What is Alfaqueque—and how did a Spanish comedy from another age find its way onto BBC radio on a Saturday night in 1966?
In this episode of The Common Room, we pull an old Saturday Night Theatre recording from the shelf and follow The Lady from Alfaqueque back through the remarkable world behind it: the playwright brothers Serafín and Joaquín Álvarez Quintero, its journey into English, the theatrical world of Eva Le Gallienne, and finally the BBC production that preserved it for another generation.
A quick note before we open the door: This Deep Dive discusses the story, characters, and surprises of The Lady from Alfaqueque, so spoilers are ahead. If you haven't heard the play, we recommend listening to the complete 1966 BBC Saturday Night Theatre production first. Then come back, pull up a chair in The Common Room, and join us as we explore the remarkable story behind the play—and why this nearly forgotten comedy is still worth hearing today.
But the real discovery is the comedy itself.
This is a world of pride, romance, generosity, misunderstandings, local loyalties, and ordinary people becoming wonderfully ridiculous over the things they love. And underneath the laughter lies a surprisingly enduring question:
Can something be ridiculous and precious at the same time?
We also step back into the lost world of BBC Saturday Night Theatre, when millions of listeners could encounter classics, mysteries, comedies, and forgotten plays simply by turning on the radio.
Pull up a chair.
The Common Room is open.
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