Last week we had the pleasure of seeing Sopro, a show that might very well have been the most interesting we have covered in 2020. Director Tiago Rodrigues of the Lisbon National Theatre presented a multi-layered play that tells the story of Cristina Vidal, a prompter who has dedicated most of her life to the dramatic arts. The audience is given a chance to explore the unique perspective of someone who stands side by side with the cast, yet remains separated from the stage, constantly invisible to the public. Blocking, lines, tone, everything from sound to movement is of concern to a prompter, so how could we miss the opportunity to listen to the stories of the soul bridging the two sides of the curtain?
Vidal is joined by various actors, who help her tell some of the episodes that most marked her career. The narrative style is quite remarkable - while Vidal remains on stage the whole time, the direct opposite of what we would expect from a veteran prompter, we do not hear more than whispers from her. These whispers, however, conduct the entire play, line by line and often step by step. Telling her story means using her voice in a prompter's terms. The actors deliver the performance, yet Vidal conducts it.
Personal reasons prevented me from seeing the end of the show, yet my colleague shared with me the conclusion. I will not spoil it for our readers, but if you like emotional depth the ending alone will touch you profoundly.
The gold: The layers. The previous paragraphs already give you the general idea, but this play is uniquely 3 dimensional. It is theatre within theatre within theatre. This is not to say that it is hard to follow, nor that it dwells in pretentious nonsense. Constructing a narration with deep content and tangled format, while having it flow without apparent effort is something that deserves nothing but praise.
The silver: The song. Something that only takes a few minutes of the play should usually not be in the podium, but allow us the exception. Everything seems to work - light, tone, the high notes, the text, the blocking. Even Vital's whispers seemed to get another weight.
The bronze: The humour. While a bit rusty in the first moments of the play, the style of humour is both subtle and refined. The show deals with a few topics that are not particularly light, and even though it cannot be considered a comedy, there are multiple funny sketches that complement the story. The fact that there are various layers in the narrative also allows for innovative ways to deliver a joke or a punchline.
Our best regards to everyone who took part in this show.
(And greetings to Sara Barros Leitão, my favourite actress in my teens).
To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com
Image credit: Christophe Raynaud de Lage
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