Armando Babaioff Brings Brazilian 'Tom na Fazenda' to London's Barbican
Armando Babaioff, a Brazilian actor, is set to debut his renowned production, Tom na Fazenda, at the Barbican Theatre in London from 13 to 17 October. This play is a bold reinterpretation of Michel Marc Bouchard's 2011 queer thriller, Tom at the Farm, which Xavier Dolan adapted into a film in 2013. Babaioff's rendition, presented entirely in Portuguese, shifts the setting from rural Quebec to rural Brazil, featuring a minimalist stage with a mud-covered tarpaulin. After three and a half years of overcoming financial and political challenges in Brazil during the 2010s, the production premiered in 2017 and quickly sold out, leading to over 600 performances globally. Babaioff self-funds the project, viewing it as a mission to highlight Brazilian theatre, emphasizing, 'The world doesn’t know our theatre.' A memorable moment in Belém, where two boys remarked it was 'better than Netflix,' underscores its significance. The Barbican engagement represents a major opportunity for Brazilian theatre on the international stage.
Key facts
- Tom na Fazenda opens at the Barbican Theatre on 13 October and runs until 17 October.
- The play is an adaptation of Michel Marc Bouchard's Tom at the Farm, first performed in 2011 and adapted into a film by Xavier Dolan in 2013.
- Armando Babaioff's version is performed in Portuguese, set in rural Brazil, and uses a bare stage with a mud-caked tarpaulin.
- Babaioff spent three and a half years struggling to stage the play, largely funding it himself due to political and financial challenges in Brazil.
- The play premiered in 2017 and became an instant sell-out, leading to over 600 performances.
- Its minimalist design allows for easy touring, and Babaioff aims to perform it worldwide.
- Babaioff views the play as a means to promote Brazilian theatre and its cultural significance.
- A memorable incident in Belém involved two boys who saw the play and described it as 'better than Netflix.'
Entities
Artists
- Armando Babaioff
- Michel Marc Bouchard
- Xavier Dolan
- Denise Del Vecchio
- Iano Salomão
- Camila Nhary
Institutions
- Barbican Theatre
- Barbican
Locations
- Brazil
- Quebec
- London
- Belém