Hyderabad: This Dec 08 – 10, 2023, weekend’s line up at the Manam Theatre Festival includes:
- Rest of the story by University of Hyderabad on Friday, Dec 8, Rangbhoomi Spaces, Gachibowli
- Afghanistan is not funny by Henry Naylor on Sunday, Dec 10, District 150, Madhapur
Book your passes for the most incredible performances at the inaugural edition of the month-long ‘Manam Theatre Festival’ in Hyderabad, presented by The We _ Us Collective (an Almond House Foundation initiative). The Manam Theatre Festival hopes to immerse theatre aficionados in Hyderabad in the sheer magic and brilliance of the performing arts, as it brings together the city’s thriving theatre fraternity along with visiting troupes from across the country, and beyond. From puppetry to live music, from dancing to masking, from Pondicherry to Sikkim, artists from every phase, form and place come together to celebrate the art of performing at multiple venues across the city. With an impressive line-up comprising four visiting troupes, four local Hyderabad troupes, four venues, eighteen shows across four weekends, the Manam Theatre Festival promises to be a true celebration of the performing arts for diverse audiences.
The Manam Theatre Festival in Hyderabad presents thought-provoking plays for curious minds and captivating performances for absolute entertainment. The festival brings diverse, inclusive, and unconventional stories home to Hyderabad through contemporary acts, experimental productions, and new interpretations.
Hyderabad’s very own ecosystem of art and culture. From November 24th to Dec 17, 2023, the festival brings together bouquets of performances, people, and places. Each weekend will include a performance by a home troupe on Friday and two plays by a visiting troupe on Saturday and Sunday. Sprinkled around these weekends are fringe events that aim to create conversation and exchange of ideas and engage the city’s community to interact with troupes.
Passes available at https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/manam-theatre-festival-2023/ET00374347
WEEKEND 3 (DEC 8-10, 2023)
REST OF THE STORY BY UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD
The play pays homage to Badal Sircar’s enduring dedication to social issues and ground-breaking theatrical experimentation. It underscores the interconnectedness of individual lives with history and the wider world, emphasising individual responsibility for their surroundings. To align with this ethos, the troupe made deliberate alterations to Sircar’s original script, toning down existentialist elements and offering a unique interpretation of the narrative.
Directed by: Rajiv Velicheti
Playwright: Badal Sircar
Hindi Translation: Nemichandra Jain
Cast: Unscripted characters: Anjana Shahjahan, Arun Kumar Singh, Nitish Kumar, Raniya Zulaikha, Vikash Kumar, Satyam Dubey, Shamim Akhtar Sheikh. Characters from the Script: Sharad- Shreyas Gupta, Vasanti- Shreyosree Sarker, Kanak (Act 1)- Janki Tuddu, Pooja Yadav, Nikhil- Sai Krishna Chithari, Biswajit Kalita, Sitanath (Act 1) – Shivam Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Agantuk- Sachin Rawal, Vishal Thakur, Boodha- Geetesh Ujjainwal, Kanak (act 2)- Mansi Bansal, Niharika Choulda, Vijay- Md. Ahsan Habib, Sitanath (Act 2)- Jishnu Kili, Vighnesh Jayakrishnan
Date: Friday, December 8, 2023
Show Timings: 7:30pm
Venue: Rangbhoomi Spaces, Gachibowli, Hyderabad
Language: Multilingual
Duration: 75 minutes
Recommended For: 13+
About UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD
University of Hyderabad, a Central University established by an Act of Parliament (1974), is a Unitary University situated at Hyderabad. The UoH’s vision, planning and processes embody the core values of National Needs–Global Standards, Innovation, Public Engagement and Social Impact. The Theatre Arts Discipline of S.N. School strongly believes that creating good theatre is an arduous activity and there is no simple formula to achieve it. As an academic discipline within a University system, Theatre Arts concentrates on giving training in seminal concepts, basic principles and practices of drama and theatre to create a successful theatre in society, where live interaction can lead to new terrains of experience and intellect.
AFGHANISTAN IS NOT FUNNY BY HENRY NAYLOR (UK)
Soon after 9/11, researching a comedy project, multi award-winning playwright Henry Naylor and photographer Sam Maynard landed in the Afghan War Zone. What followed was extraordinary: threatened by a war criminal, captured by the Mujhadeen, and targeted by Al-Qaeda. Now, as the Taliban return, Naylor asks what has been lost in the ruins of Kabul.
Directed by: Henry Naylor
Written by: Henry Naylor
Performed by: Henry Naylor
Date: Sunday, December 10, 2023
Show Timings: 4:00pm & 7:30pm
Venue: District 150, Madhapur, Hyderabad
Language: English
Duration: 75 minutes
Recommended For: 16+
About Henry Naylor
Henry Naylor is a multi-award-winning UK playwright, who has been described as ‘one of our best new playwrights’ in The Times, The Evening Standard, and as ‘one of the finest British writers on contemporary events,’ in Theatre Extra. His plays have won, and/or been nominated for 33 international awards, including one of France’s most prestigious awards for the arts, the Globes De Cristal in 2016. He is one of the only handful of writers to have won the Fringe First three times and has won four of the top five Fringe awards at the Edinburgh Fringe, including the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award. Three of his plays have had month-long runs off-Broadway, and in 2017 alone there were over 300 public performances of his work, over five continents. His work has been translated into eight languages.
