We play so hard it hurts is a solo directed and performed by Fernando Troya. Delving into the subterranean realms of cruising culture and the quest for intimacy amidst darkness, the production emerges as a testament to the transformative power of resilience. It synthesizes autobiographical traces with the timeless allegory of Peter Pan to excavate and celebrate the complexities of queer identity. Through a relentless commitment to authenticity, Troya playfully exhibits his adventure.
The piece navigates spaces between performance, dance, and theater. And uses 10 mattresses as a living stage design. Engaging in a dialogue with space, constructing and deconstructing new evocative architectures, enhancing the metaphorical imagery of the show. An allegory to where many of us remain trapped in a world of perpetually frustrated discovery, where play becomes a lifestyle.
“I have traveled to Neverland and have met many Lost Boys. Lost men pretending to be Lost Boys”
Fernando Troya (1989) is a performing artist based in The Netherlands. Born in Madrid, Spain, he is classically trained at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid ‘Mariemma’ (2008) and graduated from a BA in dance and choreography at the Superior Conservatory María de Ávila (2022). Professionally has danced for Goyo Montero, Stephan Thoss and with Netherlands Dance Theatre II. Since 2015 he has worked as an assistant and stager for choreographers such as Alexander Ekman, Ivan Pérez, Lukas Timulak and Jiri Pokorny. In companies all over the world: Finnish National Ballet, Czech National Ballet, Hungarian National Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, among others.
As a maker he has produced independent projects, such as the series ‘Reminiscente’, a 2.5 years research on Plato’s Theory of Form, and the painter Francisco de Goya, with 5 different dance creations, performed nationally and internationally. Supported by Dansmakers Amsterdam, Korzo Theatre in The Hague, the National Funds for the Performing Arts in Holland and The Spanish Embassy in Turkey, St. Petersburg and Mexico City. And ‘Essential Rights’, awarded the BNG Bank Dansprijs; performed at Dansmakers Amsterdam and premiered at Korzo Theatre, followed by a dutch national tour as part of the Korzo production Dansclick.
Direction and performance: Fernando Troya
Assistant director: Román Mendez
Original music composition: Marko Ivic
Original light design: Samuel Silva
Adaptation light design and technician: Yuka Hisamatsu
Original texts: José López and Fernando Troya
Dramaturgy assistant and text revising and translation: Barnaby Savage
Physical assistant: Quentin Roger
Assistance, thinkers and dramaturges: Ignacio Sanz, Rosanna Freda, Samuel Silva, Arturo Vargas, Marko Ivic, Jose López and Xavier Ariza Pujol
Special mention of gratitude to Kübra Uzun
Made possible by NORMA Fonds, Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunsten, ICK Amsterdam and Bij Ons Vintage.