Before The Sea

Before the Sea
(Antes do Mar)

Imagine a group of people that walks. In the distance. They cross the everything and the nothingness in front of us. Do those feet dance?

They hope to arrive at the sea, but in our head, words are what to listen to: before this new creation from Teatro O Bando, before the dramaturgy and staging of Miguel Jesus, there was the novel “Um Bailarino na Batalha” / ” A dancer in the battle” from Hélia Correia, winner of Grande Prémio de Romance e Novela from the Writers Portuguese Association in 2019. Imagine that those people keep on walking. They were walking before us. Before this time, they already took their places in other journeys, another exodus. Don’t those feet ever get tired? They hope to arrive at the sea to cross it but what we see at the distance is tents remains and oars: before the fiction we can sit in open air in Vale dos Barris. It’s Summer and we can attend with all the distancing measures to a play from Teatro O Bando. We are safe and have headphones so we can listen to those conversations that are taking place in the distance. Imagine that those people, those characters, get closer. That we hear the word Europe. That they look at us in the eyes. Wonder if those feet give one more step, do they get inside us? They hope to arrive at the sea and are coming in our direction.

Short Info

Premiere June 25th 2020 in Teatro O Bando

Direction Team

Text: Hélia Correia based on “Um Bailarino na Batalha” (“A dancer in the battle”)
Dramaturgy and direction: Miguel Jesus
Music: Jorge Salgueiro
Landscape scenography: Rui Francisco and Clara Bento
Props and costumes assistant: Sara Rodrigues
Scenography assistant: Dora Sales
Sound design: Miguel Lima
Light design: Nicolas Manfredin

Cast

Dora Sales,
João Neca,
Laurinda Chiungue,
Maria do Ó,
Nicolas Brites,
Nylon Princeso,
Paula Só,
Raul Atalaia,
Rita Brito,
André Mexia,
Fabian Bravo.