Launch of the 9th Viana do Castelo Theatre Festival
Anticipation for the region's premier theatre event culminated on 11th October with the official programme launch for the 9th Viana do Castelo Theatre Festival. The Festival, which runs from 15th to 22nd November 2025, will feature a total of 11 compelling shows over 8 days.
Programme Highlights of the Festival:
The Festival opens on 15th November at 9:00PM with the "oldest actor of the world" still in activity, the 98 year-old Portuguese actor Ruy de Carvalho presenting “Ruy, a História Devida” ('Ruy, The Life Story'), written by Paulo Coelho, directed by Paulo Sousa Costa, and co-interpreted by Luís Pacheco.
The curated selection of performances includes an eclectic mix of artists from Portugal and across Europe:
- Ruy, The Life Story - Paulo Sousa Costa: 15th November, 9:00 PM
- Fish Again?! - Nuno J. Loureiro, Teatro do Noroeste - Centro Dramático de Viana: 16th November, 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM
- Those From Tinned Food - Rui Madeira, Companhia de Teatro de Braga: 16th November, 9:00 PM
- Iberia - José Carlos Garcia, Peripécia Teatro: 17th November, 9:00 PM
- Wolf Drool - Graeme Pulleyn , Cem Palcos: 18th November, 6:30 PM
- King Lear - José Carlos Garcia, Companhia do Chapitô: 19th November, 9:00 P
- Cabral Body - João Branco, Saaraci Colectivo Teatral: 20th November, 6:30 PM
- The only thing I truly wanted all my life is to be slim - Esther Carrodeaguas, Butaca Zero (Spain): 20th November, 9:00 PM
- There - Miguel Seabra, Teatro do Montemuro and Teatro Meridional: 21st November, 9:00 PM
- Jingle - Caroline Bergeron, Companhia Caótica: 22nd November, 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM
- Hokuspokus - Hajo Schüler, Familie Flöz (Germany): 22nd November, 9:00 PM
The Festival reaffirms its central commitment to accessibility, maintaining its status as the only national performing arts festival where all performances feature accessibility resources. These resources include simultaneous translation into Portuguese Sign Language, subtitling in Portuguese and English, tactile stage recognition, and audio description.
The Festival integrates the Resistance Now! Together campaign launched in partnership between the European Theatre Convention (ETC) and Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen), advocating for artistic freedom and opposing censorship. On 17th November at 3:00 PM, a crucial debate will be held entitled "Political Interference in the Arts: For Artistic Freedom Against Censorship". This event will feature the Swiss director Milo Rau, director of the Vienna Festival "Wiener Festwochen", and aims to bring together Portuguese artists who have faced censorship or cancellation, alongside international voices, to provide broader context on this urgent issue.
Premiere and Tour of "Outra vez peixe?!" ('Fish again?!')
October marked the premiere and start of the tour for "Outra vez peixe?!" ("Fish Again?!") the company's 170th creation. This School Theatre performance focuses on the dynamics of mealtimes from a child's perspective, humorously exploring identity and food literacy.
"Fish Again?!" is a co-creation by Adriel Filipe, Elisabete Pinto, Ricardo Simões, Tiago Fernandes, with co-creation and interpretation by Nuno J. Loureiro.
The tour ran between 13th and 24th October, with 20 sessions dedicated to 2nd Cycle (5th and 6th years, ages 10 to 12) Basic Education schools in the Municipality of Viana do Castelo, having reached over 1,500 students. This is the first of six productions that constitute the School Theatre Offer for the 2025-2026 Season, which aims to take the Artistic Education project of Teatro do Noroeste - Centro Dramático de Viana to over 14,000 students across all cycles of Education, except universities. In addition to the school tour, "Fish Again?!"will be presented during Viana do Castelo Theatre Festival on 16th November.
Equal Pay Seal Atribution
Teatro do Noroeste - Centro Dramático de Viana was recognized for its good practices in promoting Equal Pay between Women and Men for equal work or work of equal value, with the Equal Pay Seal, a distinction awarded by the Commission for Equality in the Workplace, a public body integrated in the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security of the Portuguese Government.
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To learn more about Teatro do Noroeste – Centro Dramático de Viana: Website: tmsm.pt Social media (Instagram and Facebook): @teatrodonoroestecdv, @teatromunicipalsademiranda
Contacts: João Grisantes | Multimedia and Communication: joaogrisantes@tmsm.pt | (Alternate contact: geral@tmsm.pt)
Cover photo: Hokuspokus ©Simon Wachter
