Teatro Principal

Teatro Principal is a historic theatre in Monóvar (Catalan: Monòver), a small town in the province of Alicante best known as the birthplace of writer Azorín. Standing on Calle Quiles Mollá, the building has served as the town's main stage for more than a century and a half, though what stands there today is actually the result of several rebuilds rather than a single unbroken structure.

When was the theatre built?

The project began in the summer of 1857, when a group of well-off local landowners formed a company to give Monóvar its own venue. Work moved fast enough that the theatre opened during the September patronal festivities of 1858, with a performance of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" marking the occasion. At that point it was known simply as Teatro de Monóvar.

Why did it become "Teatro Principal"?

A significant remodel followed in 1910: five central boxes were removed to make way for regular seating, the orchestra pit was enlarged, the stage was shortened, and the space was adapted to show films as cinema was becoming popular. The name changed to Teatro Principal in 1924, after a rival venue called the Kursaal opened elsewhere in town — the old name no longer set it apart.

What happened to the original building?

The nineteenth-century structure did not survive intact. A demolition request was filed in 1953 and carried out shortly after, with only the side walls of the original theatre kept while the rest was rebuilt. The reconstructed venue reopened during the September festivities of 1954 with a screening of the film "The Kiss of Judas," and from then on operated as a combined cinema and theatre under the name Teatro-Cine Principal.

What is the theatre like today?

By the late 1980s the building had closed, and the town council voted in 1988 to acquire it, a purchase that was finalised the following year. Restoration work starting in 1999 brought back the classic horseshoe layout typical of Italian-style theatres, and a further refurbishment completed in 2002 gave the building its current form. Teatro Principal now seats 702 people and regularly hosts theatre productions, concerts, and other cultural events organised by the town.

Frequently asked questions

How many seats does Teatro Principal in Monóvar have? The auditorium holds 702 spectators.

Why is it called "Principal" if that wasn't its original name? It was renamed in 1924 after a second venue, the Kursaal, opened in Monóvar, making it necessary to tell the two theatres apart.

Is today's building the same one from the 19th century? Only partly. After the 1953 demolition, only the original side walls were preserved, and the rest was rebuilt almost entirely; the current appearance dates from the 1999 restoration and the 2002 refurbishment.

Where exactly is the theatre located? On Calle Quiles Mollá in central Monóvar, in the province of Alicante.