The Sá de Miranda Municipal Theatre (TMSM), in partnership with its resident company Teatro do Noroeste - Centro Dramático de Viana, is set to host a compelling series of theatrical events this spring, highlighting both national talent and international collaboration. The upcoming programme features an award-winning exploration of Portuguese history, followed by key performances from the renowned Festival Internacional de Teatro de Expressão Ibérica 2025 (International Festival of Iberian Expression Theatre 2025).
Before the arrival of the FITEI festival delegation in May, audiences have the unique opportunity to experience ‘Um Museu Vivo de Memórias Pequenas e Esquecidas’ (A Living Museum of Small and Forgotten Memories). Presented by Teatro do Vestido (Theatre of the Dress) on April 26th and 27th, this award-winning, six-hour performance by Joana Craveiro delves into themes of memory, erasure, and the writing of history. It takes the audience on an immersive journey through the Portuguese 20th century and into the 21st, exploring the stories of ordinary people caught in the struggles against dictatorship, the colonial war (1961-74), the Carnation Revolution, and the subsequent revolutionary period (PREC).
Following this powerful national production, FITEI 2025 will celebrate its tenth consecutive edition in Viana do Castelo, bringing its international focus to the city in May, reaffirming its commitment to bridging cultures and promoting contemporary performing arts across Portugal. Teatro do Noroeste - Centro Dramático de Viana will host two of the festival's performances at the Sá de Miranda Municipal Theatre, further strengthening the venue's role as a hub for significant theatrical encounters.
The FITEI 2025 performances hosted at TMSM include:
1. ‘Fissura’ (Fissure) by Pedro Vilela (Portugal) and Alexandre Dal Farra (Brazil)
- Date & Time: Friday, May 23rd, 2025, at 9:30 PM
- Synopsis: In the face of the ongoing catastrophe, the far-right provides a way out: the total assumption of the catastrophe as its own form. The world will end. The richest will suffer much less. Black people will be murdered every day without a word being said. What part of that isn't true? What do we have to offer instead? Promise that it won't be like this, as it has always been? Are we the deniers?
2. ‘Gaivota’ (Seagull) by Guillermo Cacace (Argentina)
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 24th, 2025, at 9:30 PM
- Synopsis: In Seagull, life resembles the abandoned and decaying stage of a theatre play by a lake, with the wind stirring up the open-air curtain that sounds like the cries of the defeated. Masha tries to put the pieces together in this story of unrequited love, of dreams that fall apart as they are realised and of the pain that accumulates over the years.
FITEI's presence in Viana do Castelo, facilitated by the partnership with Teatro do Noroeste - Centro Dramático de Viana at the Sá de Miranda Municipal Theatre, underscores the festival's dedication to extending the reach of high-quality international theatre. Through its diverse programming and multi-city presence, FITEI facilitates cultural exchange, supports artistic creation, and engages audiences in critical reflection.
Learn more about the Sá de Miranda Municipal Theatre and its Resident Company at tmsm.pt and on social media (Instagram and Facebook): @teatrodonoroestecdv , @teatromunicipalsademiranda
