Dreams & Desires

Nagamandala travels to the Svapnagata Festival in London

We’er in the middle of rehearsal,gooey chocolate cake and masala tea. The director is edgy,the actors in a tizzy,as the stage is set for Girish Karanad’s Nagamandala to be part of the Svapnagata,a unique two-week festival of Indian music and dance curated by award-winning artists dancer and choreographer Akram Khan and composer Nitin Sawheney. Directed by Neelam Man Singh and performed by the actors of her Company,Neelam first directed Nagamandala in ’89 and revisited it in 2005 and found a brand-new freshness and relevance she could connect to. The play’s travelled to various places in India and also Japan and London is something Neelam is excited about,for it’s the first time theatre is going to be part of the festival. “Nitin has seen a show of my play years ago and that association has translated into this participation,” recalls Neelam. Live music,movement,spontaneous recklessness,magic,Neelam feels the play is perfect for the tapestry of the festival,as she has constantly challenged the actors to deal with the intangible and create constant change through a private dialogue between her and the actors.