Coque Malla Makes Stage Debut in Brecht-Weill's 'The Threepenny Opera'

Coque Malla, the Spanish singer and actor, has taken on his first theatrical role at age 56, starring in a production of 'La ópera de los tres centavos' ('The Threepenny Opera'). The work, a seminal musical by Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill, premiered in 1928, five years before Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Malla describes the piece as a fierce Marxist critique of capitalism and interwar Germany, and also 'a cruel and wild portrait of the human soul.' He notes that the project arrived at the right moment, after many years of a routine he enjoyed but wanted to break. Malla, who released his first album with Los Ronaldos at 17, plays Mackie Messer (Mack the Knife), a charismatic villain he calls 'full of layers.' The production is his stage debut. In a separate context, Israeli director Yuval Abraham delivered a forceful speech in Venice, stating that the United States is financing much of the killing in Gaza. The article also references the historical context of the opera's premiere and its enduring relevance, with Malla saying it speaks to today's issues and 'the most savage capitalism.'