Don Duardos

Written: 1992

Gil Vicente; International Theatre Link

This is one of the first plays to have been written by an identifiable author, and probably one of the first novel adaptations ever written.

Gil Vicente is a sixteenth century writer known as the ‘father’ of Portuguese theatre: this is a very beauitful play about an English knight (‘Duardos’ is Portuguese for Edward) and his love.

I did this adaptation originally for a Portuguese dirctor. We could not see eye to eye at all; and then the British company that has initiated the contact ran out of funds.

It was the runner up in the Gate translation competition soon afterwards: but has still never been performed.