The provocative play *Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists* has stirred controversy and intense reactions since its premiere in September 2020 in Guimarães, Portugal. Written and directed by Miguel Rodrigues, the production is set to be staged at London’s National Theatre next month. It explores the complexities of anti-fascism through a dark, ritualistic family tradition in southern Portugal, where relatives annually abduct and kill a fascist to avenge the 1954 death of Catarina Eufémia, a harvester killed by the police under the Salazar dictatorship.

The play unfolds over two acts. Initially, it depicts the family's annual feast—featuring wild boar and asparagus—and their ritualistic execution, highlighting the unyielding conviction behind their actions. However, a shift occurs when Sara, the family member appointed to carry out the killing for the first time, expresses profound doubts about the morality of the act. The tension escalates until the fascist captive is unexpectedly freed and delivers an uninterrupted victory speech emblematic of contemporary far-right rhetoric. This final scene has sparked polarized responses from audiences worldwide.

In Portugal, some viewers drowned out the fascist character’s speech by singing *Grândola, Vila Morena*, an anthem associated with the 1974 Carnation Revolution. In Italy, *Bella Ciao*, a well-known anti-fascist song, was used by audiences to disrupt the performance, while in Austria many left the theater during the speech. Other locations witnessed more aggressive reactions, including attempts to confront or assault the actor playing the fascist. The play’s Rome premiere faced protests from the Brothers of Italy party, linked to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which called for its removal from the program.

Rodrigues characterizes these reactions as typical, noting that in roughly 200 performances, only a handful have seen audiences listen quietly to the concluding speech. He suggests the play embodies a modern-day equivalent to the disruptive impact of Stravinsky’s *The Rite of Spring*, provoking widespread debate around its themes.

The play wrestles with the “paradox of tolerance,” a philosophical dilemma articulated by Karl Popper: Should a tolerant society tolerate those who promote intolerance? Rodrigues’s work challenges both militant and liberal anti-fascists by portraying the family’s unquestioning ritual as reactionary and self-absorbed. One character insists the family must continue killing fascists, presenting the act as a methodical tradition, while Sara questions whether violence, even against fascists, replicates dictatorship by silencing debate and denying the possibility of change.

The playwright acknowledges his own sympathies align with Sara’s hesitation. He emphasizes the importance of democratic resistance to the far right, though he concedes that historical contexts, such as Nazi occupation in southern France, have justified armed resistance. The drama concludes by illustrating the dangers of over-intellectualizing anti-fascism, as the far-right figure’s unchallenged speech embodies the unsettling triumph of extremist ideology.

Rodrigues revealed that the play’s final monologue was written late in rehearsals, aiming to present a troubling and dystopian ending rather than a conventional resolution. The response from the cast foreshadowed the strong reactions from audiences, with some expressing discomfort or distress over the ambiguous and provocative conclusion of the narrative.