On the other side of the wall: can theater play a role in inclusion?

A serious accident can radically change daily life, but it does not erase aspirations, affections, the desire for parenthood or simpler routines, such as shopping or going out with friends.

“Do Outro Lado do Muro”, scheduled to premiere on May 9 at Teatro Variedades, in Parque Mayer, explores the power of theatre as a tool for empathy and inclusion by showing us the story of someone who, upon starting to move around in a wheelchair, faces new challenges. With support from the Salvador Association, “Do Outro Lado do Muro” has text and direction by Tiago Torres da Silva and interpretations by Ricardo Carriço, Rita Ribeiro and Baltasar Marçal. The play has the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic and will be on display until May 18th.

Ricardo Carriço and Tiago Torres da Silva have wanted to work together for a long time. When they finally crossed paths with time and purpose, they quickly realised that they wanted to give a stage to a topic that moved them: the reality of people with motor disabilities. Theatre, they both believe, is the ideal vehicle to provoke reflection, break stigmas and contribute to changing mentalities.

The starting point was clear: listen to those who live this reality. They joined Salvador Mendes de Almeida, founder of the Salvador Association, from an early age, listening attentively not only to his story but also to that of other people whose lives changed from one day to the next. “What touched me most,” shares Ricardo Carriço, “was when Salvador told us: – people in wheelchairs don’t have the lights turned towards them, and it’s important that this happens.”

“From the beginning, I realised that this was not just another story about disability, but a true desire to delve deeper into a topic that is still surrounded by many taboos,” says Salvador Mendes de Almeida. “What captivated me was precisely this direct, transparent and honest approach that they wanted to give to the play. They didn’t want to romanticise or over-dramatise — they wanted the truth. And it was in this spirit that I got involved. In addition to sharing my vision and personal experience, I also contributed by providing contacts of other people with motor disabilities who could give their firsthand testimony. I believed — and continue to believe — that listening to multiple real perspectives was essential to building an authentic, rich and deeply human narrative,” says the founder of Associação Salvador.

The central character of this play is Rodrigo, a young singer at the height of his career, played at two different moments in his life by Baltasar Marçal and Ricardo Carriço – before and after an accident on stage that leaves him quadriplegic. Faced with a new reality, Rodrigo enters a process of self-discovery and transformation. Rita Ribeiro plays his mother, a figure who is both strong and vulnerable, who once again supports him at all times and who, above all, will not let him forget who he is. The actress, who volunteered for several years in a special education cooperative, highlights this important role as a caregiver: “this life changes drastically, but the mother’s unconditional love is clear, (…) one of the functions of theater is to open awareness and alert us to other realities, people don’t always think that it can happen to them, to a child”.

Tiago Torres da Silva, author and director of this play, wanted to show more comprehensively and symbolically, through the text, that it is not always just physical barriers that make our lives difficult or that put obstacles in the way of what we want to do. But, on the other hand, he chose to bring to the public aspects related to motor disabilities that are more particular and not always as well-known as the sometimes ambivalent feelings of the caregiver, sexuality or parenthood – it is “important to know the day-to-day lives of these people; we all live in bubbles, for me it is important to bring invisible worlds to the stage, the theater is one of those rare places where we can work on empathy”, says the author.

Actively contributing to the inclusion of audiences with reduced mobility, Teatro Variedades, in Parque Mayer, works continuously to improve its accessibility conditions. Access for people in wheelchairs is via the main entrance or the side entrance next to the cafeteria to the foyer, where there is an adapted ticket office and direct access to the performance hall to the respective seats. The public elevator takes you to the adapted bathrooms located on the 1st floor. It is also possible to purchase tickets with a 20% discount at the online box office and the physical box office of Teatro Variedades, with access permitted by a personal attendant with free entry.

DO OUTRO LADO DO MURO

• This piece has the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic
• Location: Teatro Variedades, Parque Mayer, Lisbon
• Dates: May 9-18, 2025 | Wednesday to Saturday, 9 pm | Sunday, 4 pm
• Tickets: On sale at MEO Blueticket and at the usual locations. €1 from each ticket goes to the Salvador Association.
• Duration: 80 min. | Age rating: To be classified by CCE
• Sessions with audio description: May 16 (9 pm) and 18 (4 pm). Stage recognition 1 hour before.

Technical sheet

Text and direction Tiago Torres da Silva | Assistant Director Baltasar Marçal | Cast Baltasar Marçal, Ricardo Carriço and Rita Ribeiro | Musical Direction Manuel Rebelo | Music Tim and Manuel Rebelo | Set design and costumes Catarina Amaro | Light Design Tiago Torres da Silva and Catarina Amaro | Executive production Rebeldexclusivo | Text and direction Tiago Torres da Silva | Assistant Director Baltasar Marçal | Cast Baltasar Marçal, Ricardo Carriço and Rita Ribeiro | Musical Direction Manuel Rebelo | Music Tim and Manuel Rebelo | Set design and costumes Catarina Amaro | Light Design Tiago Torres da Silva and Catarina Amaro | Executive production Rebeldexclusive

Synopsis

“Do Outro Lado do Muro”, with text and direction by Tiago Torres da Silva, tells the story of Rodrigo, a singer at the height of his career, whose life changes drastically after an unexpected accident on stage.

Faced with a new reality, that of motor disability, Rodrigo embarks on a journey of self-discovery, revisiting the young dreamer he once was. Between memories and challenges, the play reveals human transformation in the face of adversity, in an exercise in reconnecting with oneself.

His mother is Rodrigo’s foundation on this journey: confidant, caregiver and friend, torn between strength and fragility.

With performances by Ricardo Carriço, Rita Ribeiro and Baltasar Marçal, and the support of Associação Salvador, this play brings to the stage of Teatro Variedades a realistic, sensitive, and sometimes even humorous, look at the inclusion of people with motor disabilities.

Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the conditions of access, confirmation of the date or time, ticket place of sale, price, and availability.

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