Press Quotes
“CELESTINA is a Spanish dialogue classic … Its marvellous central character … is part Mother Courage, part Fagin. She really controls the action and pulls the strings of the satellites who are compelled to orbit around her. Her charges are unattractive prostitutes and inadequates. They attract her customers such as cynical Sempronio, desperate and often funny Pármeno, and the young love-lorn Calisto. She also has a nice line in the honourable profession of creating virgins using needle and thread. Eventually, with Mother Celestina’s help and a little assistance from the Black Arts, most of these individuals receive satisfaction but it rarely makes them happy. The main plot line revolves around vain Calisto’s love for the unresponsive Melibea. The final scene is unbearably poignant, as Melibea explains her plight to her well-to-do father, prior to a dramatic, tragic death … The translation by Jo Clifford is modern and feisty and, at its best, often poetic. He emphasises that while this version is much shorter than the original, he has remained faithful to the structure and sentiments of de Rojas.” —Philip Fisher, The British Theatre Guide