Theatre Olympics comes to India

National School of Drama (NSD) will host Theatre Olympics 2018 from 17 February

Theatre is not just about the play you finally see on stage. It is much more—from the story to the set design, to the actors, everything has to be meticulously planned,” says Waman Kendre, director of the National School of Drama (NSD), which will host the eighth Theatre Olympics, starting 17 February, under the aegis of the Union culture ministry.

 

The Theatre Olympics, established in Greece in 1993, has travelled to various countries since. This is the first time India will host the prestigious multi-city, multi-production, starting from Delhi. The festival, spread over 51 days, will travel to 17 cities, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Patna, Imphal, Varanasi, Chandigarh and Thiruvananthapuram.

“This will be a good opportunity for the audience to see well-received plays from around the world, as more than 30 countries are going to be a part of this, from Australia, Azerbaijan, France to Russia,” says Kendre.
The list includes, for instance, Natir Puja (Bengali), Raja Bhartari Nu Vesh (Gujarati), Yakshgana Ballet—Panchavati (Kannada) and Shikhandi (English). The foreign language plays include Sukaru Asapuwa (Sinhala), Caesarean Section, Essays on Suicide (Polish) and The Suspended Thread (Italian). Some plays, not limited by language, can be described as musicals— such as Serai Kela Chhau and Jogiyar Mahabharat from India and Ticina from Italy.

There will be close to 450 theatre performances, along with 250 other events that include workshops, seminars, masterclasses and face-to-face discussions with the stalwarts of theatre. Entry is on first-come, first-served basis.