Thursday 13 June 2013

Latest news


We can now reveal Nautanki Theatre's amazing line up of cast and creatives for Indian Embrace opening August 21 at the Riverside in Parramatta.  The cast:  Ambika Asthana, Neel Banerjee, Shashidar Dandekar, James Herrington, Steven Menteith and Lucy Rasheed.  Creatives:   Director Lenore Robertson, Costumes Pam Legge,  Lighting design Richard Neville.

Like many travellers, I became fascinated by Varanasi, India, the first time I went there.  Also known as Banaras and as Kashi, it is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.  I set about writing the play on the plane back to Australia.  In 2012 I converted just one scene for a Short and Sweet Ten Play Festival entry and got in the Sydney and the Chennai, India, Festivals.  Comments from the Sydney show were:  "Carol Dance has written with much wisdom and insight.  Carol's writing about the Indian ethos is discerning and perceptive" Preeti Thadani, India Link.  Then Nautanki Theatre decided to produce the full-length play. 


Indian Embrace engages both Indian-Australians and all Australians.  The River Ganges runs through the story as three Australians and three Indians in the ancient city face danger together.  And, wow, do they bond!  Universal emotions subjugate cultural differences.  There are many comic, tragic and amazing twists and turns and we're not going to spoil it by telling you any more.  There are five performances so be fast to book.

Saturday 8 June 2013

Welcome to Indian Embrace!



Welcome to Nautanki Theatre's blog about our upcoming production of Indian Embrace, a play set in Varanasi, India, by Carol Dance.  Carol wrote the play after a trip to Varanasi where she was bowled over by the energy of this famous city.  Later, she re-worked one scene of the play for a Short and Sweet entry and got into both S+S Sydney and S+S Chennai (that's in INDIA!).  Nautanki then read Carol's full-length play and loved it so much they just had to mount a full production.

Nautanki is proud to announce that director Lenore Robertson has selected an excellent cast.  Rehearsals have started and the show opens August 21 at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. 

We're not going to give too much away but we can tell you that there is humour, drama, suspense and epiphanies as three Aussies and three Indians face danger together.  The mighty Ganges runs through the veins of them all.
(Details at nautanki.org.au  or  riversideparramatta.com.au...Only five shows, so be fast to book!)  


Keep checking our FB page about Indian Embrace for photos of the cast, news updates and our You Tube trailer.