The Shop for Mortals and Fools beckons those bold enough to navigate the blurred lines between myth and reality, desire and revenge, and the mortal and the divine.
Conceived by multidisciplinary artist Vinicius Salles, The Shop for Mortals and Fools is a site-responsive and immersive physical theatre experience. Inspired by Euripides' The Bacchae, this production reimagines one of the greatest tragedies ever written, weaving an original narrative that explores power, revenge, and the fragility of the human spirit. Salles’ vision invites audiences to delve into a narrative as captivating as it is deeply human, where ancient myths collide with contemporary themes.
Vinicius Salles
Shopkeeper:
Kate Webster
Emily Mytton
Voice:
James Lawson
Bronia Kupczyk
Charlotte Price
Story Merchant:
Vinicius Salles
Merchants of Moments:
Charlotte Price
The Bazaar Magician:
James Lawson
Enginners of dreams:
Daniel Gayle & Trevor Brooks
Tailor of Attire:
Bronia Kupczyk
Design Alchemist:
Anita Wadsworth &
Vinicius Salles
Master of Ceremonies:
Bertie Watkins
Dan Winder
Operations Keeper:
Dominika Ucar
Scribe of Announcements:
Euan Rhipides
Supported by:
COLAB Theatre & Invitational Festival
Co-produced by:
Stanley Arts
Original funded:
Arts Council England and London Borough of Culture
This Shop is part of the
Culture Croydon Pop-Up Programme of Commissions with Stanley Arts.
Special Thanks to:
Owen Kingston, Louisa Bartlett-Pestell, Glyn Hawke, Charlotte Price, Anita Wadsworth, Nicholas Morgan, Colin Nightingale, Fernanda Prata, Stuart Waters, Peter G Ball, Deepa Patel and Anna Christina, Talita Moffatt, Amie Salmon, Charlie Roberts, Josh Thaker
© Vinicius Salles 2025
I am an artist with a background in performing arts and documentary film and digital media. I am interested in exploring multimedia environments to create work that relies on the experience of the viewer.
I have over 30 years of experience in the performing arts, having performed with leading Brazilian and UK physical theatre and dance companies, including Punchdrunk, Gecko, and Jasmin Vardimon Company. I have also worked as a rehearsal director for JVC and Punchdrunk.
My work has been funded by Arts Council England and has been presented at festivals and events around the world. Works include ‘And We Might Briefly Resonat’ (film) 2023, Supported by Help Musicians and Original Projects - Best Short Dance Film - Mokkho International Film Festival (India), 2023; If I write a letter with my body (film) 2020; Tutu Trouble, funded by Arts Council and Croydon Council 2019-2020. The Whole Shabang!, 2019; Disruptive Narratives, commissioned by Croydonite festival 2019; The Return of the Unknown, a Marlowe Theatre production, 2018; Glitch, 2018; OX, funded by ACE, 2017; Witches in Disguise, 2016; Human Marvels, commissioned by JVC, 2016; Copycat 2009; NoContact, commissioned by The Place, 2007.
Friday 27th September || JV H.O.M.E Ashford
Monday 30th September || @bedalesdanceanddrama Wednesday 2nd October || @thebaytheatreandstudios
Saturday 5th October || JV H.O.M.E Ashford
Saturday 12th October || @stanleyarts at Dance Festival Croydon
TEAM:
Written & Directed: Vinicius Salles
Choreography: Vinicius Salles & the dancers
Rehearsal Director: Laure Minaro
Music: Solo Andata, Meridian Brothers, Sinke Dûs, Thomas Köner, David Long, Richard Nunns, Natalia Mann & Ingrid Plum, Alejandro Remeseiro, Marilyn Roxie, Yann Tiersen, Sarah Vaughn
Costume: Matt Cotton, André Rebelo, Vinicius Salles
Duration: 30 minutes | live performance
2019 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | UK
Commissioned by Croydonites
2019-21 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | UK
founded by Arts Councol England
2017 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | UK
Funded by Arts Council England
2007 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | UK
2021 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | UK
2021 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | UK
commissioned by Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company
2016 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | UK
Dancer,
Actor.,
in commercial projects, live performance,
immersive enviroments,
films and tv series in Uk and Abroad
Showcase
2004/2006 | physical theatre | UK
2010/2011 | physical theatre| international
2013/2014 | physical theatre | UK
2009 | LIVE PERFORMANCE | immersive | US
With over 30 years of extensive experience in dance, theatre, and immersive experiences, I have dedicated my career to the realms of physical theatre and immersive storytelling. Through hands-on collaboration, my commitment lies in fostering a dynamic and collaborative learning environment.
The workshop formats are:
. 3 hours long;
. One weekend1
. One week for residency, culminating in a sharing session at the end.
The Participants will be exposed to various devising techniques based on physical theatre, dance, and traditional theatre, combined to explore immersive experiences. The aim is to enhance performers' sensitivity to space, character, and narrative. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. I am able to tailor the workshop to any specific needs you might have.
<pre class="wp-block-code"><script>
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');
ga('create', 'UA-88739184-3', 'auto');
ga('send', 'pageview');
</script><code></code></pre>