Brazil! Brazil! marks return of Capoeria Knights to Fringe

Source: The List (Issue 663)
Date: 3 August 2010
Written by: Kelly Apter

(0)

This article is from 2010.

Brazil! Brazil! marks return of Capoeria Knights to Fringe

Fancy footwork and football from the favelas

Starting life as Capoeria Knights at the 2008 Fringe, returning as The Boys From Brazil in 2009 and now simply called Brazil! Brazil!, this show has undergone various personnel changes and artistic tweaks. Jaw-dropping flips and leaps have always been on the menu, however, as has fantastic live music, song and samba dancing, performed by a talented cast drawn from some of the poorest quarters of Salvador Bahia in north east Brazil.

But now, the show also boasts a homage to the beautiful game. ‘Being the year of the World Cup, I’ve shifted the focus of the show to telling the story of Brazilian culture through its prominence on the football pitch,’ explains director Toby Gough. ‘Brazilian football is known for its creativity, its footwork and the way it shows off to the crowd, so I went to Rio and found the National Freestyle Football Champion of Brazil, who does amazing tricks on stage.’

Since opening in Edinburgh three years ago, the show has toured around Europe, Australia and New Zealand, providing a vital source of income for the performers and their families. While for Gough, the show has been a real labour of love. ‘I do it because I think these guys have got something special,’ he says. ‘They’re an incredibly positive, energetic, passionate group of people who are very creative and endlessly spontaneous. And it’s a great festival show, very lively and dynamic for all ages and nationalities.’

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 08445 458252, 7–30 Aug (not 16) 6.55pm, £12.50–£15 (£11.50–£13.50). Previews 5 & 6 Aug, 6.55pm, £8.

This article is from 2010.

More: Dance, Brazil! Brazil!, Capoeria Knights, Contemporary dance, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Festivals, Fringe, The Boys From Brazil, Toby Gough