Teatro Gregório Mascarenhas in Silves is still waiting for a formal inspection to check the premises and give permission for the building to open its doors to the public.
Despite Silves Mayor Isabel Soares guaranteeing that the theatre will open at the end of December or early January, the facility remains closed.
She told Barlavento newspaper: “The theatre refurbishment works are finished. We are just waiting for the General Inspection of Cultural Activities to give us order to open the doors and start the shows.”
Teatro Gregório Mascarenhas was built in 1909 and was re-opened in September 2005 before closing for a total renovation. The cost was €2 million and the theatre re-opened with a concert by the well-known Portuguese maestro António Victorino d’Almeida.
Meanwhile, the mandatory placement of an iron curtain to separate the stage from the audience in case of fire, and the inability to hire staff, were some of the reasons given in 2006 by Mayor Isabel Soares for the new closing of the building.
