Josep Maria Mestres will assume the artistic direction of the TNC for a period of four seasons, running from 2027-2028 to 2030-2031, with a possible extension for three additional seasons. His official start date is September 1, 2026, marking a handover period with the current director, Carme Portaceli, who will continue until July 2027.
The selection process for the new director involved a public competition that initially received 40 applications. Mestres, born in Calaf in 1959, boasts a solid career in the theatre world.
Holding a diploma in Acting from the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona, Mestres was a member of the Zitzània Teatre company and founded Kràmpack. As a director, he has been responsible for notable productions such as Kràmpack (1994), which earned him a special Critics' Award; Dakota (1996) by Jordi Galceran, for which he received the Butaca Award for Best Direction; Klowns (1997) with clown Monti; Salvats (1998); Un matrimoni de Boston (2005) by David Mamet; and Nit de reis (2010).
One of his most recent works, L’herència (2025), was a major success at the Critics' Awards and the Butaca Awards, and will be restaged at the Teatre Lliure next season.
Throughout his career, Josep Maria Mestres has directed over 60 productions, both in Catalonia and across Spain. He has worked in public theatres such as the Centre Dramàtic de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, and the Teatre Lliure in Barcelona, as well as the Teatro Español and the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid. He has also collaborated with private companies including Focus, 3xTres, Bitó, Vània, and Pentación.
