Blending classic tropes of royal rivalries, feuding families and bloody vengeance, Mahabharata is a visually stunning two-part theatrical experience making its Australian debut at His Majesty’s Theatre for Perth Festival, Sat 8 – Sun 16 Feb.
A story told for more than 4,000 years, shared in Indian households around the world, Mahabharata takes an ancient Sanskrit poem about dynasties vying for control of a kingdom and turns it into an unforgettable and epic event.
Meet the Pandavas and the Kauravas – two royal families fighting for control of the kingdom their grandfather once ruled. It’s a tale as old as Homer’s Odyssey or as recent as TV’s Succession.
This large-scale contemporary retelling from Canada’s Why Not Theatre stars a cast entirely from the South Asian diaspora, brought to life by a hypnotic live soundtrack of classical Indian music and dance, and woven together by the ultimate storyteller.
The production is split into two parts; Karma – The Life We Inherit, which begins Mahabharata’s epic journey that asks, “When everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong, how can one end a spiral of revenge?”, and Dharma – The Life We Choose which explores the question “In times of division, how do we find wholeness? Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors? Can we build a new world?”
Throughout the experience the production undergoes an evolution in storytelling – from the most ancient – a storyteller around a fire – to a contemporary and technologically-integrated spectacle of projections, dynamic digital soundscapes and poetic stage design.
Mahabharata is a story that one learns over a lifetime; it needs to be absorbed and digested. Perth audiences who wish to be carried further by the storytelling are invited to experience the Khana & Kahani: Community Meal and Storytelling Session. Hosted by two charming storytellers, the audience experiences a tale from the Mahabharata as many people have, around the dinner table and over a delicious Indian meal.
See the performance as two separate shows during the week, as one complete event on a weekend, or together with the community meal as an extra feast for the senses.
Perth Festival Artistic Director Anna Reece says: “To experience the Mahabharata live onstage is often described as a once in a generation theatrical experience. I am very proud to present this extraordinary production made by the next generation of artists from the Indian diaspora for a new generation of audiences. This is a tale of two families, going to global war over love, life, ethics and power. A story that is as raw and relevant to our world today as it was thousands of years ago, challenging us to think about who we are and what we stand for.
“Mahabharata will be unforgettable and wonderful. It has an extraordinary plot, drama, dance, music, technology and even feasting, but above anything else this is storytelling at its most wonderful and fantastical. An epic tale and experience which belongs in our festival. We are so lucky to have it.”
The production is created and written by Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, using poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling. This contemporary adaptation took over 9 years to complete.
February 8 – 16
perthfestival.com.au
