Acclaimed Portuguese-Canadian playwright Elaine Ávila’s play, FADO, is a tale of love and ghosts set in the back alleys and brothels of old Lisbon. This musical, which premiered at The Firehall in 2019 and enjoyed a wildly successful run, tells the story of a young woman confronting her country’s Fascist past and her own identity is interwoven with the heartbreaking national music of Portugal known as Fado, which means “fate.”

The hit of the Victoria Fringe in 2018, FADO won the award for Favourite Musical, with B.C.’s own beloved Sara Marreiros playing the ghost of Amália Rodrigues, the queen of Fado. In 2020, FADO won the inaugural JAYMAC Outstanding Production Award at the Greater Victoria Regional Arts Awards.

The Firehall’s Artistic Producer Donna Spencer says, “It is great to be bringing this show back to our audiences as it was such a wonderful success when we last produced it in 2019. I am delighted that all of the original cast members are able to join us for this production run and to be working once again with our partners at Puente Theatre.”