“Felipe V: The king who turned out to be a Frog” monologue

This spring, the Lola Membrives venue at Teatro Lara becomes a small historical theatre of wonders. From 12 April to 21 June, David Botello’s monologue is performed here on Sundays, where, with humour and ingenuity, one of Spain’s strangest kings comes to life: Felipe V.

The audience enters a world where history intertwines with legend: the monarch inherited the throne from the “Bewitched” Carlos II, but his reign turned out to be complete chaos. He feared being poisoned through his clothes, refused to wash for years, and his toenails grew so much that he could not get out of bed. Hallucinations and strange fantasies—from the desire to ride tapestry horses to the sudden certainty that he had become a frog—only add incredible energy to the work.

Botello guides the audience through these curious, absurd moments with wit and light irony, turning Felipe V’s story into a living, almost fairy-tale-like account that makes you want to watch and listen, enjoying every strange twist of events.