This is the third time the festival is arranged by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi and Dr. Nissar Allana in the Dramatic Art & Design Academy (DADA). Through the years the festival has contributed in developing the Indian theater scene, to give new talents a voice and stage, and made an opportunity to reach new audiences, to make the festival travel, to spread Ibsen’s word to more Indians.
This year the festival focuses on ritual, tradition and folklore.
- In the Indian context, this is especially important, because it helps us to define our own point of contact with Ibsen at a 'roots' level, says Dr. Allana.
Delhi Ibsen Festival 2010 takes place in Kamani Auditorium 7 pm from 30 November – 10 December, and the festival will conclude with a seminar on Ibsen and folklore; translating, adapting and appropriating, and an actor’s workshop.
The Seminar, and the Actor's workshop following the productions, also represent a new step in the shaping Indian theatre, with a new dramaturgical approach by international and Indian experts rarely heard in India.
Programme
30 November The Festival starts with a Norwegian production called Fjeldfuglen (The Mountain Bird) by director Lars Øyno and Grusomhetens Teater (Theatre of Cruelty). The play was actually performed for the very first time in 2009 by Grusomhetens Teater. The Mountain Bird is Ibsen's unfinished opera libretto from 1859.
1-2 December Mareechika (an adaption of Lady From The Sea) directed by Ila Arun (Mumbai, India). The story is told in the folk form as the narrative through the balladeers, Bhopa and Bhopi, traditional story-tellers from Rajasthan, who use the Phad, or a painted scroll to tell their stories.
3 December Peer Gynt directed by Deepan Sivaraman (Thrissur, India). The play is a loosely adapted Indian version of Peer Gynt, and takes place in the setting of a mental asylum. This spatially experimental production is very physical and has a strong visually narrative ritualistic structure.
4 December When We Dead Awaken directed by Saulius Antanas Varnas (Lithuania). About how the characters by Henrik Ibsen are ungovernable, sometimes even in utter hopelessness fighting for a dream.
5 December Balura Gudikara (an adaptation of The Master Builder) directed by B. Jayashree (Bangalore, India). This is a Ibsen play in the Veera Ghaase folk format, where Ibsen’s Master Builder is characterized through Veerbhadras. In Veera Ghaase, the ‘Veerabhadra’s,dance holding a sword in their hands. These people are followers of Lord Shiva. It is said in folklore that when Daksha humiliated Lord Shiva, the Veerabhadras made their incarnated on this earth and killed him.
6 December Mobou Mines Dollhouse (Teleplay) Directed by Lee Brauer (New York, USA). By invitation only. In short, the play was set in a dollhouse; everything fit except the doll.
7-8 December Seminar on Ibsen and folklore
9-10 December Actor’s workshop
All the performances will have subtitles.
For tickets, please contact the Dramatic Art & Design Academy (DADA) 8826384405, 8826286191