Mr. Perfect Love has the face white with shaving cream and awaits in silence the approach of the barber’s fingers, for the shaving ritual.
Oddly enough an unusual itching in his nose area makes him move uncomfortably in his chair.
A bright reflection of light in the razor blade closes his eyes briefly. When the barber screams and he opens his eyes, he could see, for a moment, his nose running through the door into the busy street.
This nightmare Mr. Perfect Love had, triggers na unusual day when he discovers that he has lost his olfaction and, with it, all the smells of the world including that delicious spring-like scent of his beloved Violet.
Mr. Perfect Love tries desperatly to find the causes and a solution for his anosmia and he meets two singular characters who are willing to solve his problem, each using its particular methods: Science and Theatre.
The competition on stage between these two goes far beyond the limits of common sense and ends up with the victory of one of them, who consequently makes Mr. Perfect Love face the biggest dilemma of his life.
Inspired by the short story “The Nose” by Gogol, this play continues our path of bringing science to the theatre. The Nose is about the functioning and importance of the sense of smell and, particularly, about anosmia – the total or partial lack of this sense.
As in other works that we approached scientific themes we looked for a partner in the area of Science that accepted the challenge to collaborate in a common project, and in this case it was the Exploratório Infante D. Henrique.
The theme of the show was precisely suggested by the Exploratory, which was preparing at the time an exhibition about the nose and the sense of smell.
This resulted in the storyline of The Nose where, regarding the loss of a man’s olfaction, Science interacts with Theatre and both discover life.
This show premiered on the 25th of March 2003, integrated in the programming of Teatro de Coimbra Capital Nacional da Cultura, and was performed on the 25th, 26th and 27th of that month in Museu dos Transportes, in Coimbra. From September 24th to 27th it was presented in Aveiro, in Estaleiro Teatral, and on October 13th and 14th it was again presented in Coimbra, this time in Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente. In November 2005, a new version of “The Nose” was premiered, as part of the commemorations of the Science and Technology Week, organised by the Exploratório Infante D. Henrique.
Playwright and Direction Mário Montenegro
Discussion and Ideas Alexandre Lemos, Margarida Antunes de Sousa, Mário Montenegro, Nica Guerra, Pedro Andrade, Rui Capitão
Cast Alexandre Lemos, Margarida Antunes de Sousa, Mário Montenegro, Nica Guerra
Set Design, Wardrobe and Image Pedro Andrade
Lighting Design Pedro Machado
Original Soundtrack and Sound Design Rui Capitão
Video sal.
Stage Photography Francisca Moreira, Sofia Frazão
Smelly Effects Mário Teixeira
Hair Design Paula Rodrigues, Ilídio Design
With the Support of
Câmara Municipal de Coimbra
CITAC
Ilídio Design
IPJ-Coimbra
MAFIA – Federação Cultural de Coimbra
Rádio universidade de Coimbra
TEUC
Acknowledgement
Ana Sofia Ribeiro, David Capitão, Maria João Feio, Mário Teixeira, Nuno Fareleira
