On his first visit to Mozambique, Fábio Porchat brought “Histórias do Porchat” to Nampula and Maputo, in a visit marked by humour, by the discovery of the country and by a desire to build bridges with Mozambican artists.
Fábio Porchat arrived with stories in his luggage. Stories of journeys, improbable encounters, embarrassing situations and episodes lived across dozens of countries, turned into raw material for a show that, over the past four years, has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people.
The Mozambique stop included two performances of “Histórias do Porchat”, organised by Risos Solta, first in Nampula, on 21 August, and then in Maputo the following day, at the Mozambique-China Cultural Centre. For the Brazilian comedian, one of the creators of Porta dos Fundos and one of the best-known faces of contemporary Brazilian comedy, it was also the fulfilment of a long-held wish to get to know the country.
Porchat had already heard about Mozambique's beauty, its food and the audience's warm relationship with Brazilian humour. The chance to finally include the country on the tour brought him not only to perform, but also to experience that connection first-hand.
On stage, “Histórias do Porchat” draws on the experiences the comedian has accumulated on trips to 79 countries. They are real episodes, retold with rhythm, performance and a particular ability to find humour precisely in the moments when things do not go as planned.
Troubled journeys, unexpected encounters, cultural differences and the small absurdities of everyday life emerge in a succession of stories that need no great artifice. The heart of the show lies in the narrative and in the way Porchat manages to transport the audience into each situation.
There is also a clear choice in the construction of the show. “Histórias do Porchat” deliberately avoids politics, polarisation and the more controversial topics. The intention, according to the comedian, is to create a space where different people can simply laugh together.
This simplicity also helps to explain the show's ability to cross borders. Porchat has presented the work to Portuguese-speaking audiences on different continents and acknowledges a closeness that still surprises him. Brazilians, Portuguese, Angolans, Mozambicans and Cape Verdeans find common references and often laugh at precisely the same moments.
During his stay in Mozambique, Porchat also had the opportunity to meet Mozambican actors and comedians, expressing interest in developing, in the future, exchanges similar to those that have already taken place with Angolan artists. The comedian was enthusiastic about the possibility of bringing creators from the two countries closer together and creating new opportunities for collaboration.
The tour then took him to Cape Verde, but his first visit to Mozambique seems to have left him wanting to return. More than two performances, it was also a first contact with the audience, with local artists and with a country he had long wanted to get to know.
And it was precisely from this visit to Mozambique that room arose for a different kind of encounter.
Without the stand-up format and with other voices at the table, Fábio Porchat joined Mia Couto and Stewart Sukuma for a conversation in which humour was no longer the only protagonist.
