Fernando and His Grandmother : Theare SHift

Category

Music

Artists

Armando Nascimento Rosa

Date

November, 25th 2024

Fernando and His Grandmother by Armando Nascimento Rosa (trans. Susannah Finzi) is inspired by the life and work of Portugal’s best-known poet and writer, Fernando Pessoa. An intriguing literary figure from the 20th century, Pessoa is called the “Endlessly Multiple” poet because of the many heteronyms (multiple personae) that he invented. These heteronyms were whole fictional entities with individual biographies and distinctive styles of writing. The play traverses the turbulent and changing Portuguese political landscape of the early 20th century through the First World War, the Republic, and Salazar’s regime. Over seven encounters, Fernando and his grandmother take us through a heartwarming, exciting, and magical journey that often brings into sharp focus the relationship between genius and insanity, silence and noise, life and death, and past and future.

An international literary figure, Fernando Pessoa’s writings have been translated into many languages. His writing and life have much to offer as we ponder the existential questions of our time. The play is in English.