The play ‘The Portuguese – a Musical Comedy’, by authors Filipe Homem Fonseca and Rui Cardoso Martins, will premier on 5 December and is written and enacted entirely in the English language.
A note from the producers explains: “The play was created with all the thousands of tourists and foreigners who visit the country for leisure or business in mind, and who can thus enjoy quality culture while getting to know a little more of the History and stories of the land of [Portuguese poet] Luís de Camões.”
Performed by well-known Portuguese actresses Sónia Aragão and Ana Brito e Cunha, the play has “a very characteristic, humorous slant on several facts that marked the History of Portugal”, according to the press release.
The play’s producers, Plano 6, along with “various partners” are hoping that this unusual theatrical offering will place Portuguese musicals on the international stage.
Rehearsals are underway and the play will be on show, at the Oceans Auditorium, three days a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) starting 6.30pm from 5 December.
Ana Rangel of production company Plano 6 said: “There is a huge opportunity to offer culture to the thousands of foreigners who are looking for quality cultural experiences in Lisbon and in other cities.
“The vast majority of foreigners seek sun, sea, gastronomy, but also to get to know the country and its people better. The play ‘The Portuguese - a Musical Comedy’ is the best way to make [the poets Luís de] Camões [and Fernando] Pessoa or [the king] D. Sebastião better known, among many other important, humorous and musical characters.”
But while the play may be primarily geared towards tourists, it is not exclusively aimed at visitors. Foreign residents and the Portuguese are also target audiences.
As the producers argue: “Certainly, many Portuguese can enjoy this new musical theatre experience about themselves. The piece was written by Portuguese, will be staged by Portuguese, only the Portuguese language is left out.”