Profile

Career

Training and writing

After studying journalism at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), he began his training in writing at London Guildhall University (London, Great Britain) in 1994. He is now considered one of the most international, innovative and versatile voices in contemporary Spanish theatre. Critics have described his work as multidisciplinary, eclectic and political, with a strong focus on narrative structure and plot. His goal is always to tell stories and bring them closer to the audience, using suspense, comedy or melodrama, a fast-paced rhythm, and even elements from other media such as television, the internet and film.

A diverse body of work

His journalistic training means that he does not hesitate to choose current issues that make the headlines: recent armed conflicts, the Palestinian conflict, climate change and nationalism… all have found a place in his work. The result is politically charged plays (La piel en llamas, El sabor de las cenizas, La golondrina); epic dramas (Marburg, Invasión, Justícia), and he also writes musicals (Killer, 73 raons per deixar-te), theatre-dance productions (Muerte en Venecia, En el desierto), adaptations of classics (Ilíada, La revoltosa) and comedies (Smiley, Al damunt dels nostres cants ).

International career

His work has enjoyed an international career. Clua was born in Barcelona, but has lived in London and New York, cities where his texts have been performed and which have strongly influenced his writing style. His texts have been translated into English, German, Italian, French, Greek, Bulgarian, Polish, Russian and Serbo-Croatian, among other languages. Many of his pieces have received major acclaim including Spain’s 2020 National Prize for Dramatic Literature.

Screenwriting and audiovisual work

He also has extensive and acclaimed experience as a film and television screenwriter and teacher of dramatic writing. Recent screenwriting credits include the film adaptations of Los renglones torcidos de Dios and some of his own works (La piel en llamas, Invasión, La bandera), as well as the Netflix series Smiley for which he is showrunner.