Theater
“Dead Poets Society” fills Lisbon theater for eight straight months, tickets sold out until Dec. 20
The stage adaptation of the 1989 film, with Diogo Infante as John Keating, has been extended twice and goes on tour to Porto in January.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 28, 2026, 11:00 · Updated 18:42 · 1 min read
In brief
- The play “Dead Poets Society” at Teatro da Trindade in Lisbon has sold out for eight consecutive months.
- The stage script was written by the film's own screenwriter, Tom Schulman, and it is directed by Hélder Gamboa.
- The show, originally set to close in August, has been extended twice and in January 2027 begins a tour with 16 performances in Porto.
The stage adaptation of “Dead Poets Society” has become the phenomenon of the season in Lisbon. The play, which premiered in April at Teatro da Trindade, has played to full houses for eight straight months, and tickets are sold out until Dec. 20, Euronews reports.
A script by the film's screenwriter
The production is staged by Tenda Produções in partnership with Teatro da Trindade. The stage version was written by Tom Schulman himself, the screenwriter of the 1989 film, and it is directed by Hélder Gamboa. “This is a text we were needing at this moment,” the director said.
In the role of teacher John Keating, played in the film by Robin Williams, is Diogo Infante, who is also Teatro da Trindade's artistic director. The cast also includes Virgílio Castelo as headmaster Gale Nolan, Diogo Mesquita as Mr. Perry and 23-year-old Rui Pedro Silva as Neil Perry, alongside eight young actors from various drama schools.
Extensions and a tour to Porto
The play was scheduled to close in August but has been extended twice and now runs five days a week. In January 2027 a tour begins that includes 16 already sold-out performances at Teatro Sá da Bandeira in Porto, and a return to Lisbon is not ruled out.
The 1989 film launched the careers of actors Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard. Robin Williams, who played Keating, died in 2014 at age 63.
