Organised by the association O Elefante na Sala, the festival aims to bring new visibility to physical theatre in Portugal.

The initiative includes performances, workshops, and a street parade, according to a press release. It follows the establishment of a physical theatre school in Coimbra by the same association, which responded to what organisers saw as a lack of presence for the art form in the country.

“While all theatre is physical, this term helps identify the kind of theatre we mean, one involving masks, buffoonery, clowning, and alternative pedagogies,” explained Hugo Inácio, the festival’s artistic director.

Inácio believes there’s been a decline in the exploration of physical theatre and street performance. While not suggesting it is a superior form, he argues it offers actors concrete techniques for creation and performance, something often missing from traditional training.

He also pointed out a gap in actor training focused on the body, noting that most physical disciplines in theatre schools are still taught by dance instructors.

Festival highlights include Sítio, by Companhia da Chanca, using larval masks; Fiasco, a Spanish cabaret-style variety show by Panicoteatro; and Os Inocentes Descendentes do Indecentes, by Coimbra-based collective AfterParty.

On 13 September, a masterclass in contemporary comedy will be led by Arturo Bernal of Spain’s MUEVE Festival and Hugo Inácio, ending in a street parade through downtown Coimbra featuring local artists.

Throughout the month, workshops will be held at the former Almedina parish hall, led by Nuno Pino Custódio, Arturo Bernal, and Aldara Bizarro, covering topics like Commedia dell’Arte masks, modern buffoonery, cabaret, and spoken dance.

The festival opens with a public discussion on the current state of physical theatre in Portugal.