The Teatro Fernán Gómez (previously Centro Cultural de la Villa de Madrid) is a theatre and cultural centre in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

History

Located near the

Plaza de Colón Plaza de Colón (; ) is located in the encounter of Chamberí, Centro and Salamanca districts of Madrid, Spain. This plaza and its fountain commemorate the explorer Christopher Columbus, whose name in Spanish was Cristóbal Colón. Monuments ...

in the

Jardines del Descubrimiento Jardines del Descubrimiento (translated into English as ''Gardens of Discovery'') is a park in the Spanish city of Madrid, located next to the Plaza de Colón. Dedicated to the discovery of America (the first contact between Europeans and native p ...

, the theatre was inaugurated on 15 May 1977. Since its early days, its programme has featured plays by both classical and contemporary authors, as well as other events such as concerts and exhibitions. One of its first major events was hosting the 1977 OTI Festival. In 2007, the theatre adopted the name of actor and author

Fernando Fernán Gómez Fernando Fernández Gómez (28 August 1921 – 21 November 2007), better known as Fernando Fernán Gómez, was a Spanish actor, screenwriter, film director, theater director, novelist, and playwright. Prolific and outstanding in all these fiel ...

, who had died that year. In September 2013, the

City Council of Madrid The City Council of Madrid () is the top-tier administrative and governing body of Madrid, the capital and biggest city of Spain. The city council is composed by three bodies: the mayor, who leads the city council and the executive branch of it; ...

dismissed the director of the theatre and announced its intention to privatize its management, sparking outrage in the cultural world. The council eventually conceded.

Structure

The theatre has three rooms. The main one, ''Sala Guirau'', has a capacity for 682 people. The secondary ''Sala Jardiel Poncela'' (also known simply as ''Sala Dos'') can accommodate up to 175 people. The third room is an exhibition hall (''Sala de exposiciones'') with a surface area of .

Other uses

The theatre has hosted funerals of celebrated artists on several occasions throughout the years, with those of

Lola Flores María Dolores "Lola" Flores Ruiz (; 21 January 1923 – 16 May 1995) was a Spanish actress, (flamenco dancer) and singer. Born in Jerez de la Frontera, Flores became interested in the performing arts at a very young age. Known for her overwhe ...

(1995),

Rocío Jurado María del Rocío Mohedano Jurado (, 18 September 1943 – 1 June 2006), better known as Rocío Jurado, was a Spanish singer and actress. She was born in Chipiona (Cádiz) and nicknamed "La más grande" ("The Greatest"). In 2000 in New York Ci ...

(2006), and

Tony Leblanc Ignacio Fernández Sánchez (7 May 1922 – 24 November 2012) better known as Tony Leblanc was a Spanish actor, director, and comedian. Biography Tony Leblanc was born on the grounds of the Museo del Prado at Madrid, where his family liv ...

(2012) being notable examples.

References

External links

* Culture in Madrid Theatres in Madrid Theatres in Spain 1977 establishments in Spain Theatres completed in 1977 Buildings and structures in Recoletos neighborhood, Madrid Entertainment venues in Madrid Cultural centers in Spain {{Europe-theat-struct-stub