Mário Cruz / Lusa
Former Prime Minister José Sócrates
Mr. Engineer – Allegedly a Musical“overproduction” which is also based on Portuguese political-social reality.
The life of the former prime minister Joseph Socrates served as inspiration for a satirical comedyby Henrique Dias and directed by Rui Melo, who will be on stage in 2026 in Lisbon and Porto, revealed the production company UAU.
“Mr Engineer – Allegedly a Musical” is presented as a “superproduction” that starts from “public facts about Mr. Engineer José Sócrates and the Portuguese political-social reality”. Premieres on April Fools’ Dayas of April 1, no Tivoli Theatre, in Lisbon.
After Lisbon, the play will be on stage at Porto Coliseum between May 14th and 17th.
The news of the premiere of this show was announced on Thursday night by the weekly newspaper, indicating that the actor will play the role of the former prime minister and that the production cost 600 thousand euros.
On the poster, in which the actor appears in profile, wearing a suit, dazzled by spotlights and surrounded by microphones, you can read the phrase “Once upon a time there was a prime minister who really wanted a house in Paris.”
The original text is by comedian and screenwriter Henrique Dias, author, among other productions, of the comedy television series “Pôr do Sol” (RTP), starring actor Rui Melo, who is now directing the play. The original music is by Artur Guimarães.
Citing authors such as Gil Vicente, Eça de Queirós and Guerra Junqueiro, the producer says that this play “follows the tradition of the Portuguese chronicle of customs, through a humorous approach to events that are already part of the national collective imagination”.
The choice of the premiere date, on April Fools’ Day, “reinforces this spirit provocative of production, which promises to win the audience with intelligent humor, social criticism and unforgettable musical moments.”
Tickets for “Mr Engineer – Allegedly A Musical” will go on sale from Monday.
