Teatro Circo Apolo - El Algar

Teatro Circo Apolo in El Algar

The inhabitants of El Algar saw the first inauguration of their theatre in 1907 in a building which became emblematic of the town, but the theatre was closed over a decade ago due to the dilapidation of the building. Now, though, it has reopened its doors to the public and the building has been renovated to its former state.

El Algar was an important part of the mining activity in what was known as the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, with various shafts and galleries being accompanied by foundries which treated the ore extracted. At one point it was even proposed that the town form part of the new municipality of La Unión, which was made independent from Cartagena in 1860 on the back of its silver and lead mines. In their hearts, though, the "Algareños" wished for their own independence, which they had received briefly in 1821 and which they claimed again in 1871, 1936 and on various occasions since the end of Francos dictatorship.

As for the theatre, its history begins in 1876, when a company called La Amistad was formed to build and manage it. 1,200 people attended the grand opening on 4^th February 1878.

Unfortunately, by 1910 the building was in a terrible state, and a new company of the same name was founded in order to acquire the plot on which it stood and build another theatre, sponsored by the families who had acquired wealth through their agricultural and mining activities. Among these families were the surnames of Luengo, Peñalver, Urrea, Bueno, Pagán, Alcaraz and García, as well as Miguel Zapata Hernández, the son of Miguel Zapata, the legendary Tío Lobo (or "Wolfman").

Their descendents were the legal owners of the building until, by their consent, it passed into the hands of the Asociación de Vecinos de El Algar in 1996. This neighbours association was led by Ángel Sánchez, Pilar Sánchez and Narciso Fernández, and they oversaw the process by which the building was officially declared to be of cultural interest. It is thanks to them that the residents of El Algar can now once again be proud of this architectural jewel, although there have also been important contributions from the Teatro Apolo Association, the Town Hall of Cartagena, the regional government, and even the national government. The exterior of the building is relatively simple, or "pre-rationalist", while the inside features plenty of modernist detail.

The original architect was Pedro Cerdán, born in 1862 in Torre Pacheco, one of the most respected architects of his time thanks to projects such as the Casa del Piñón in La Unión, the work he oversaw in the Mercado Público de La Unión (where the architect was his colleague Víctor Beltrí), the Casa del Reloj in San Pedro del Pinatar, the Casa Museo Modernista in Novelda, the Mercado de Verónicas in Murcia and the reforms in the casino of Murcia. His theatre in El Algar was inaugurated on Friday 4^th January 1907.

The theatre has now re-opened for business and a full programme of this months entertainment can be found in both the What´s On section and the Cartagena section.

Contact details:

            Plaza Teatro Circo Apolo, s/n

            30366 El Algar, Cartagena

Click for map, Plaza Teatro Circo Apolo, El Algar

E-mail: info@teatrocircoapoloelalgar.es

Tel: (+34) 968 136354 (10:00 to 14:00, Mondays to Fridays)

Mobile: (+34) 648 710099