The ‘Terras de Camilo’ Amateur Theatre Festival is back to bring the best of national amateur theatre to Vila Nova de Famalicão. The 18th edition of the initiative kicks off on March 1 and the programme runs until April 27, with twelve theatrical proposals to take your hat off to.
All the shows take place in the auditorium of the Camillian Studies Centre in Seide São Miguel, with free admission, subject to capacity.
As well as plays by amateur theatre groups from Barcelos to Arouca, passing through Viana do Castelo, Espinho, Penafiel and Valongo, there will also be room for local groups.
As usual, the festival kicks off with the opening of the ‘Masks and Caretos’ exhibition, now in its fifth year. Comprising artwork by informal artists from Seide's schools and cultural organisations, the exhibition will be unveiled at 15h00 on Saturday.
The 18th Terras de Camilo Amateur Theatre Festival is organised by the Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão in partnership with GRUTACA - Grupo de Teatro Amador Camiliano, a group that will kick off on stage with the puppet theatre ‘Maria Moisés’, inspired by Camilo Castelo Branco's novel of the same name, on March 1 at 21h30.
On International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8, there will be ‘Três em Lua de Mel’, by the Teatro Popular de Carapeços (Barcelos), a theatrical comedy inspired by Almeida Garrett's ‘Frei Luís de Sousa’, starting at 21h30. The next day, at 16h00, the Ribeirão Musical Community Theatre Group (Famalicão) takes to the stage with the comedy ‘Os Dois Surdos’ (The Two Deaf People).
This is followed by the play ‘Rosa Enjeitada’, by the Casca de Nós Theatre Group (Valongo), on March 22, at 21h30, and on World Theatre Day, which is celebrated on March 27, the Mandrágora Puppet and Theatre Company (Espinho) presents ‘Meu Avô Consegue Voar’, an adaptation of the text by Pedro Seromenho, which will have two sessions - 14h30 and 16h00.
On March 29, the Teatro Experimental de Arouca (Arouca) takes to the stage of the Centro de Estudos Camilianos with the play ‘A Dívida’ (The Debt), starting at 21h30; and on 30 March, ATAL - Associação Teatro Amador de Lanheses (Viana do Castelo) presents the play ‘De Dolores a Lola’ (From Dolores to Lola), at 16h00.
In April, note the opening of the exhibition ‘Grutaca, Grupo de Teatro Amador Camiliano - 30 Anos de Teatro’ (Grutaca, Camiliano Amateur Theatre Group - 30 Years of Theatre), on the 5th at 18h00, which will be on display in the Casa do Caseiro of the Camilo Castelo Branco House-Museum until the end of the festival, with free admission. On this day, the play ‘Quem Não Chora Não Mama’ will also be presented by the Novelas Theatre Group (Penafiel), and exactly one week later, on the 12th, the Campelos Amateur Theatre Group (Guimarães) will take to the stage with the play ‘A Noite’, both starting at 21h30.
On April 24, it will be the turn of the group from Famalicão, Alçapão - Academia de Teatro, to put on the show ‘Que Portugal?’, at 21h30; and on April 27, the festival closes with the play ‘Quadrilha’, by Jomar Magalhães, by Companhia Teatro aos Quartos (Viana do Castelo), at 16h00.
Note the theatre workshop ‘Improvisation Techniques’ led by Ana Azevedo, with free and compulsory registration. The sessions take place at the Centro de Estudos Camilianos on 8, 15, 22 and 29 March and 5 and 12 April, from 10h00 to 12h30. The trainees will take to the stage of the Centro de Estudos Camilianos to show the results of this workshop on the day of the Carnation Revolution, 25 April, at 16h00, with a performance based on the theme ‘Amores de Perdição’.
The entire programme for the 18th ‘Terras de Camilo’ Amateur Theatre Festival can be found on the local authority website at www.famalicao.pt.
