A theatre having national as part of its name, at the top of a square, reflecting a country’s history. But which one? This is a voyage through the various narratives about D. Maria II National Theatre, forged through the intentions of the several regimes that intended to convey their own ideologies within the theatre’s mission. This is also the story of those who fought against it, opposed the institution and became part of it. How can one become heir of these stories, even if never having set foot inside.
Auto da Casa do Inferno could serve as the theme to describe the saga of the D. Maria II National Theatre and the company that steered its destiny for the longest period – Rey Colaço-Robles Monteiro. But the story begins even earlier, in the 19th century, and the film directed by Tiago Bartolomeu Costa and Joana Cunha Ferreira (produced by Midas Filmes) seeks to understand why the theatre was built in that location, defining a square, for which country it was built and for which people it was meant. If it seems impossible to make such a film without resorting to filmed interviews, this film proves the opposite. It is a film entirely constructed from archive footage, evoking our memory of a time when such moving images did not yet exist, yet it also draws upon literature and the other arts within the theatre performance. And like snake charmers or storytellers from the oral tradition, the filmmakers lull us into a trance. We are transported into that theatre which once had bench seating, all sort of people and survived a fire, but which, above all, had a programme that never stopped, even when the playwrights were censored, or when the actors could not work because of their political convictions. And what is this place that is a renowned place, which witnessed all the city’s achievements, the political movements, the changes of regime? Perhaps the explanation lies in the fact that when they ‘tried to kill it’, the company moved to the Coliseu and staged the show without any set design, save for the sheer desire to be on stage. A film not to be missed. (Miguel Valverde)
