Award-Winning Drama of Explosive Chilean Coup Comes to Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Award-winning play "September 11, 1973: The Day Salvador Allende Died" runs Aug. 17-25 at Edinburgh's Festival Fringe, exploring Allende's final hours.

EDINBURGH, SCOTTLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, July 30, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “September 11, 1973: The Day Salvador Allende Died,” an award-winning play depicting the final hours of Chile’s democratically elected president who was deposed and died during a U.S.-backed coup in 1973, will run from Aug. 17 to 25 at the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh.

The drama unfolds within the walls of La Moneda, Allende’s presidential palace in Santiago de Chile. Facing imminent defeat, Allende meets a mysterious and elegantly dressed stranger, Agent D, who challenges him to reflect on his life and beliefs in what becomes the ultimate chess game. The play is a gripping exploration of history, weaving fact with fictional elements.

Luigi Laraia’s drama first captivated audiences at the 2022 Capital Fringe Festival in Washington D.C., winning both Best Drama and Best of Festival awards. Praised for its “enthralling script,” the play blends Allende’s final speeches with imagined scenarios, offering a nuanced portrait of the leader.

“I have a deep fascination with Allende’s story, which started when I was researching him for my undergraduate dissertation,” said Laraia, who earned his bachelor’s degree from London Metropolitan University and master’s from The London School of Economics and Political Science. "Allende wanted no part in an armed struggle or a revolution through insurgency. He remained true to his ideals and the Chilean Constitution until the very end.”

The original Washington cast returns for the Edinburgh production, with London-born Dan Owen as Allende. Owen has also played Professor Henry Higgins in George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” with the British Players. Richard Tanenbaum, a versatile actor and singer and producer of Spanish and Italian operas, plays Agent D. Pablo Andrade, founder and artistic director of Corezon in New York and Teatropeyo in Caracas, Venezuela, is the show’s director.

The play’s portrayal of Allende, with his flaws and passionate ambitions, resonates powerfully in today’s climate of political turbulence and democratic challenges. Laraia said it underscores the fragility of democracy and the dangers posed by populism and falsehoods.

“We do not wish to glorify Allende, his political ideals, or his government,” Laraia said. “Instead, we aim to highlight the importance of fighting for democratic values and institutions, now and for future generations. It does not take a dictator for democracy to crumble.”

Produced by the New York-based LakeArts Foundation, “September 11, 1973: The Day Salvador Allende Died” will run from August 17 to 25, 2024 at 1300 BST, at C Aquila in Edinburgh. Tickets, priced from £6.20 to £13.00, are available online.

Danny Selnick
Lake Arts Foundation
daniel.selnick@yahoo.com
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