Barcelona, the 1970s. The city was moving to a new rhythm, leaving one era behind and cautiously, hopefully, looking towards another. On Avinguda del Paral·lel, the legendary artery of Barcelona’s entertainment scene, the echo of the great nights of vaudeville and revue still resonated, although the neon lights now competed with the growing shadow of television and cinema. Amidst this crossroads, one theatre proudly flew the flag for popular, local entertainment: the Arnau Theatre. Let’s travel back to those years to rediscover the life of this emblematic venue in Poble Sec, a witness to and protagonist of its time.
The Show Went On: The Realm of Revue and Variety The Arnau of the ’70s didn’t aim to revolutionise the theatrical scene, but rather to perfect the art of entertaining its loyal audience. Its stage was the vibrant setting for the musical revue, that genuinely Barcelonian genre combining catchy musical numbers – from the cuplé and paso doble to nods towards more modern rhythms – with comedy sketches and dazzling (though perhaps no longer as lavish as in days gone by) displays of costume. Variety shows were the backbone of its programming. Although the full programme would require consulting detailed archives, it’s known that key figures of Barcelonian humour and the popular scene passed across its stage. It was the kind of theatre where the audience could enjoy the comic talent of artists like Johnson, a regular on the Paral·lel, or the veteran comedy actor Luis Cuenca, an indispensable figure in countless musical revues that graced stages like the Arnau. Alongside them, performers of copla and Spanish song provided the emotional note, completing a varied bill designed for popular enjoyment.
A Popular Mirror of Changing Times The 1970s were a time of profound social and political transformation in Spain. Although the Arnau wasn’t a forum for intellectual debate, it did act as a popular mirror of its time. The comedies of errors, a mainstay of its programming, probably reflected, through gentle humour and everyday situations, the small changes in customs, family relationships, or generational clashes being experienced on the streets. Without needing grand speeches, the general atmosphere of the country – that mix of expectation, uncertainty, and a zest for life – surely filtered into the artists’ energy and the audience’s reception. The Arnau offered an escape route, but also, in its own way, connected with the pulse of a society in motion.
The Warmth of the Neighbourhood: Much More Than Going to the Theatre Going to the Arnau in the ’70s was an experience that transcended the mere act of seeing a show. For many residents of Poble Sec and Raval, it was almost a ritual, an extension of their social life. Imagine the bustle in the small foyer before the performance, the greetings between acquaintances, the comments about the previous show. Inside, the auditorium, perhaps with the velvet on the seats somewhat worn and an air mixing accumulated dust with a common scent, offered a unique warmth. The classic Italian-style theatre architecture, with its boxes and ‘gods’ (gallery), fostered a sense of community. Laughter was collective, applause was sincere for those figures of popular entertainment who trod its boards, and the connection between the stage and the audience was direct and unpretentious. It was the people’s theatre.
Navigating a Paral·lel in Transition The Arnau Theatre wasn’t alone on the Paral·lel in the ’70s, although the avenue was no longer the hive of variety theatres it had been in its golden years. It coexisted with other survivors of the genre, with cinemas offering double bills, with bars and bodegas that completed the popular leisure offering. The avenue itself was changing; it maintained its vital pulse, but a transformation could be felt in the atmosphere, in the businesses, in the type of crowd. The Arnau, clinging to its formula, represented continuity within that changing landscape, a familiar landmark in a Barcelona that was modernising by leaps and bounds.
The Passion to Resist: The Effort Behind the Curtain Keeping a theatre like the Arnau running during the 1970s was no easy task. Competition from the cinema and, above all, from television, which was now entering most homes, took its toll on the box office. Staging revue and variety shows, with their casts, musicians, and costumes, required constant investment and effort. The Arnau’s survival in that decade is also the story of the dedication of proprietors, artists (from the best known like the aforementioned Luis Cuenca or Johnson, to the essential supporting actors and choruses) and technicians who believed in that type of theatre, and of the loyalty of an audience that kept coming, seeking that special connection that only the Arnau seemed to offer. It was an exercise in cultural and popular resistance.
Conclusion: The 1970s depict the Arnau Theatre as a vibrant and tenacious space, a custodian of the most popular and festive soul of the Paral·lel. It was a decade where, despite the winds of change and growing difficulties, it continued to offer escapism, laughter, and music to its community, acting as a cherished refuge and an essential meeting point for its neighbourhood. Although its doors have been closed for years (and as of April 2025, Barcelona is still waiting to see its long-announced refurbishment realised), the memory of the ’70s Arnau, filled with the laughter provoked by great comedians and the emotion of popular song, endures as a symbol of a way of understanding culture and leisure that left an indelible mark on the city. A legacy of resistance, joy, and authenticity.
Image source: Blog BARCELONA MEMORY