Carlos Victoria shares one of the hardest moments of his life in “Birthday Playlist”: “It is an escape from all those terrible experiences”

A photograph of him, in which he appears singing ‘Happy birthday to you’ on the day he turned 69, inspired “Birthday Playlist”. It was taken on March 30, 2020, a month and a half after the death of her partner for 25 years, and 16 days after the state of emergency and quarantine began in Peru due to Covid-19. Carlos Victoria He celebrated that day alone, sheltered in his memories, listening to the playlist of his life.

“This workace in the middle of the quarantine, from a conversation with my friends Emmanuel Caffo and Ronie Cusó. After seeing my photo in which I am blowing out the candle that I put on a small cake, we started talking about music. My partner was a music lover. He loved songs from the 70s and 80s. And the idea began to arise to do this work with music, with actions, as we call it. First we did it by zoom. People liked it very much. Then, the playwright Mario Zanatta wrote a wonderful text, which left me cold because in some parts it seemed as if he had known about my relationship. There were very similar things. “Everything was concatenated,” highlights the national actor.

In “Birthday Playlist” Carlos Victoria plays Ezequiel, a man who, upon losing the only love and companion of his life, shortly before the pandemic, isolates himself in his apartment, causing the Alzheimer’s he suffers to worsen.

This work is much more than an emotional, deep and heartfelt proposal for Victoria. It is more than a new opportunity to get back on the stage.

“Its purpose is to bring to the stage the problem of Alzheimer’s, which thank God I do not suffer from, and to reflect on the importance of making it visible and questioning what is being done about it. It is surviving loss, death, the fear of letting go and learning to embrace changes, forgiving ourselves for not accepting that which is no longer there and that has changed us forever.”, he details.

─Are you afraid of Alzheimer’s?

Totally, because it’s terrible. Before making “Birthday Playlist” I made a work by Tirso Causillas, “Financing disapproved.” She is inspired by her father, who was lost. They found him after a month. To play Ezequiel I talked to psychology students about Alzheimer’s. I learned a lot. The family suffers too much.

─When you play Ezequiel you relive hard moments, like the loss of your partner. How do you manage those emotions on stage?

It is an escape from all those terrible experiences that one has stored in one’s head. I am very grateful that you have come into my life. I do it with all the love in the world because it is part of me. I try to give him everything I can.

─Was there a before and after in your life, after that day you introduced your partner publicly?

It didn’t change my life. I secured something I felt, something I am. I always avoided saying it because of my partner, because of his work. It settled me more, it calmed me more because of him. We decided to face it together.

precocious actor

─You debuted in the theater when you were 18 days old. How did it happen?

I was born in Buenos Aires. My parents were working with a zarzuela company and in a presentation instead of bringing out a doll, they brought me out. Then, when we came to Peru, they got me into television thanks to maestro Lucho Córdoba, who had a program called “This Lucho knows a lot.” Since they needed a child, they put me to work there. He was 8 years old. He was also in a play at Seguro called “The Confident Ghost.”

─Were you the first child to act on Peruvian television?

That’s right, and live, because there were no recordings.

─What is the most valuable advice you received from your father?

Follow your convictions, stand up for what you believe in and don’t let anyone destroy your dreams. And that’s what I always do.

─What is the best memory from your childhood?

He was seven years old. My mother planned a birthday party for me, and no one came. Seeing me sad, my father took me to the cachascán, in El Porvenir. El Chiclayano was presented. My dad was friends with all of them because he had done cachascán as a clown. When he told them it was my birthday, they took me into the ring to sing “Happy Birthday” to me along with the audience. It was an unforgettable day.

Is there a role you’ve done that you wouldn’t do again?

A few years ago, I’m not going to say who they were because it’s not worth it, I played a pimp. It was at the Canout. She was a model, comic actress. I remember that every time she went on stage, she asked me: “What am I doing here?”

—What do you do now that you didn’t do when you were young?

As I am more rested, I enjoy simple things, I no longer make problems for myself about anything. I love going out to the boardwalk, going to the beach, walking. I also enjoy remembering.