Faro: Rufus Wainwright closes the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Teatro das Figuras

The celebrations for the 20th anniversary of Teatro das Figuras will take place over the weekend of 27th and 28th June and will culminate on 1st July, the date on which the most important performance venue in the south of the country will be officially opened.

On Friday, June 27th, the Porto band Ornatos Violeta will perform in concert, starting at 10 pm. With over three decades of experience, they are an unmistakable name in Portuguese music and will return to Faro for an open-air concert, on the Teatro das Figuras ramp, where the poetry of Manel Cruz and the melodies of Ornatos will be heard. After the concert, the music will continue with the records of DJ Nuno Silva, with the greatest hits of the 80s. Entry is free, subject to capacity.

On the second day of celebrations, Saturday, June 28, the program is diverse and continues until dusk. The Theater opens its doors at 10:00 am with an extensive children's program, with a highlight being the play “Brincar com o Vazio”, with Teresa Silva and Mateus Verde, at 10:30 am, providing participants with a sensory journey through images, contours, shadows, sounds and silences.

The new circus will take to the pitch at 11:00 am with the show «DistanS», by the company Vol'e Temps. «DistanS» talks about friendship that lasts over time, the fragility of human beings, rupture, loneliness, and the love capable of regenerating and rebuilding our relationships with others.

With a less common proposal, the Staged Visits, promoted by the university theatre group SinCera, propose to reveal another side of the stage and the spaces of the Theatre that few know, exploring “hidden” corners and spaces in a fun and original way. The Staged Visits take place at 12:00, 16:00 and 18:00.

We are launching a bolder invitation to our audience, presenting “The Center of the World”, a show by Ana Borralho and João Galante that “explores individual experiences in a shared environment, where the boundaries between the real and the virtual are blurred”. This experience involves the use of virtual reality glasses and uses strobe lighting and will have three sessions, at 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm.

With the little ones in mind, we have prepared a Mask Laboratory, an artistic workshop with Andreia Cordeiro aimed at children aged between 6 and 13, which seeks to combine the imaginary of theatre with popular Portuguese traditions and manual practices. It will start at 5:00 pm in the theatre foyer.

The new circus returns to the pitch with Rojo, at 7pm, by Mireia Miracle Company, about a clown who travels in a suitcase but sees her journey interrupted by a border. Her adventures and setbacks will be witnessed by the audience who will also be part of the show.

Starting at Teatro das Figuras, the performance Mal de Ulisses is an intervention project by Rui Catalão on migration, which explores the reasons that lead a person to abandon their family, their country and their experience in the country where they have chosen to live. This tour will last 75 minutes and ends at the place where it began.

The activities on June 27th and 28th are all free of charge, subject to availability. The Staged Visits, the Play with the Void theater, the performance The Center of the World and the Mask Laboratory require prior registration by email ( [email protected] ).

The culmination of the celebrations of these 20 years takes place on July 1st, the official date of the inauguration of Teatro das Figuras, with a concert by Rufus Wainwright, one of the great vocalists and composers of his generation.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with artists such as Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Miley Cyrus, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams, Sting and many others. He is also the author of two operas, a requiem and several songs composed for film and television.

Rufus Wainwright will perform in Faro on July 1st, at 9:30 pm, and this will be the only concert of this tour in Portugal. Tickets can be purchased at the box office (from Tuesday to Saturday, from 1:00 pm to 7:30 pm, and on the day of the show until its start) or online .