Departures of note

Ángel Alonso was a leading figure in Catalan theatre and television for over five decades. As a director, playwright, adapter and theatre manager, he premiered 78 productions throughout his career, including 22 original texts and 18 adaptations and translations that attracted more than 3.5 million spectators.

Alonso was one of the founders and served as director of Barcelona's Teatro Villarroel from 1972 until the early 2000s. During this period, the theatre became a launching pad for major Catalan companies including Comediants, Els Joglars, Tricicle and Dagoll Dagom. The venue served as an important cultural and political hub during the final years of Franco's regime, providing a stage for companies from Madrid and other cities that could not premiere elsewhere.

His most celebrated directorial achievement was the Catalan production of Neil Simon's 'The Odd Couple' (La extraña pareja), which premiered in 1994 starring Joan Pera and Paco Morán. The production became an unprecedented success, running for over five years with more than 2,000 performances and one million spectators, culminating in a farewell show at Palau Sant Jordi before 17,000 attendees. Another major success was 'Historias de la puta mili', an adaptation of Ivà's comic that drew over half a million spectators during its five-year run.

In television, Alonso worked from 1974 to 1994 as a screenwriter, director and producer for RTVE in Barcelona, contributing to over 200 programs. Among his most notable contributions were four 13-episode drama series and the creation, direction and production of 'Planeta Imaginari', a reference children's television program that received multiple awards. He also maintained an important teaching career, instructing masters and postgraduate programs in audiovisual dramaturgy at various universities.