Teatro Esperança

Towards the end of 1858 a society of eighteen young men was formed in this city with the aim of staging some theatrical performances and building a small playhouse. This society, named Esperança, included among others Júlio Galhardo de Freitas and Pedro de Alcântara Góis, who had already shown their remarkable talent for the stage in several performances. The merchant João de Freitas Martins came to the aid of this worthy society by placing at its disposal an excellent warehouse he owned on Rua dos Aranhas. Conversion work began at once. The Council of Funchal contributed 200,000 réis (old Portuguese money of account; 1$000 = 1,000 réis, 1:000$000 = one conto = 1,000,000 réis), and the Count of Carvalhal (‘oak grove’) gave a similar sum and donated the scenery, this nobleman being the most devoted patron of the Esperança Society (Sociedade Esperança).

The formal opening took place on 10 March 1859 with performances of the plays o Judeu and o Conde de Paragará. António José de Sousa Almada (volume I, page 45), a dramatist and editor of a theatrical review who was then in Funchal, rendered the Esperança Society notable services in choosing, rehearsing and staging the plays.

When Rua 5 de Julho was opened, the Teatro Esperança was reduced to more cramped proportions, since the opening of that street required the demolition of some of the theatre’s outbuildings.

In 1887 it was acquired by the Count of Canavial and took that nobleman’s name. On 28 August 1915 it was sold to the builder João Pinto Correia, who demolished it shortly afterwards.

Until 1888, when the Teatro D. Maria Pia opened, the small Teatro Esperança was the only playhouse here, and various operetta and drama companies performed there.