Brazil is a country much occupied by political challenges. Yet the country’s culture is vibrant and diverse and challenging. “In the city’s 80-odd venues, you find international commercial hits – what Araujo calls ‘fast-food theatre’ – such as Beauty and the Beast and Grease. But there is also a wide range of alternative theatre at amazingly low prices. The most intriguing venues come under the acronymic title of SESC. There are six of these scattered around Sao Paulo; they are multi-purpose arts and leisure centres housing theatres, galleries, sports facilities, internet cafes and meeting places. They are financed by a small tax levied on workers in retail trades, and are available to the general public.”