Sadler’s Wells, London
June 19, 2026
For the Flamenco Festival’s Gala Flamenca, artistic director Mañuel Linan created a cohesive, well-designed evening that proved that less is more. With flamenco from Eva Yerbabuena, El Farru, Juan Tomás de la Molía and Linan himself, and with a visual theme of red and black and an evocative lighting plot, it married solid, largely traditional, flamenco with slick presentation.
Two guitarists (Paco Jarana and Francisco Vinuesa) and four singers (Mara Rey, Juan de la Maria, Manuel de Ginés and Sebastien del Puerto) completed the line up with the addition of a percussionist (Daniel Suárez). I am not keen on the addition of drum kits to flamenco. It seemed especially superfluous here, with so many singers providing four lots of palmas (rhythmic clapping) and it drowned out some of El Farru’s zapateado (footwork).
Photo Hirohisa Aoyagi
On the subject of zapateado, there was an extensive opening section of footwork, with subtle lighting, the black-clad performers providing a wall of dance. This was nothing if not an evening that demanded stamina.
Mara Rey was not to my taste either. I found her forced and emoting rather than producing feelings that appear to well up from the depths. And she really needs to secure her hair flowers too. To misquote Oscar Wilde, to lose one flower may be regarded as misfortune…
Linan’s signature piece was Allegrias danced in a traditional bata de cola dresswith manton (scarf) although later, clad in a red suit, he proved that he can channel his masculine side too and held his own opposite El Farru and Juan Tomás de la Molía. One element of the drum kit was evocative as Suárez touched a cymbal to illustrate the flecos (decorative fringes) of the scarf flying into the air. There was an especially effective silencio section of the allegries which provided an apt contrast with the zapateado and the dramatic scarf.
Eva Yerbabuena finished with a lovely song. Here we saw all the sincerity that I felt was lacking in Mara Rey and again, the lighting was effective.
The finale, as expected, left everyone in a lighter mood, finishing with tangos as they had already given bulerias.
There were clearly aficionados in the house and it was heartening to hear plenty of vocal support from the audience as well as from on stage to add authenticity.