THE SON: A PRODUCTION THAT STAYS WITH YOU LONG AFTER THE LIGHTS GO DOWN

Credits: O Filho

Last weekend, I went to see The Son, by Florian Zeller, at Teatro Fernanda Montenegro, at the Copacabana Palace, and found a packed auditorium. It is not difficult to understand the audience’s interest. Running in Rio de Janeiro until 13 September, the production tackles an extremely delicate and timely subject: emotional distress during adolescence and the difficulty adults often face in understanding what a young person is unable to put into words.

Directed by Léo Stefanini and featuring a cast including Gabriel Braga Nunes, Maria Flor, Andreas Trotta, Bruna Miglioranza, Márcio Marinello and Luciano Schwab, the production is intense, understated and deeply emotional. It does not rely on grand effects. Its power lies in the actors, the silences, the looks and the subtle shifts in behaviour that reveal much larger conflicts beneath the surface.

At the centre of the story is Nicolas, a 16-year-old boy played by Andreas Trotta. The son of separated parents, he decides to leave his mother’s home and move in with his father, hoping to find some sense of balance while struggling with an emotional pain he seems unable either to understand or express.

Gabriel Braga Nunes plays the father, desperately trying to find a way to help his son, while Maria Flor takes on the role of the mother. Bruna Miglioranza, Márcio Marinello and Luciano Schwab complete the cast. On Sundays, Maria Ribeiro plays the mother.

At first, the situation appears familiar: separated parents, a teenager in crisis and a family trying to help. Gradually, however, the play moves into far deeper territory. How far does parental responsibility extend? How do we recognise the pain of someone who cannot speak about it? Is there truly a way to save someone we love? And is love, on its own, ever enough?

Andreas Trotta takes on one of the production’s most demanding roles. Nicolas is not portrayed as a stereotypical teenager, but as a complex, contradictory and vulnerable young man. After the performance, I spoke to Trotta, who shared his thoughts on the responsibility of portraying such a deeply human character while navigating subjects of such sensitivity.

Léo Stefanini’s direction reinforces this sense of intimacy. He previously directed the Brazilian production of Zeller’s The Father, which drew large audiences and earned Fúlvio Stefanini the Shell Award for Best Actor. In The Son, the director renews his collaboration with the playwright and creates what he describes as an almost “close-up” theatrical experience: the closer the audience looks, the more significant every gesture becomes.

Zeller is one of the leading names in contemporary theatre. Also the author of The Father and The Mother, he has transformed family and psychological conflicts into stories with international resonance. The Son premiered in Paris in 2018, has since been staged in several countries and was adapted for cinema in 2022 in a film directed by Zeller himself and starring Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby.

The strength of the work lies precisely in its ability to turn a deeply personal story into something universal. This is not simply a play about depression. It is about family, guilt, love, helplessness, communication, adolescence and the importance of listening. It is about the difference between wanting to help someone and truly being able to see what that person is going through.

And perhaps this is the production’s greatest achievement: it offers no easy answers. There are no villains and no simple solutions. There are people who love one another deeply and who, despite that love, are unable to prevent the situation from spiralling beyond their control.

Credits: O Filho

At the end of the performance, the cast received a standing ovation. Yet the impact of The Son does not end when the lights come back on. The story remains with the audience, raising questions and, above all, prompting reflection on the importance of looking beyond behaviour and learning to listen to what is left unsaid.

Theatre that unsettles, moves and makes you think.

THE SON

By Florian Zeller | Directed by Léo Stefanini

Teatro Fernanda Montenegro — Copacabana Palace

Av. Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, 261 — Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

Until 13 September 2026

Thursday to Saturday at 8pm | Sunday at 6pm

Age rating: 16