João d’Orey

João d'Orey is a German-Portuguese actor, writer, and performer. His work is situated at the intersection of autofiction, queer embodiment, and musical dramaturgy. At its core are questions of how identity and belonging are performatively produced, embodied, and transmitted, and how emotional inheritances and transgenerational memories become inscribed within these processes.

He studied acting at the Academy of Performing Arts Baden-Württemberg and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2020. In the 2024/25 season, he performed the leading role in "Grelle Tage" at Schauspielhaus Bochum. His screen work includes "OH HELL" (Magenta TV, directed by Sarah Blaßkiewitz), "KRANK Berlin" (Apple TV, directed by Barbara Ott and Alex Schaad), and "The Melting Mood of Ecstasy" (Pluto Film, directed by Julian Dietrich).

Alongside his work in theatre, film, and television, d'Orey is active in the independent performance scene, collaborating with artists including Matt Lambert and developing his own works at the intersection of performance and authorship.

In 2023, he created "T-Boy on Grindr", initially conceived as a musical work through the NEUSTART KULTUR programme. Developed into a theatre production in collaboration with Malaya Stern Takeda at Maxim Gorki Theater, the work has been presented in Berlin, Bangkok, Athens, Prague, New York City, and Bratislava. It is now part of the repertoire of the Berliner Ensemble.