Teatro do Noroeste – CDV is the professional resident theater company of Teatro Municipal Sá de Miranda, in Viana do Castelo. It presents an average of 4 new creations per season that cover all age groups and more than 100 annual performances.
Important questions first. What is the weather like around your theatre?
The weather in Viana is great! We have sun a great part of the year, from March to October. Our city, Viana do Castelo is by the sea, river and Santa Luzia hill. It’s a small and slow city with one of the best qualities of life in Portugal. Flat, perfect for biking, skating or walking, there are plenty of beaches, with average water temperature around 18º Celsius. Due to sea proximity, Viana is a bit rainy in the winter and also known for its Northern wind which, however, is highly appreciated by wind and kite surfers, being one of Europe’s most well-known destinations for water sports. It is also the folklore “capital” of Portugal, with our traditional costumes. To finish: Viana is (really) very beautiful and the weather is very sunny!
What sort of theatre do you make?
Beyond a prolific programme of theatre, dance and music, with two rooms (one Italian-fashioned with 372 seats and a Black Box of 65 seats), creation is our core branch: we stage 4 new productions per year; 2 for different school audiences; 1 after a classic theme or text (national or foreign); 1 contemporary text (national or foreign). We also have an educational programme and a community project all season long, dedicated to audience development.
Tell us a bit about a recent show at your theatre.
I can invite you to our next production! It’s Hantígona, written and directed by Spanish director Guillermo Heras and translated by Alexandra Moreira da Silva. It opens the 6th December and will be on stage until the 18th of December. This production, inspired by Sophocles’ Antigone, proposes a new look at the Labdacides saga, in an Ancient Greece-inspired staging but with contemporary costume design and live music on stage.
Why were you interested in joining ETC?
The fact that ETC is an active European network which gathers many public and historical Europe’s theatres and that dynamizes a numerous set of concrete, valuable and transformative actions that its members can attend and adapt to the specific nature of their artistic and cultural programmes is a compelling factor for our interest. Also, the perspective of building together a European forum of theatres which value European cultural heritage and landmarks is also important for us.
Finally, as we believe in long-term programmes and networking, it is meaningful for us to develop new professional relationships with partners from whom we can learn and also share our perspectives, aiming to strengthen the international scope of our work.
What do you think you can bring to the network?
We believe we can bring our enthusiasm and strong belief in networking, as well as new ideas for ETC programmes and action, based on our 30-year experience as an independent company working as the resident structure of a public theatre. We look forward to learning and cooperating with all ETC members!
