The Maria Matos Theatre is one of two Municipal Theatres in Lisbon.
The Theatre was built between 1963 and 1969 according to a design by Architect Barros da Fonseca, in a very daring architectural complex for the time, which consists of a building with fifteen floors of different heights, including a Hotel, a Theatre and a Cinema.
The Maria Matos Theatre opened its doors on 22 October 1969, under the artistic direction of Igrejas Caeiro. During the 70s and early 80s, various companies passed across its stage, namely the RDP Theatre Company under the Artistic Direction of Artur Ramos, and the Repertório - Portuguese Theatre Cooperative, under the Artistic Direction of Armando Cortez.
In 1982, the theatre was acquired by Lisbon Municipal Council, ceasing to have a resident company and welcoming independent projects and theatre, dance and music companies. In 2003, the management of the Maria Matos company passed to the municipal company EGEAC - Empresa de Gestão de Equipamentos e Animação Cultural.
Given its state of deterioration, in August 2004 a radical remodelling of this cultural space was begun, giving it a new identity and providing it with professional conditions for presenting shows. The Maria Matos Municipal Theatre reopened on 27 March 2006, now a sophisticated and welcoming space which, as well as the main hall with a capacity of 447 seats, has a café and a rehearsal room.
With Diogo Infante as artistic director, after its reopening the theatre consolidated itself as one of the main events halls in the city of Lisbon, investing in a line-up of its own theatrical productions, with productions such as Laramie, Pillowman, Doubt, Hamlet or Cabaret, and co-productions of various performing arts and cinema festivals in Lisbon.
Since October 2008, the artistic direction has been in the hands of Mark Deputter, which similarly marks a change in the nature of the theatre, leading it towards contemporary performance, investing in new domestic creative talent and international productions in the areas of theatre, dance and music. The Maria Matos Theatre seeks to be a dynamising focal point for contemporary creativity, placing domestic output in an international context and creating networks of collaboration and exchange. Taking the classical idea of the theatre as a place for discussion and thought on questions of the polis, the Maria Matos Theatre also invests in its Educational Project and in the organisation of conferences, debates and seminars on topical subjects.
