The plays in Madrid return to the stages in October and are once again one of the most promising cultural plans of the month. With temperatures dropping, the stages heat up even more the dramatic scene in the capital and serve as a cultural refuge. On the billboard there is no shortage of reinterpretations of great classics, subversive novelties that break taboos, great love stories and, of course, there is always room for humor.
Madrid is, once again this season, a place of reference for theater lovers. Here are the 8 recommended plays for this October.
Poet [lost] in New York
The play Poeta (perdido) en Nueva York is presented at Sala Jardiel Poncela from September 11 to October 19, with performances from Tuesday to Sunday at 7:30 pm. This play directed, written and performed by Jesús Torres, combines the verses and letters of Federico García Lorca during his stay in New York, confronting the poet with his own fears and revelations in a city marked by the crash of 1929.
The staging stands out for its rotating scenery, original music that fuses flamenco and jazz, and multimedia elements that immerse the audience in Lorca’s universe. In addition, the project includes a free video game and educational material to expand the artistic experience, consolidating the company El Aedo Teatro as one of the references in multimedia and poetic theater.
🗓️ Dates: until October 19
📍 Location: Fernan Gómez Theater (Plaza de Colón, 4)
Fridays, how many Fridays are there in ten years? – Nena Teatro
After selling out last fall and hanging the sold out sign, the company Nena Teatro returns to the stage with Viernes, ¿cuántos viernes hay en diez años? Directed by Enrique Cervantes and with text and interpretation by Marta Levenfeld and Irene Esteban, the play focuses on childhood sexual abuse and its emotional scars, combining poetic language, music and movement to give form to what is often silenced.
The plot follows Delma, a young singer about to take off professionally who, upon discovering that her future collaborator has been denounced for abuse, is forced to confront a past she had buried. Between fragmented memories and an emotional loyalty that grips her, the protagonist embarks on an intimate journey to break the cycle of silence.
📅 Dates: 24, 25 and 26 October 2025.
📍 Location: Espacio Zafra Teatro, calle del Marqués de Zafra, 35.
1936
1936 is a powerful theatrical exploration of the Spanish Civil War, directed by Andrés Lima and created in collaboration with Albert Boronat, Juan Cavestany and Juan Mayorga. The cast, which includes Blanca Portillo and Alba Flores, plays historical figures such as La Pasionaria, Franco, Primo de Rivera and Clara Campoamor, showing the different faces and voices of the time in a very careful staging. 1936 proposes an intense and choral stage experience that invites us to reflect on the key events and characters of our recent history.
🗓️ Dates: from September 12 to October 12
📍 Location: Teatro Valle-Inclán (plaza de Ana Diosdado, s/n)
Looking for Audrey – The Musical
A new theater will open in Madrid for the world premiere of Buscando a Audrey – The Musical. The plot tells the story of the search for the perfect actress for a musical about Audrey Hepburn. The story takes a turn when the production team meets Adri, a young woman who reminds them of the iconic actress for her talent and authenticity.
The libretto by José Ignacio Salmerón takes us to Broadway, New York, in a fun tribute to the great Hollywood star. Selected among 1,500 artists, Teresa Abarca will assume the leading role. As if that were not enough, Buscando a Audrey will premiere on November 27 in a theater built for the occasion, the Espacio Audrey, in the district of Fuencarral-El Pardo.
📍 Location: Ronda de la Comunicación, s/n (Fuencarral-El Pardo).
💸 Admission: from 35 €.
Essence
Esencia, written by Ignacio García May and directed by Eduardo Vasco, is one of the most enigmatic and stimulating proposals of the Teatro Español season. The play brings together veterans Juan Echanove and Joaquín Climent in a dialogue full of humor, memories and philosophy about the meaning of reality, waiting and the passing of time. Conceived as a labyrinth of perceptions, Esencia invites the spectator to reflect and question what we take for granted and to enjoy the freedom that only theater can offer: scenarios where all certainties are questioned and the essence of what is human emerges.
🗓️ Dates: October 14 to November 9
Location: Teatro Español
The Abduction
El Secuestro is an acidic and topical comedy written and directed by Fran Nortes, which will be performed this summer at the Teatro Lara in Madrid. The plot follows Paco , a neighborhood butcher on the verge of ruin, who decides to kidnap the son of a minister to avoid the closure of the market where he works. What begins as a desperate plan becomes a hilarious mess with the arrival of his sister and brother-in-law, multiplying misunderstandings and absurd situations.
The play stands out for its intelligent humor and biting criticism of the political class and everyday precariousness, reminding us that sometimes humor and family are the best refuge in the face of adversity.
🗓️ Dates: until February 1, 2026
📍Location: Lara Theater (Baja de San Pablo, 15)
All the birds
Todos pájaros, by playwright Wajdi Mouawad (author of the acclaimed Incendios), arrives in Madrid as one of the most intense and moving bets of the season. A choral drama, directed by Mario Gas, which tells the love story between Wahida and Eitan, a young Arab girl and a young Jew, whose relationship faces the weight of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, family memory and inherited prejudices. The play, charged with symbolism and emotion, challenges the audience to look beyond identities and explore the possibility – or not – of reconciliation in times of conflict.
🗓️ Dates: October 22 to November 8
📍Location: Teatros del Canal
Bonus: The Jury Experience
An extra option designed for those who are never happy with the end of the play. The Jury Experience is an immersive theater in which the audience is the popular jury of the case that is taking place on stage: from a crime of passion to an AI-induced homicide to a millionaire robbery. Moral dilemmas whose verdict is decided by the spectators on the basis of the evidence and testimonies presented by the actors. If you also feel like getting into the role, this is the perfect play for you.
🗓️ Dates: October 17 through January 24
📍Location: Depending on the case, Palacio de la prensa or Cines Callao.