Anglo-Brazilian company bring work of acclaimed playwright to London
Anglo-Brazilian theatre company Dende Collective bring the work of acclaimed Brazilian Playwright, Newton Moreno to the UK for the first time with the European premiere of the hit play Agreste (Drylands), at the Lyric Hammersmith from 8 May.
In the hostile territory of North East Brazil, far away from the exotic beaches of Copacabana, two peasant farmers fall wildly in love…
Previously at the Lyric with the surreal and sensual Dona Flor and her Two Husbands and The Piranha Lounge, Dende Collective return with an intimate tale of unconditional love set amidst the dusty drylands of the Brazilian outback in a world of poverty and ignorance. An astonishing revelation brings out the worst imaginable intolerance and prejudice in a small community.
Comical and touching, four actors alternate between story-tellers and the characters including a fanatic religious woman, priest and policeman. Dende blend physical performance featuring Brazilian folk dance and ritual, masks, live Brazilian music and traditional funeral chants, to create a bold new version of this award-winning play.
Created in 1999, London-based theatre company Dende is a diverse and growing collective of artists, directors, writers, actors, translators and designers who produce shows with a strong Brazilian flavour.
Previous productions include Brazilian classics such as Two Lost Souls on a Dirty Night; Viva Maria, exploring how Europe and Latin America perceive each other; The Piranha Lounge, a devised project based on stories by Brazilian magic realist Murilo Rubião which played at the Lyric in 2004 and was Time Out Critic’s Choice; the 2005 UK tour of OneFourSeven and last year’s hit Dona Flor and her Two Husbands based on the famous Jorge Amado novel.
May 8, 2007
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