Faro’s historic Lethes Theatre is reopening on February 22 after storm damage forced it to cancel all shows last November.
The theatre’s stage was hit hard by Depression Cláudia, forcing it to undergo repairs. Luís Vicente, director of ACTA – A Companhia de Teatro do Algarve, which runs the theatre’s cultural programme, said the works are nearing completion, meaning performances can soon resume safely.
“We will open on February 22 with the Guitar Festival,” he told Lusa. Workers from a northern Portuguese company are fixing the stage roof, using an internal structure that “covers and seals the stage”, described as similar to the one at the Coliseu do Porto. Vicente added that a “second phase” of work is still planned but can go ahead without affecting shows.
The director hopes the repairs will help Faro council go ahead with its plan to buy the theatre, announced recently by mayor António Miguel Pina. Currently, the building is owned by the Portuguese Red Cross, which prevents the council from funding repairs or applying for EU grants.
The theatre is one of the most historic buildings in Faro. It opened as a theatre on April 4, 1845, in a building that began as a 16th-century Jesuit school. Purchased by the Portuguese Red Cross in 1951, it is home to ACTA which organises its cultural events.
