About

CÃO SOLTEIRO is a theatre company founded in 1997, with the purpose of creating an art platform with a transforming perspective on the development, organization and production of theatre projects.

Today, it is directed by three women artists – Paula Sá Nogueira, actress, Mariana Sá Nogueira, costume designer, and Joana Dilão, producer/ photographer, and it gathers numerous other artists to create projects where different disciplines – theatre, film, literature, music, dance, art – are confronted in the performative practice.

In its practice of research and innovation, Cão Solteiro is recognized as a singular project, with a faithful set of lovers and haters. It reflects mainly on the individual in the world and the way they correlate in artistic, ethical, social and political contemporary levels.

Considering that the structure of what is defined as theatre cannot be seen as a closed format, Cão Solteiro constantly tests its limits through intersections of other artistic languages and communication strategies. It approaches the space of presentation as a mean of reflecting on the relationship with the audience.

The company is set in one of Lisbon’s historical neighbourhoods – São Bento – which is presently subject to a profound transformation and where, in the last few years, a network of cultural and commercial spaces has emerged.

From its main space – a shop open to Rua Poço dos Negros – the company develops and programmes a wide range of activities that span from theatre, performance, film projections, exhibitions, a publishing line of text and images booklets, to poetry reading and lectures, integrating a network of cultural partnerships with several institutions and fostering direct contact with the surrounding community.

Examples of this are the creative partnerships with other theatre companies and galleries, and also with the parish council for the development of projects that address local youth groups.

In its premises, that include also two upper floors – our costume workshop and a space for artistic residencies – Cão Solteiro hosts two young theatre companies – Plataforma 285 and Silly Season – and a number of artists, providing both residency and presentation space.

Cão Solteiro presents its projects regularly in the main municipal theatres with which has established, since 2008, successive co-production agreements, balancing the laboratory work produced in the shop with bigger scale productions, and has presented its work in Portugal, France, England and Germany.