All I Was When I Wasn't Anyone

1935. The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, largely unknown during his lifetime, lies on his deathbed in a Lisbon hospital, surrounded by three of his most-loved literary creations, the poets Alberto Caeiro, Alvaro de Campos and Ricardo Reis.

In the wake of Pessoa’s death these three imaginary writers embark on a quest through Lisbon and the past to try to solve the mystery of just who their maker was, why he chose to wear so many masks and what does it mean to exist, if your self is not your own?

Encountering along the way Pessoa’s mother, father, and lover, All I Was When I Wasn’t Anyone is a playful, lyrical exploration of the literary imagination, loss, love, feeling and the ongoing existential puzzle of identity.

If you pick up any anthology of 20th century Portuguese poetry you will find the names Alberto Caeiro, Alvaro de Campos and Ricardo Reis. Pessoa was all of them - and more. When he died he was known mostly as a critic, but in fact he was the inventor of many Portuguese poets, to whom he gave whole identities, all versions of himself. Fernando Pessoa is now recognised as one of the great modern poets.

All I Was When I Wasn’t Anyone was recorded on location in Porto with authentic sounds and music of Portugal, including fado. All I Was When I Wasn’t Anyone was written by Owen Sheers and is introduced by João Luís Barreto Guimarães, winner of the prestigious Pessoa Prize in 2022 and his voice is also heard in the play, as Fernando Pessoa.

Written by Owen Sheers
Directed by John Retallack
Produced by Emma Balch
Sound design by Jon Nicholls

Fernando Pessoa … João Luís Barreto Guimarães
Alberto Caeiro … Jaime Monsanto
Álvaro de Campos … Pedro Manana
Ricardo Reis …. Rui Maria Pêgo
Maria … Sofia Espírito Santo
Ophélia … Joana Brito Silva
Young Pessoa … Nuno Orrego
Other characters were played by members of the cast.

Fado music was performed by André Mariano (Portuguese guitar), Diogo Rato (classical guitar) and José Manuel (acoustic bass guitar), live on location at the Ideal Clube de Fado - Porto. Un Soir à Lima was played by Sofia Rodrigues (piano).

All I Was When I Wasn’t Anyone was recorded on location in Porto, Portugal. It was produced by The Story of Books for BBC Radio 3.

In Porto: Special thanks to Mosteiro de São Bento de Vitória / Teatro Nacional São João, Térmita, Typographia and Ideal Clube de Fado. Thanks also to Mercado de Bolhão, Museu do Carro Eléctrico, Nicola Golightly, Palácio do Comércio, Taberna de São Pedro, Torre de Clerigos, Velurb.
Translation consultant, Angela Azevedo. Sound recording by Jon Nicholls, with additional recordings by Ricardo Salazar Gomes.

With special thanks to Richard Zenith and his monumental biography of Fernando Pessoa, 'Pessoa: An Experimental Life'.

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