Teatro de Marionetas do Porto

Teatro de Marionetas do Porto was founded in September 1988, a symbolic
symbolic date that coincides with the presentation of the company in the official selection
selection of the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes, in
Charleville-Mézières.

The company's repertoire begins with the "Teatro Dom Roberto",
puppets from the Portuguese tradition, which João Paulo Seara Cardoso
(1956-2010) inherited from Master António Dias, the last representative
representative of the generation of itinerant puppeteers, in 1980.

The first shows created by the company are the result of research into popular
popular heritage research, especially in terms of the tales and theatrical
theatrical practices and rituals of the north of the country.

Around this time, following an invitation from RTP, the company
constitutes an enlarged creative team (Sérgio Godinho, Jorge Constante Pereira
Constante Pereira and Alberto Péssimo) that, for about two years
developed various television projects for children that would, in a way, mark a generation and
generation, such as "A Árvore dos Patafúrdios" and "A Árvore dos
Tree" and "The Friends of Gaspar".

TMP achieved a certain public recognition with the premiere of
"Miséria", in 1991, a show that was very well received by the audience and
and by the critics, and that also represents the first financial support from the
financial support for the company's activity. Two years later "Vai no
Batalha", a Portuguese style revue with puppets, a scathing criticism of
and the Portuguese mentality in the early 90s, which remains on stage for
It remains on stage for about a year with sold out crowds.

Having tested some popular theatre formulas, a new and radically different cycle begins
radically different cycle in the history of the company. Several experiments in search
in search of a certain contemporaneity of the puppet theatre begin with "3ª Estação
with "3ª Estação" (co-production with Balleteatro Companhia) that rehearses the
crossing of puppets and dance. Later, "Exit" (1998), the first
first piece of the so-called urban cycle, which seeks a reflection
the post-modern human condition, and in which the puppet theatre is contaminated
contaminated by other artistic languages such as music, video, dance and arts,
the video, the dance and the plastic arts, assuming a more performative dimension.
performative dimension, definitely marks the assumption of a risk path.
One should also register, in this phase, the important participation of TMP in the event
"pilgrimage" of Expo 98, with "Máquina-Homem/Clone- Fighters".

The shows aimed at a child-juvenile public become part of the company's
company's annual production, always based on original texts
which were later published in book form.

It is, therefore, in the second half of the nineties that there is a strong
consolidation of the company's artistic project. The audience current
widens considerably, forcing the company to abandon the small Belomonte theatre
the small Belomonte theatre and to seek out other, larger venues in the city.
dimension in the city. TMP definitely acquires an international projection
international projection that leads it to perform regularly in Europe and in
several countries in the world (Spain, France, Ireland, Belgium, Holland
Israel, Brazil, Poland, Cape Verde, England, Morocco, China
Morocco, China, Czech Republic, Canada and Germany). And it creates a network of
programming partners in Portugal which means that, currently, around 30% of
30% of the activity is developed in itinerancy.

It is in this context and with a consolidated programmatic line that TMP
develops its activity from the beginning of the new century. Some
Nothing or the Silence of Beckett", the production that has been
production presented more times abroad, "Macbeth", an important
Macbeth", an important experience in text theatre, "Paisagem Azul com
Automóveis", a co-production between Porto 2001 and TNSJ and "Cabaret Molotov", an
incursion in the universe of circus and cabaret.

The official opening of the Museu das Marionetas do Porto (in 2013) marked
the company's 25th anniversary.