The King of Ramos

A classic play by acclaimed author Dias Gomes, O Rei de Ramos combines humor, action, music, violence, criticism, and rhythm. The plot features brilliant songs by Chico Buarque and Francis Hime.

In O rei de Ramos, Dias Gomes develops a musical chronicle of the rivalry between two animal bankers, Mirandão and Brilhantina, whose mutual hatred is not enough to prevent the love between their children, Taís and Marco.

A delightful comedy of manners, the play is also a satire of contemporary Brazilian reality, with its agile humor and precise language. The simplicity of the story is captivating; irony and social critique spice it up. With an extremely popular plot, the scenes are typically Brazilian. What's more, it's particularly Carioca.

Dias Gomes is a master at creating striking characters and situations. No one will forget the conflicts between the two illegal gambling bankers and their reconciliation, as well as the scene in which the bookmaker Mirandão is left dead, in the arms of the people, amidst the explosion of rhythm, color, and joy of a samba school in the middle of a Carnival parade.

Vivid and authentic in its language, which the excellent songs by Chico Buarque and Francis Hime so greatly highlight, the plot involves us and leads us to participate in Mirandão's plays and to root for his success.

"The King of Ramos can be considered a musical revue about the various levels of capitalism; a careful reading will reveal, beyond the smiles and good humor, the dissolving way in which this system operates, through a corrosive and caustic vision. Aesthetically, it is an attempt at a genuinely national play and spectacle, with a Brazilian flavor and anchored in artistic, technical, and professional traditions that we ourselves discovered and developed." - Flávio Rangel

" Dias Gomes' comedy presents a broad picture of Brazilian life: capital, profit, disputes, the power of multinationals, the animal game, samba schools, malice, creativity, corruption. The work's relevance reaffirms the artist's critical verve and genius ." - José Dias