Tiago Rodrigues
Born in Amadora (Portugal), in 1977. He is an actor, director, playwright, producer and currently Director of the Festival d’Avignon, in France.
Since he started as an actor, 25 years ago, Tiago Rodrigues has always looked at the theatre as a human assembly: a place where people meet, like in a cafe, to confront their thoughts and share their time.
In 1997, when he was still a student, he started to work with the company tg STAN, co-creating and performing shows in English and French, in more than 15 countries. When he first started working with this Belgian collective, the freedom he found would forever influence his future works, confirming his attachment to the absence of hierarchy in a creative group.
He co-founded with Magda Bizarro in 2003 the theatre company Mundo Perfeito where, during 11 years, he created and presented more than 30 performances in more than 20 countries, becoming a regular presence in festivals like Festival d’Automne à Paris, METEOR Festival in Norway, Theaterformen in Germany, Festival TransAmériques in Canada, kunstenfestivalsdesarts in Belgium, among others. He collaborated with a large number of Portuguese and international theatre artists, as well as choreographers and dancers.
He also taught theatre in several schools, like the contemporary dance school PARTS, in Brussels, directed by choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, the Swiss performing arts school Manufacture, the international project École des Maîtres and Portuguese schools, such as the University of Évora, ESMAE, Ballesteatro or the Higher School of Dance, in Lisbon. He directed research, training and experimentation projects. Parallel to his theatre work, he wrote screenplays for film and television, pieces for newspapers, poetry and essays.
During the past years, he obtained international recognition and several national and international awards. Some of his most notable works are 'By Heart' (2013), 'Antony and Cleopatra' (2014), 'Bovary' (2014) or 'Sopro' (2017). He maintained his collaborative work in projects like 'The way she dies' (2019), that he wrote for the tg STAN, or 'Please Please Please' (2019), co-created with the choreographers La Ribot and Mathilde Monnier. His most recent works are 'Catarina and the beauty of killing fascists' (2020), 'The Cherry Orchard' (2021), his first staging of a repertoire text, that premiered at the Cour d'Honneur of Palais des Papes during the Festival d'Avignon 2021, 'Lovers' Choir' (2021), 'Dans la mesure de l’impossible' (2022), created at the Comédie de Genève, or 'Hecuba, not Hecuba' (2024), created with Comédie-Française.
Either mixing true stories and fiction, rewriting classics or adapting novels, the theatre of Tiago Rodrigues is deeply rooted in the idea of writing for and with the actors, searching for a poetical transformation of reality through theatrical tools. That desire is evident in projects such as 'Occupation Bastille' (2016), an artistic occupation of Théâtre de la Bastille, in Paris, by almost a hundred artists and spectators.
In 2018 he was awarded XV Europe Prize Theatrical Realities. In April 2019 he was distinguished by the French Republique with the title Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), and in December of the same year, he received the Prémio Pessoa, the most prestigious award for arts and science in Portugal. In December 2021 the Portuguese Government has distinguished him with the Medal of Cultural Merit.
He was Artistic Director of the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in Lisbon during 7 years, between 2015 and 2021, developing a project of artistic renewal of this centenary institution and an important work of democratization, public renovation and circulation throughout the national and international territory.
Since September 2022 he is the Director of Festival d’Avignon, in France.
His work has been recognized by his ability to break borders between the theatre and different realities, challenging our perception of social and historical phenomenon. Throughout his career, Tiago Rodrigues has become a builder of bridges between cities and countries, at once host and advocate of a living theatre.
