As part of Parramatta’s Lit! 2026, Nautanki Theatre will present a public reading of Rajdeep Roy’s new work-Thus Spoke Sophocles. Conceived as a gripping political tragedy, Rajdeep Roy’s play brings Sophocles to the modern stage, weaving three stories of resistance. Beginning with the classic Antigone, the play mirrors Sophocles’ masterpiece against modern-day women rebels standing up to oppressive regimes. To ground this powerful narrative, Raj teams up with Neel Banerjee to resurrect forgotten South Asian protest ballads and historic IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Association) people’s songs.

The presentation reflects Nautanki’s commitment to championing new Australian writing, intercultural storytelling and the extraordinary creative voices emerging from Western Sydney.