After the tempest

The show begins (and continues) in Portuguese - a very long beginning, and I wonder if it was a good idea to bring the first scenes to the audience in a foreign language? Would there be lots of fuddled brows and yawns?

Wrong. Among the whispers, I realise with some surprise that the audience may well not understand the language, but neither are they paying much attention to the panel giving sub-titles. In furtive comments to each other, they’re working out who’s who from the names, and understanding what’s going on on stage.

It’s then that I think of the Algarve. Who over the age of 50 here knows the plays of Shakespeare this well, or even goes regularly to the theatre? And how would it be possible in a country cutting culture to the bone to maintain a theatre such as this one – where more than 300 people work, among them actors, musicians and technicians?

Almost two hours pass. They’ve spoken Portuguese, the original English, and then German. All on the same stage. I’d been told that Trier – with its vineyards and wineries – is a conservative city. The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great used to live here – and Karl Marx was actually born here. What sort of reaction to expect from these burghers?

Far from home, with an unusual play, ACTA received long and enthusiastic applause. They captured the hearts of the people of Trier – with a story of humanity and a very human performance. A little later, one of the German actors asks me if, in my opinion, I think the people of the Algarve will also enjoy the play?