Marcelo is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter of Brazilian and Australian heritage who grew up in Sydney and London. His awards include a Scotsman Fringe First for Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen (2022) and the Critics Circle Theatre Award – ‘Most Promising Playwright’ for Backstairs Billy (2024). He was also nominated for The Stage Best Creative West End Debut Award (2024) and selected for The Stage 100 – Rising Stars category (2024).
Backstairs Billy opened at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End in November 2023, directed by Michael Grandage, starring Penelope Wilton and Luke Evans.
“The best royal drama in a decade. Perfect.” ***** Daily Telegraph
“Gleefully subversive” **** Time Out
“An early festive delight” **** The Independent
“A frisky royal tale of mistress and servant” **** The Observer
“Nothing has made me laugh more this year” **** The Sunday Times
Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen starring Samuel Barnett premiered at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 with Francesca Moody Productions, before transferring to the Bush Theatre, London (2023), and touring to Arts Centre Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, and Adelaide Festival (2025). It will run for eight weeks this Autumn at the Other Palace in central London starring Stevie Webb.
Praise for the production:
***** The Telegraph, Whatsonstage, The Skinny, Three Weeks
**** The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Stage, The Scotsman
“It’s a very funny show, but also a telling one, and it confirms Dos Santos (who wrote Lionboy for Complicité) as a really interesting writer, using an examination of the mechanisms of comedy to peer closely into the workings of the human heart” ***** Whatsonstage
OTHER CREDITS INCLUDE: Subverts (Royal Court Theatre – Living Newspaper); Lionboy (adaptation for Complicite, UK/World tour); New Labour (RADA); Trigger Warning (created with Natasha Nixon at Camden People’s Theatre); The End of History (High Hearted Theatre & Soho Theatre); Cheer Up This Is Only the Beginning (co-writer, Liverpool Playhouse); Moshing Lying Down (Shunt/Festivals tour); Lovers Walk (co-writer, Southwark Playhouse).
Previously, he has been a writer-on-attachment at the National Theatre, Bush Theatre, and HighTide Festival Theatre, as well as the Royal Court Theatre. Marcelo was a member of the BBC Drama Room scheme (2019/20).
IN DEVELOPMENT:
Play commission - Royal Court Theatre/Michael Grandage Company Play commission - Studio Theatre, Washington Drama commission - Sky/Drama Republic
He is also developing TV projects with Avalon and Two Brothers.
Marcelo is represented by Simon Blakey at The Agency.
Photo: Mike Massaro
