The play “Na medida do impossível”, conceived by director and playwright Tiago Rodrigues, director of the Avignon Festival, based on testimonies from Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders volunteers, has its Portuguese premiere today in Lisbon.
“Na medida do impossível” ends its international tour at Culturgest, after two years of performances in theaters and festivals in 120 countries.
The play has eight performances scheduled for Lisbon, at the Emílio Rui Vilar auditorium, starting today until Sunday, and then from the 23rd to the 25th of this month.
The show is based on the testimonies of professionals from humanitarian organizations and the conditions they face in their daily work, says the presentation of the work on Culturgest’s website.
“How do you manage a refugee camp? How do you deal with life and death choices? How do you carry on when you know you’re not going to change the world?” are questions raised in the show.
“Far from our universe, where things are possible, the characters speak of the ‘impossible’, where war, hunger and violence destroy the future and life itself. Without falling into sentiment or morality, it is the daily and intimate experience of those who refuse the title of ‘hero’ that is at the heart of this theater,” adds the presentation text.
Premiered in Geneva in 2022 under the French title “Dans la mesure de l’impossible”, the play by the current artistic director of the Avignon Festival also opened the 2023 edition of the festival.
The premiere in Portugal is part of the cycle “50 Anos, 25 de Abril” (50 Years, 25 April), which will include other initiatives, including a talk on “Caring in a state of emergency”, with the participation of Tiago Rodrigues and researcher Susana Gouveia, moderated by journalist Margarida David Cardoso.
The performances on Wednesday and Saturday start at 19:00 and on Thursday and Friday at 21:00. On the 21st, it will be performed at 17:00. On April 23rd and 25th, the stage will open at 21:00 and on the 24th at 19:00.
Directed and written by Tiago Rodrigues, the actors are Adrien Barazzone, Beatriz Brás, Baptiste Coustenoble and Natacha Koutchoumov.
Live music is provided by Gabriel Ferrandini, who also composes the music.
Translated by Thomas Resendes, “Na medida do impossível” has set design by Laurent Junod, Wendy Tokuoka and Laura Fleury, lighting by Rui Monteiro and sound by Pedro Costa.
