SHORT + SWEET THEATRE
WELLINGTON SEASON
Natraj – The Performer
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“Aha Laxman! Sita is kidnapped…Yes brother, what an injustice…what a sin!”
Impersonating the characters from fabulous Indian mythologies, Natraj presents himself as an avid jatra (a folk theatre form) performer from the state of Bengal. Natraj is the only survivor of the jatra troop that encountered floods while travelling to their next show across the river Ganges. The show introduces the character Natraj from our upcoming play Cast Away which is based on the short story Bahiskrit written by the legendary playwright and poet Rabindranath Tagore.
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Writer & Director Swati Bhatt
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Sanskriti Theatre
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Sanskriti Theatre is a dream project conceived by Swati Bhatt and Shaneel Sidal to introduce and initiate traditional Indian theatre to the audiences in New Zealand. Sanskriti Theatre aims at creating traditional as well as folk theatre performance straight from the works of Sanskrit poets and contemporary playwrights of India. The project boasts of celebrating the unique Indian theatrical arts and to make them available locally in New Zealand.
Swati Bhatt is from Ahmedabad, India and moved to New Zealand in 2014 to pursue PhD in Theatre at VUW. She learned both stage and screen skills alongside her major studies in language, literature and cultural studies. Swati had performed on stage, on screen and on streets between the years 2006 and 2011 in India. In New Zealand, she has performed in the Toi Whakaari student production in the year 2015 and during the Putahi Festival in 2016. Currently, Swati is in process of forming an Indian theatre company “Sanskriti Theatre” with Shaneel Sidal and is looking forward to spice up theatre with traditional as well as contemporary Indian flavours in Wellington.
Shaneel Sidal was born in Suva, Fiji and immigrated to New Zealand when he was 4. Living in NZ has moulded him into a creative person who is excited in performing this show. As Toi Whakaari graduate, he feels so privileged to be working in the industry. He is forming an Indian theatre company “Sanskriti Theatre” with Swati Bhatt and is looking forward to creating Indian theatre in Wellington.
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Shaneel Sidal
