Damas da Noite: Elmano Sancho’s Play Tours Angola and Brazil
Acclaimed actor and director Elmano Sancho is taking his provocative farce, Damas da Noite (Ladies of the Night), across the Atlantic this summer. The production company Loup Solitaire announced today that the play will head to Angola and Brazil as part of an extensive international tour that has been captivating audiences since 2019.
From Luanda to São Paulo
The tour kicks off in Luanda, Angola, on August 15 at the Elinga-Teatro. The performance is a highlight of the 11th International Theatre Circuit (CIT), a festival running through September 5. Following its run in Africa, the production will travel to Brazil for a performance on September 19 at the São Paulo Cultural Center, featured in the 15th Portuguese Theatre Circuit Festival.
A Journey into Identity and Alter Egos
Damas da Noite is a deeply personal exploration inspired by a unique family history. Sancho created the piece to confront the “conflicting reversal of expectations” surrounding his birth; his parents had expected a girl they planned to name Cléopâtre, only to be surprised by a son. Through this play, Sancho gives life to that “desired self,” treating Cléopâtre as a double existing in a parallel reality.
To realize this fictional counterpart, Sancho immersed himself in the world of female impersonation and drag culture. The play features drag queens and transformation artists who inhabit the skin of “flowers that bloom at night.” Their performances delve into a transformation defined by transgression, ambiguity, and the raw intensity of emotion.
Blurring the Lines
The play challenges the boundaries between biography and fiction. “The work explores the presence or absence of boundaries between man and woman, theater and performance, and tragedy and comedy,” says the production team. By treating identity as a fluid, “Rimbaudian” matter, Sancho forces the audience to confront the stranger within themselves.
Production and Cast
The stage features design by Samantha Silva, lighting by Alexandre Coelho, and stage management by Japa. Elmano Sancho stars alongside Dennis Correia (Lexa Black) and Pedro Simões (Filha da Mãe), with a video appearance by Marie Carré. Paulo Lage serves as the assistant director.
Since its 2019 premiere at the Teatro Nacional de S. João, Damas da Noite has become a powerhouse of Portuguese theater, touring 27 locations across mainland Portugal and its islands. Its international journey began in Cape Verde in 2019, followed by successful runs in Brazilian cities including Teresina and Recife.
The production is a collaborative effort between major institutions, including Culturgest, Loup Solitaire, and the National Theaters of D. Maria II and S. João, with support from the Directorate-General for the Arts and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
Image: Pexels – cottonbro studio
