Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists

Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists description

The brilliant Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists is the New York Times Critic’s Pick. 

Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists takes us into the future, to the year 2028. The setting is Portugal, where a strange day unfolds. We meet a unique Portuguese family whose members have gathered at their country house every year for 70 years to execute a fascist. It's a day of death, celebration and beauty, and this time around it is Catarina's big day. She's going to kill her first ever fascist, a rite of passage that has been going on for so long it has become a family tradition.

When Catarina decides not to kill the captive fascist her refusal causes a rift to open up in the family, summoning the ghostly presences of the past and asking awkward questions. What's the real cost of democracy? And does the battle to create a better world justify the ugliness of violence? Expect something confrontational, controversial and emotionally charged, a political tour de force that's perfect for our times. 

This unusually compelling piece of drama comes from the respected Portuguese playwright and director Tiago Rodrigues, the Director of Festival d’Avignon. This is its UK premiere as well as Rodriguez's National Theatre debut, performed in the original Portuguese with English surtitles, on stage at the National Theatre for just one week in a strictly limited run. Daniel Hahn is responsible for the English translation. 

The cast includes Isabel Abreu, Romeu Costa, and António Fonseca, and the creative team includes artistic collaborator Magda Bizarro, set designer F. Ribeiro, lighting designer Nuno Meira, costume designer José António Tenente, composer and sound designer Pedro Costa, and choreographers Sofia Dias and Vítor Roriz. 

Buy Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists tickets to give your brain, emotions and conscience an exciting work-out.

Playing at Dorfman - National Theatre

National Theatre, Upper Ground, Ground South Bank, London, SE1 9PX GB (venue info)

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