Theatre Creations:
The Distance (2025)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
No Yogurt for the Dead – Histoire(s) du Théâtre VI (2025)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Lovers’ Choir - Greece (2024)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Hecuba, not Hecuba (2024)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Tristan and Iseult (2023)
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Dans la mesure de l’impossible (2022)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Lovers' Choir (2021)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
The Cherry Orchard (2021)
Text: Anton Tchekhov
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Catarina and the beauty of killing fascists (2020)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Um outro fim para a Menina Júlia (2019)
Creation by Tiago Rodrigues from August Strindberg
Please Please Please (2019)
Creation: La Ribot, Mathilde Monnier and Tiago Rodrigues
Perigo Feliz (2018)
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues (integrated in the project École des Maîtres)
Nada acontece como planeamos (2018)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues (for the finalist students of La Manufacture – Haute École des Arts de la Scène)
Sopro (2017)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
The way she dies (2017)
Text and concept: Tiago Rodrigues
Cocreation and interpretation: Frank Vercruyssen, Isabel Abreu, Jolente de Keersmaeker and Pedro Gil
Library (2016)
Text and concept: Tiago Rodrigues
Bovary – French version (2016)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues, from Gustave Flaubert
Je t’ai vu pour la première fois au Thêátre de la Bastille (2016)
Concept and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Iphigenia (2015)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Agamemnon (2015)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Electra (2015)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Perna Esquerda de Tchaikovski (2015)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Antony and Cleopatra (2014)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Bovary (2014)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Interpretação (2014)
Text: Jacinto Lucas Pires
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
By Heart (2013)
Text, direction and interpretation: Tiago Rodrigues
Peça Romântica para um teatro fechado (2013)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Between the lines (2013)
Text: Tiago Rodrigues
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues and Tónan Quito
Mundo Maravilha (2012)
Cocreation: Alex Cassal, André Calado, Cláudia Gaiolas, Felipe Rocha, Magda Bizarro, Paula Diogo, Renato Linhares, Stella Rabello and Tiago Rodrigues
Três dedos abaixo do joelho (2012)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Tristeza e alegria na vida das girafas (2011)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
The Jew (2011)
Cocreation: Gillis Biesheuvel, Gonçalo Waddington, Kuno Bakker, Manja Topper and Tiago Rodrigues
Long Distance Hotel (Revisited) (2011)
Cocreation: Gilles Polet, Goran Sergej Pristas, Judith Davis, Leo Preston, Tiago Rodrigues and Tónan Quito
Bela Adormecida (2010)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Hotel Lutécia (2010)
Texts: Tim Etchells, Alex Cassal, Miguel Castro Caldas, José Maria Vieira Mendes, Tiago Rodrigues, Jacinto Lucas Pires and Nature Theater of Oklahoma
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Long Distance Hotel (2010)
Cocreation: Gilles Polet, Goran Sergej Pristas, Judith Davis, Leo Preston, Tiago Rodrigues and Tónan Quito
Se uma janela se abrisse (2010)
Text and direction: Tiago Rodrigues
O que se leva desta vida (2009)
Creation: Gonçalo Waddington e Tiago Rodrigues
Cartões de visita (2009)
Performances from: Alex Cassal, Claúdia Gaiolas, Felipe Rocha, Michel Blois, Paula Diogo, Thiare Maia and Tiago Rodrigues
Sempre (2009)
Cocreation: Alex Cassal, Cláudia Gaiolas, Felipe Rocha, Magda Bizarro, Michel Blois, Paula Diogo, Thiare Maia and Tiago Rodrigues
Pedro procura Inês (2009)
Cocreation: Alex Cassal, Cláudia Gaiolas, Felipe Rocha, Magda Bizarro, Michel Blois, Paula Diogo, Thiare Maia and Tiago Rodrigues
Bobby Sands vai morrer Thatcher assassina! (2009)
Cocreation: Alex Cassal, Cláudia Gaiolas, Felipe Rocha, Magda Bizarro, Michel Blois, Paula Diogo, Thiare Maia and Tiago Rodrigues
A Festa (2008)
Text: Filipe Homem Fonseca, Nelson Guerreiro and Tiago Rodrigues
Yesterday’s Man (2007)
Creation: Rabih Mroué, Tiago Rodrigues and Tony Chakar
A partir de amanhã (2007)
Text: Tiago Rodrigues
Direction and interpretation: Cláudia Gaiolas
Urgências 2007 (2007)
Short plays from: Inês Meneses, Joaquim Horta, José Luís Peixoto, José Maria Vieira Mendes, Mickael de Oliveira and Rui Cardoso Martins
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Duas Metades (2007)
Texts: Patrícia Portela and Tiago Rodrigues
Cocreation: Cláudia Gaiolas, Magda Bizarro, Tiago Rodrigues, Thomas Walgrave and Tónan Quito
Urgências 2006 (2006)
Short plays from: Filipe Homem Fonseca, João Quadros, Luís Filipe Borges, Nelson Guerreiro, Nuno Artur Silva, Nuno Costa Santos, Patrícia Portela, Pedro Mexia, Pedro Rosa Mendes, Susana Romana and Tiago Rodrigues
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Azul a cores (2006)
Text: Filipe Homem Fonseca
Cocreation and interpretation: Margarida Cardeal and Tiago Rodrigues
Berenice (2005)
Text: Jean Racine
Criação e Interpretação de Cathy Naden, Carly Wys, Frank Vercruyssen e Tiago Rodrigues
Urgências 2004 (2004)
Short plays from: Filipe Homem Fonseca, Luís Filipe Borges, Nuno Artur Silva, Nuno Costa Santos, Pedro Mexia, Susana Romana and Tiago Rodrigues
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Stand-up Tragedy (2003)
Text: Luís Filipe Borges, Nuno Costa Santos and Tiago Rodrigues
Direction: Tiago Rodrigues
Photo 1: © Christophe Raynaud de Lage – Festival d’Avignon
Photo 2: © Filipe Ferreira
