Epidicus

Stratippocles goes to war and orders his slave Epidicus to acquire his mistress, Acropolistis. To achieve this goal, Epidicus has to resort to an expedient – because his master has not left him even half a coin for the transaction. He manages to convince Periphanes, the boy’s father, to welcome the young woman into his home, telling him that she is the daughter of an old love of his… Meanwhile, in Thebes, Stratippocles falls in love with a captive and indebts himself to acquire her… Acropolistis no longer interests him. This is the situation Epidicus faces on the day of the young man’s return. Thus begins this delightful piece, of an elegant and elaborate humour, which does not resort to the processes of the simple comical laughter, but marks a moment of calculated sobriety. Epidicus is a comedy that Plautus himself – used to make of the audience’s laughter the reason behind its glory – loved as much as himself.

Author of the synopsis: Carlos Alberto Louro Fonseca

Wardrobe: Luísa de Nazaré Ferreira, Catarina Ferreira, Maria Manuela Silva.

Stage manager: Alessandra Oliveira.

Lights: Pedro Santos, Ilídio Cadime.

Sound: Nuno Caldeira, José Luís Coelho, Paulo Mota Gaspar, Paulo Sérgio Ferreira, Nuno Gertrudes.

Make-up: Alexandra Santos, Patrícia Nunes.

Cast

Rui Henriques (Epidicus)

Bento Silva (Thesprio)

Paulo Mota Gaspar (Stratippocles)

José Luís Coelho (Cheribulus)

Delfim F. Leão (Apecides)

José Luís Brandão (Periphanes)

Patrícia Nunes (Anonymous lyre player)

Nuno Gertrudes (Swaggering soldier)

Patrícia Santos (Philippa)

Alexandra Santos (Acropolistis)

Nuno Filipe José (Loan shark)

Mariana Matias (Teléstis)

Paulo Sérgio Ferreira (Director of the Company)

Bruno Lourenço (Soldier’s slave)

Carla Brás (Cantara, Periphanes’s slave).