Live music sets the scene at the start of ‘Babel’ as the epic text of Camões’ Os Lusíadas begins to be recited — “As armas e os barões assinalados, que da ocidental praia Lusitana, por mares nunca de antes navegados, passaram ainda além da Taprobana […]” — against a backdrop featuring a bus stop, a park bench, a waiting area in a public office, and an audience, all contributing to multiple perspectives on the country today.
On stage, a total of 20 people are gathered, including 14 characters played by students, artists, members of foreign communities neighboring the São João and Carlos Alberto theaters, two professional actors, and six young musicians from the region’s philharmonic bands who accompany the performance.
In an interview during a press rehearsal, director Nuno Cardoso, who is also responsible for the dramaturgy, set design, and costumes, explained that the texts are the result of a collective creation, presenting opinions on Portugal in 2025 through the drama.
“Babel is a square space where a group of community members from various backgrounds construct a dramaturgy that attempts to reflect on their lives.”
The play embodies the meaning of the title, ‘Babel,’ showcasing the multiplicity of voices, perspectives, and the polyphony constructed by the group itself.
Cardoso noted that the play was “woven with a sort of Camonian journey,” at least with “echoes of it,” where those involved in the project express how their eyes “see, hear, and feel living now in Portugal.”
For example, one participant, a black individual, created a white character called “racist gun,” which allows addressing immigration issues in Portugal, particularly from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP), denouncing racism and hate speech, two crimes under Portuguese law, by making statements like “the blacks are seducing our women.”
“He created this character. A white, racist, violent character, connected to 1143 [an ultra-nationalist and neo-Nazi Portuguese group originating from a faction of the Juventude Leonina football club supporters]. This creates a very strange and interesting dynamic,” Nuno Cardoso commented.
Another character is a conservative and sexist businessman who says he doesn’t want women working because “they have to pick up their kids from school,” and a character who criticizes immigrants but softens when he meets an Arab woman who can cook codfish cakes.
There is also a Brazilian immigrant character who posts a story on social media about Portugal being “a fragrant country where people wear brand clothes,” and a disabled character who complains about not having a spot on the bus because priorities are reserved for “the elderly and pregnant women.”
In total, there are 14 stories. Stories are told over the phone to someone on the other end of the line. There are also stories that unfold through dialogues between characters or in a kind of confessional, the bus stop bench, which everyone passes through.
The 14 new actors were selected over five weekends at Atelier 200, held between February and April at the Mosteiro de São Bento da Vitória in Porto.
This journey through the Portuguese community and language begins symbolically on the national holiday on June 10, Portugal Day, Camões and the Portuguese Communities Day, at the Teatro Carlos Alberto.
The play runs until June 14 and can be seen on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The June 14 session includes translation into Portuguese Sign Language and Audiodescription. Tickets are priced at 12 euros.
