In «By Heart», the dramatist and performer Tiago Rodrigues teaches a poem to ten people. These persons have never watched the performance before and are not informed of which poem will have to learn by heart before the audience. While teaching them, the main character unfolds stories blended together including his grandmother’s narrations along with quotes by Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury and Goseph Brodsky while new stories make their appearance involving Portugal chefs, Dutch TV shows and the Nobel laureate Boris Pasternak. While the poem is about to be completed, all those mysterious connections will also be revealed.

“By Hear” is a play about transmission and the meaning of both words and ideas that only memory can safeguard. Being the director of Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in Lisbon since 2015, prizewinner, world traveler and multitasker, Tiago Rodrigues is the most famous Portugal director established as the artist who bridges cities and countries, and as a host and advocate of the live theatre.

Written and performed by Tiago Rodrigues
Text with fragments and quotes by William Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, George Steiner, Joseph Brodsky, among others
set, props and costumes Magda Bizarro
English translation Tiago Rodrigues, revised by Joana Frazão
Executive production on the original creation Magda Bizarro, Rita Mendes
Executive production Rita Forjaz
A production of Teatro Nacional D. Maria II after an original creation by the company Mundo Perfeito
Co-producers O Espaço do Tempo, Maria Matos Teatro Municipal