Nautanki’s Upcoming Program for 2024
Z-AXIS @Parra
PHIVE, Parramatta | Saturday 20th July
The “Z-Axis” project will be a comprehensive initiative that goes beyond traditional theatre performance, aiming to build awareness, foster ethical practices, and facilitate intergenerational dialogue among young creatives. The project will be an interlinked series of interactive sessions with the South-Asian youths from Blacktown, Parramatta, and Inner City guiding the young creatives toward leadership positions within the arts sector and harnessing projects that will involve local talents and local audience engagement.
TEN YEARS TO HOME
KXT-BROADWAY | 25th September to 5th October
“Ten Years to Home”, a play written by Sonal Moore and directed by Neel Banerjee, tells the story of why Sonal’s parents first came to Australia and what made them stay. Looked at through the eyes of three generations of women, the play reveals the challenges faced by an Indian family living a long way from home and in a predominantly white Australia. It also shows the friendship that was extended to them until ten years later, Australia had also become home. The play centres on Sonal’s parents’ story while the stories of Sonal and her two daughters show the crossover of the Indian and Australian cultures. Sonal’s father is the common thread throughout the play. The play spans 10 years and gives a snapshot of the change in both India and Australia in the 1960s, which ultimately paved the way for the greater Asian migration in the early 1970s.
“Ten Years to Home” is the remounting of a play that had a successful short season at Parramatta. Now the play will travel to central Sydney as part of KXT-Nautanki’s cross-city sister project collaboration.
ANNUAL SOUTH ASIAN THEATRE MELA
RIVERSIDE THEATRE, PARRAMATTA | 13th to 15th November
A celebration of theatre aesthetics in South Asian cross-cultural style, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries.
Nautanki Theatre Company endeavours to provide a common performing platform, encouraging cross-cultural exchange and community engagement. Theatre Mela is a homegrown concept of reimagining grassroots South Asian Theatre groups and indie artists in Australia. This flagship project was conceived, established, and developed in Parramatta by Nautanki in partnership with Riverside Theatre in 2016. This year Mela reaches 9th year and will have 2 plays presented back-to-back making it a double bill over 3 nights.
BUNTY BARBER DANCE THEATRE
RIVERSIDE THEATRE, PARRAMATTA | 18th to 20th December
A dance theatre production “Bunty Barber” will explore and address social issues within the context of South-Asian barber shops, particularly in the Western suburbs. The project aims to challenge misogyny, and stereotypes and promote a more inclusive and equitable society. We’ll have a work-in-progress showcasing this project.
