Os Lusíadas Como Nunca os Ouviu

To António Fonseca, Os Lusíadas [The Lusiads] is first and foremost the tale of the first sea journey between Lisbon and India. Since 2008, the actor has been refining a project focused on listening (in theatres, get-togethers or via an audiobook) to this major work: “Difficult to read, especially because of its syntactic play, The Lusiads proves easy to listen to.” Within the frame of the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Camões’ birth, António Fonseca proposes us two reading experiences. De Lisboa à Índia – Ida [From Lisbon to India – One-Way Trip], aimed at school audiences, centres on the concept of voyage and goes up to Canto VI (the arrival to India); this experience offers context and a present-day perspective to the book’s narrative, while also exploring the rhythm and musicality of its language. De Lisboa à Índia – Ida e Volta [From Lisbon to India – Round Trip]  encompasses the whole book, inviting the general public to a deconstruction of The Lusiads, avoiding stereotypical views. In both cases, commentary and interaction will cause a wondrous “story of the condition of being human” to emerge and be the subject of collective listening.