In our ongoing Edinburgh Fringe interview series, we are speaking to artists and creatives who are bringing their shows to the Scottish capital this summer.
In this interview, Copla: A Spanish Cabaret discusses their show Alejandro Postigo.
What can you tell me in your words about your show?
Copla: A Spanish Cabaret is a love letter to Spain’s most iconic musical genre, but queered, decolonised, and reimagined by a migrant. It’s a bilingual cabaret-theatre show that uses storytelling, humour and live music to explore identity, belonging, and survival through copla songs... performed for the first time in English.
Where did the inspiration for this piece come from?
Copla was everywhere when I was growing up — blaring from televisions, variety shows, and my neighbours’ radios. It was dramatic, glamorous, and full of forbidden stories. Later, as a queer migrant in the UK, I felt drawn back to it — not out of nostalgia, but as a way to explore identity, loss, and resilience through a genre that shaped Spain’s emotional landscape. With this show I reclaim my heritage on my terms — with heels, heartbreak, humour political defiance.
How have you approached developing the show?
It’s been a layered journey—I've even done a whole PhD on the intercultural adaptation of Copla! For years, I’ve researched the genre’s political history, translated songs into English, and performed them through my own queer, migrant lens. More recently, I’ve worked closely with collaborators in music, design, and direction to bring Copla into dialogue with contemporary audiences, helping people discover and connect with this rich and complex tradition.
How would you describe the style of the show?
Think Spanish folklore meets queer cabaret meets political drag. It’s theatrical, musical, and deeply intimate. There are big emotions, feathers, and bold truths – sung directly to the audience, with glitter in one hand and civil war memory in the other.
Can you describe the show in 3 words?
Queer. Exiled. Unapologetic.
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a run like the Fringe?
When I feel overwhelmed by the logistics and intensity of the Fringe, I remind myself why I’m telling these stories,and I return to Copla and its power to connect. Performing it lifts me, but it’s the post-show conversations with audiences that truly recharge me.
Away from your show, what are you most looking forward to about being in Edinburgh?
The social buzz, the thrilling stories that don’t usually get centre stage — let’s see how many shows a day I can squeeze in!
Are there any other shows at the Fringe you’d like to recommend?
I'm also directing Miss Brexit daily at Underbelly Bristo Square, so it's a double adventure! I’m excited to share the Fringe with brilliant colleagues bringing shows like Jeezus, Saria Callas, and Degenerate. I'm excited about seeing more queer migrant voices this year — keep an eye out for shows that centre lived experience, especially anything political in a fabulous costume!
What was the first piece of theatre you saw which had a big impact on you?
Por los ojos de Raquel Meller, a bio-musical I saw in Madrid 20 years ago, opened my world to the theatrical potential of copla: how it existed, how it was performed, and how it could be reimagined. Since then, I’ve been drawn to interactive theatre: cabaret, immersive, or anything that breaks the fourth wall and invites the audience into the story. If meaningfully done, that exchange often stays with you.
What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?
That Copla isn’t just nostalgia, it’s protest. I want people to feel entertained but also shaken, like they’ve glimpsed a hidden part of Spanish history reframed through queerness and exile. And maybe… to hum a copla on the way home.
Where and when can people see your show?
We’re at Assembly Underground from 31 July to 24 August, every day at 18.40h. Book via assemblyfestival.com or check our Linktree for more info.
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