The Parlapatões Group is a highly successful and long-standing theatre group with an impressive history of 33 years. Parlapatões employs humour as a fundamental element of its work, drawing upon traditions associated with circus and street theatre.

The group has performed in numerous Brazilian cities and has made a significant impact at major international festivals. The venues include FILO (Londrina), FIT (Belo Horizonte) and Porto Alegre em Cena. The group’s most successful productions include: The PPP @WllmShkspr.BR production reached over 50,000 spectators, while the Sardanapalo show ran for over two consecutive years. Notable performances include a highlight at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and U Fabuliô, Brazil’s official representative at Expo 98 in Lisbon.

In 1998, they were awarded the APCA Critics’ Grand Prize for Vamos Comer O Piolim.

Following a decade of work, they launched the book Riso em Cena, written by journalist Valmir Santos.

Their most significant productions included As Nuvens e/ou um Deu$ Chamado Dinheiro, which premiered in 2003; Prego na Testa, an adaptation of the Eric Bogosian text directed by Aimar Labaki, which premiered in 2005; Vaca de Nariz Sutil, an adaptation of the Campos de Carvalho novel, which premiered in April 2008; and O Papa e a Bruxa, a Dario Fo text that had never been performed in Brazil, which premiered in 2009.

In 2011, the group celebrated its 20th anniversary with the premiere of Ridiculous, Still and Always, a production featuring a text by Russian poet Daniil Karms and adaptations by Hugo Possolo and Antonio Abujamra.  In 2012, they staged a new production of @WllmShkspr.BR, translated by Bárbara Heliodora and directed by Emílio de Biasi.

In 2013, four new shows were staged. Parlapatões Revistam Angeli, directed by Hugo Possolo, featured a soundtrack by Branco Mello and drawings by Angeli. This was the Portuguese version of Festival de Peças de Um Minuto. Additionally, there was a season in Lisbon. Another production was the monologue Eu Cão Eu, written by Hugo Possolo and directed by Rodolfo García Vásquez. Furthermore, the group staged the first Molière text, O Burguês Fidalgo, which was directed by Hugo Possolo.

In 2015, the group participated in the CEU é Show project, performing in 26 CEUs (large theatres in the suburbs of São Paulo) with the show Parlapatões Clássicos do Circo. In the same year, they launched the circus show Sala de Espelhos (Mirror Room) as part of the inaugural São Paulo City Circus Promotion Programme.

In addition, in 2015 they presented two new shows: Até que Deus é um Ventilador de Teto, directed by Pedro Granato, at Sesc Pompeia, and Os Mequetrefe, directed by Álvaro Assad, at Espaço Parlapatões.

In 2017, the company opened their show A Cabeça de Yorick (Yorick’s Head), which ran for a season in São Paulo and was subsequently showcased at numerous theatre and circus festivals. In 2018, they launched their production of Oswald de Andrade’s O Rei da Vela, directed by Hugo Possolo and shortlisted for the Shell Award.

During the period of national lockdown, the company held a special edition of the ONE MINUTE Play Festival, which was broadcast live from the Porto Seguro Theatre. In 2021, they produced the filmed play Yérus Halem, directed by Hugo Possolo, which involved the participation of more than 80 guest artists in the cast.

Since the pandemic ended, two further plays have been staged between 2023 and 2024: the children’s play Dito e Feito, with text and direction by Hugo Possolo and soundtrack by Wen. And The Decameron inspired by original work by Giovanni Bocaccio, with dramatic adaptations by Hugo Possolo and playscript by Camila Turim.

The group continues to operate from its base at Espaço Parlapatões, a significant cultural venue situated in the heart of São Paulo.

Since its inauguration in 2006, Espaço Parlapatões has produced and hosted a range of annual shows, festivals and events, including the Festival of Comic Scenes, Festival of ONE MINUTE Plays, Solo Shows, Palhaçada Geral – National Meeting of Clowns, Spoken Poetry Contest and the Parlapatões repertoire show Sortidos & Variados. In addition to premiering new shows and running seasons, the group tours its repertoire of shows throughout Brazil.