Dende Collective About Page

About

Dende Collective – the company and its members

Dende (den-dê) n. in Portuguese is the name of the bright orange palm oil used to enrich certain dishes, mainly used in the northeast region of Brazil.

London based theatre company Dende Collective was created in 1999 and most of our work to date has had a strong Brazilian flavour to it, and like the dishes cooked with the Dende oil, Dende Collective’s shows are a savoury feast, often with an international feel to them, bringing together a rich mixture of styles and visual elements.

Dende shows bring to the stage the exciting cultural mixture that makes London one of the most vibrant cities in the planet, attracting to the theatre a wide range of diverse audiences.

In 2003, we became an associate theatre company of the Oval House Theatre and our work featured in the Arts Council Decibel booklet ‘Promoting Diversity’.

In 2004, we performed THE PIRANHA LOUNGE at Lyric Hammersmith where we started a fruitful relationship, which led to being part of the MIX, a decisive step in our development as a company.

In 2005 we toured ONEFOURSEVEN with the support of an Arts Council Grant, Lyric Hammersmith and Oval House, across the UK.

In 2006 we performed DONA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS by Brazilian novelist Jorge Amado at the Lyric theMix season with the support of an Arts Council Grant, the Brazilian Embassy, Varig, Parasol and BCA. It also marked our first project with Contact Theatre in Manchester with their young people company CYAC (CLUB PIRANHA).

2007 was a very intense year for the company producing two different projects, AGRESTE/DRYLANDS by Brazilian writer Newton Moreno and LUNA CLUB with the Lyric Young Company, based on short stories by Chilean writer Isabel Allende. Also during this year we collaborated with different artists from different media in the investigation and development of the project MACUNAIMA, mixing elements of puppetry and digital animation to create a magical ever-changing world

In 2008 after 2 years of intense research in the project, we added the last installment to the cycle MACUNAIMA, with sold out performances at the Lyric Hammersmith studio. Also, Dende Collective went outdoors with a commission for the OUT THERE! Festival in Great Yarmouth producing a large street theatre extravaganza, involving members of the community and professional artists under the name of C-ATTACK!. And finally, we directed the Christmas Show at the Contact Theatre in Manchester, devising with the CYAC a story based on traditional Japanese ghost tales, KWAIDAN.

Click Here to watch a bit of our work!

Core Company Members

André Pink – Joint Artistic Director

Has been working as a professional director in Brazil since 1984 and his work was prized in Brazilian festivals. He relocated to London as a recipient of a Brazilian grant that allowed him to train with Phillipe Gaulier amongst others. In 2001 a Japanese grant allowed him to study Noh and Kyogen in Tokyo. He has been teaching drama at Queen Mary and Westfield College, the Method Studio, School of Science of Acting, Saint Martin’s School of Design, Mountview Academy of Dramatic Arts, East 15 and courses to young people all over the UK and Brazil. He is also a mask-maker and a mask teacher. As a founder member of Dende Collective he has directed all its plays to date.

Montserrat Gili – Joint Artistic Director

Trained as an actress in Spain and at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in London; worked professionally in Spain, Japan and UK. Theatre Credits include Angel High, Foolhardy, The Suspicious Truth, Girls With Guns, Shakespeare for Breakfast, The Tin Soldier, Dona Rosita the Spinster, The Conference of the Birds and Mother Tongue. With Dende Collective she was assistant director in Two Lost Souls on a Dirty Night and Viva Maria! and appeared in The Piranha Lounge, OneFourSeven, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands and Agreste/Drylands. She has co-directed with Andre Pink The Luna Club for the Lyric Young Company and Club Piranha with CYAC Manchester. She has collaborated with Contact Theatre, directing the work of young writers and with the Creative Learning department of the Lyric Hammersmith on different projects including with Young People at risk.

Other members and Collaborators

Mark O’Thomas – Associate writer

Is a British playwright and translator. His first play was commissioned and produced by Soho Theatre Company and opened its new home in Dean Street, W1. This was followed by Salvador at the Man in the Moon, which was Critics' Choice in Time Out, Viva Maria!, The Piranha Lounge with Dende Collective, Down Dog, Edinburgh Festival 2003, Almost Nothing Royal Court and OneFourSeven, national tour. He is currently script advisor to the Royal Court International Department and is engaged in research into the joint processes of adaptation, translation and devised performance.

Emmy Alim – Producer, Project Assistant

Bob Karper – Actor and Solo Performer

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