The D. Maria II Theatre, closed since December 31, 2022, for extensive renovations including requalification, restoration, and renewal of various parts of the building, will resume activities following works costing 9.8 million euros, funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Guided tours, workshops, debates, meetings, artistic experiences, and mediation activities are part of the “Prologue,” scheduled from June 22 to July 25. The artistic director of TNDM, Pedro Penim, describes this period as “a transition and listening phase that will allow rediscovery of the building, testing reception methods, and preparing for the return home.”
Penim aims for a “close engagement with the surrounding community, teams, artists, partners, schools, and the national and city audience.” This initiative is set to be “the rehearsal for the reunion and the anticipatory moment” for the reopening in Rossio in September after nearly three years since the closure for renovation works at the end of December 2022.
From June 22 to July 25, the schedule will include guided tours, workshops, meetings, artistic experiences, and mediation actions. Additionally, the 2026 edition of Cenários, D. Maria II’s thought event, is set for June 25 and 26. The complete program for “Prologue” will be announced soon, according to the theatre’s statement.
“We intend this to be a transition and listening period, which will allow us to rediscover the building, test reception methods, and prepare for the return home, in close engagement with the surrounding community, teams, artists, partners, schools, and the national and city audience,” the theatre’s artistic director stated, describing “Prologue” as “the rehearsal for the reunion, the anticipatory moment when D. Maria II returns to life before reopening fully to all.”
According to the theatre’s board chairman, the “rehabilitation of the rotating stage system and the scene mechanical panel is crucial” in the ongoing intervention, as both actions are expected to prevent “a future closure of Sala Garrett.”
“The rotating stage system, with its unique features in the national landscape, will enhance the technical capabilities of Sala Garrett and offer creative solutions to the creators, ensuring even better working conditions on the stage and sub-stages of this hall,” adds Rui Catarino.
“The D. Maria II will reopen to the public, more equipped for new scenic possibilities and with improved technical efficiency and safety,” he concludes.
The first-semester program of TNDM will be available on the theatre’s website.
In November 2024, the artistic director of the national theatre, Pedro Penim, suggested “the first quarter of 2026” as a likely reopening date for D. Maria II, after the completion of works started in 2023 under the PRR.
On October 23, the TNDM management confirmed the launch of the tender for the refurbishment of the rotating stage system, valued at 1.6 million euros with a completion deadline of 175 days, aiming for the project’s completion by late June 2026.
When asked about the potential delay due to the tender issued this year, the management stated in writing that the work “does not jeopardize meeting the PRR-established deadline for intervention completion, set for the end of June 2026.”
Initially, the reopening of D. Maria II was scheduled for 2024. In November 2023, it was postponed for the first time to early 2025. In July 2024, the board voted to delay the reopening again, projecting it for early 2026, citing construction delays.
