Teatro Variedades presents, from September 17 to 20, the Portuguese contemporary opera "Pygmalion," a creation that transposes the classical myth to a post-apocalyptic future where "Pygmalions hunt and devour wandering Mannequins." The work was born from a commission by FIO – Festival Informal de Ópera, having selected composer Gerson de Sousa Batista, from Aveiro, for the music, Tiago Schwäbl Martins for the libretto, and João Vieira Fino for staging and visual design.
The production blends operatic language with electronic music, electroacoustics, and a strong visual component. According to Gerson de Sousa Batista, the combination of electronic and electroacoustic music adds "new layers to the atmospheres created by instruments and voices." The staging is inspired by traditional Japanese theater, particularly Noh Theater and Kabuki, with American director Robert Wilson also serving as a reference.
The creative process involved children between the ages of 3 and 5 from a school in Vila Nova de Gaia, who experimented with masks, mannequin fragments, drew characters, and explored shadow theater. Sign language is part of the scenic proposal, functioning as an extension of scenic expressiveness and as an accessibility measure. This is the first production of the Cultural Platform, a nonprofit association dedicated to contemporary creation.
The opera will be performed by countertenor António Lourenço Menezes and soprano Sara Afonso, accompanied by the Ensemble Efeito Pigmalião and the Choir Grupo Vocal Arsis, with approximately 30 choristers, under musical direction by Constança Simas. Performances run from Thursday to Saturday at 9:00 PM and Sunday at 4:00 PM, with audio description on September 19 and 20, and Portuguese Sign Language interpretation on September 20.
