The Arrival of Lampião in Hell (A chegada de Lampião no inferno)
By Miguel Vellinho
Cia. PeQuod plunges headlong into Brazilian culture to create a performance in which tradition and modernity fuse radically. The play is freely inspired by the Cordel literature (a popular and folkloric genre of Northeastern Brazil , which is rooted in oral history) and in the Dantesque journey of the Divine Comedy. The performance is divided into two distinct moments: the first act is performed only with puppets and presents a semifictional universe that narrates the death of Lampião. The second act performed with actors, puppets and other elements, which narrates the departure of "Lampião" to the depths of hell. André Abujamra's original soundtrack helps to highlight the lyricism and horror of a journey that goes to the end of the world to show what the Northeast clay is made of.
About the Artist
Miguel Vellinho
Miguel Vellinho is a Dramaturg and Theater Director. Doctor at the Program of Postgraduation in Scenic Arts (PPGAC) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). Vellinho is a professor at the Theater Program of UNIRIO, where he teaches Theater for Childhood and Youth (TIJ) and Animation Theater (TFA). He has been working with Puppet Theater for more than 30 years, initially with the company Sobrevento and then as the artistic director of the Cia PeQuod – Animation Theater. Since the 1990’s, Vellinho takes part in conferences and gives lectures and workshops throughout Brazil. He also has several articles published in and outside Brazil about numerous aspects of Animation Theater. Vellinho is a member of the editorial board of Móin-Móin magazine, published by the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC) since its creation and co-publisher of Revista Mamulengo. As PeQuod's leader, Vellinho created more than fifteen performances, all of them praised by the specialised critics and honored with the most important theater awards of his country. Vellinho is also a curator of MITA – International Festival of Animation, produced by PeQuod.