course, between rehearsals, we managed to enjoy a paella or two! A huge thank you to Sira’s mother for welcoming us so warmly and for all her care and support throughout our time together.
On the evening of 16 July, the Teatre del Raval was completely full for Selkie. The new version moved and surprised the audience. After all the effort and care we had poured into the project, it was incredibly rewarding to see people leaving the theatre with so much to reflect on.
As you can see in the photographs, another new feature of this version is the projections, designed by Laia Pellicer. For the recording and premiere in Gandía, we were also joined by Ana Belén Sánchez Valenzuela, who was responsible for hairstyling. Our thanks to the Teatre del Raval for welcoming our production, and especially to the theatre technician, Ximet Gonga.
The performance in Gandía had been a great success, and the tour was only just beginning. On Saturday the 18th, we said goodbye to the sweltering Valencia heat and travelled to Ribadeo for the second performance of the tour. There, not only did we face some uncertainty regarding the staging possibilities at the Auditorio Hernán Naval, but we also encountered an unexpected setback: Spain had reached the World Cup final, and the match was scheduled at almost exactly the same time as our performance.
First, we moved the concert forward to 7:00 p.m.
Second, we spent part of the morning playing music in the streets of Ribadeo and handing out flyers in the hope of attracting potential audience members.
The performance in Ribadeo was warmly received, and we were very pleased with the audience turnout. Some familiar faces also came along to see us, and we successfully overcame all the technical challenges we encountered. Incidentally, none of this would have been possible without all the lighting, sound and cabling equipment that Brais brought to the project. We could not have asked for a better technician – or a better tour companion.
By Monday, 20 July, we were already in Cambados for the third performance of the tour. The conditions at the Auditorio da Xuventude presented us with a new set of challenges, but after a race against the clock, the performance went ahead without a hitch. Many of our family members also joined us that day, and we are deeply grateful for their unwavering support and affection.
The day of our final Selkie performance had arrived. Valladares welcomed us to its Centro Cultural e Veciñal with the help of our teacher and friend Tomás Alonso. It was truly special to bring the tour to a close in a place like Valladares, somewhere that means a great deal to us through our work as guest teachers at the Vigo Sax Forum, and to do so surrounded by so many familiar faces.
The Selkie Tour 2026 had come to an end! But don’t worry: Selkie will return next season, and over the coming months we will be sharing previously unseen videos and photographs from the project. See you soon!
