TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL DO PORTO (TEP)

Suddenly, half way through the scene, he feels unwell and has what appears to be an anxiety attack. In insecure work, nearing forty, falling further behind in his social security payments and working intermittently, he is unable to withstand the stress or the collapse of the "living lie" with which he entertains his life – and ends up on the psychiatrist’s couch. “Não Dá Trabalho Nenhum” plays exactly with the idea that the theatre is no work at all. On the one hand, it satirises the idea that it’s no work at all to create a show; that an actor’s work is almost child’s play. On the other, it notes that the theatre also provides little work these days. This show-cum-consultation attempts to demystify some of the romanticised and demeaning clichés about the life of the stage performer and present actors to the community they work with in the most fraternal terms possible. 

Teatro Experimental do Porto staged its first show in 1953 and is the oldest functioning theatre company in Portugal. Under the artistic direction of António Pedro (1953-1961), the TEP was the precursor of modern theatre in Portugal. From 1998 to the end of 2009, the company was directed by Norberto Barroca, who was then replaced by Júlio Gago. In 2012, this position was filled by Gonçalo Amorim, the resident stage director since 2010.