Portuguese theatre troupe Companhia do Chapitô is presenting a new stage adaptation of Nobel laureate José Saramago's novel Ensaio sobre a Lucidez in Lisbon through October 25.
Directed by José C. Garcia, the performance runs from Thursday to Saturday at 9:00 pm and on Sundays at 5:00 pm. The production features actors Jorge Cruz, Pedro da Silva, Tiago Viegas, and Susana Nunes, with photo credits listing Jorge Silva alongside Nunes, Viegas, and da Silva.
Actress Susana Nunes spoke to newspaper Correio da Manhã about the responsibility and pleasure of bringing Saramago's work to the stage. She stated that while the novel is very rich, the company managed to select its essentials and condense the narrative into a run time of a little over an hour.
Nunes explained that the group's objective is to provoke audience members and prompt them to question the nature of democracy, the historical path taken to reach the present day, and where society should head next. She added that ideally, spectators leaving the theatre will want to read Saramago's original novel.
Political Satire on Stage
In Saramago's book, an ordinary election day turns into an unprecedented political crisis when an overwhelming majority of the population casts blank ballots. Without genuine representation, the legitimacy of the government is thrown into question, yet citizens continue their daily lives normally.
Nunes noted that as the story unfolds, citizens begin organizing themselves independently and demonstrating greater solidarity with one another. She observed that this grass-roots self-organization leaves government officials feeling increasingly insecure.
The production coincides with the 30th anniversary of Companhia do Chapitô, a Lisbon-based theatre ensemble known for its distinctive visual and movement-based performances. Saramago, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1998, published Ensaio sobre a Lucidez in 2004 as a thematic successor to his acclaimed 1995 novel Blindness.
Nunes stated that the staging maintains all the hallmark features of the company's three decades of work. She noted that while the show includes spoken dialogue, the work remains primarily physical and visual, using actor gestures and sounds to create a dynamic line of communication with the audience.
Related Lisbon Cultural Events
The source publication also highlighted several concurrent cultural developments across the Portuguese capital. Teatro do Bairro is set to premiere its new comedy production of The Marriage of Figaro on Friday.
In addition, coverage noted a production detailing the tragedy of a man who believed himself superior to others.
Meanwhile, the historic Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in central Lisbon reopens today following extensive renovations, offering a schedule of free public programming to celebrate its return.
