There are many frustrating things about working in the theatre in India. Lack of money, lack of rehearsal spaces, lack of performing spaces, the list goes on and on.

Quasar Thakore Padamsee

In the last few years, I have had the good fortune to perform across India and some parts of the world. However, wherever you go, audiences can be divided into two kinds.
The first is your regular audience; who come to watch a particular play that is running at a particular theatre. There is a certain distance with which they watch the opening five minutes; trying to figure out if this going to be an evening well spent or not. They grudgingly get involved in the programme. But once absorbed are very responsive to what is offered.

Apart from Opening Night, auditions are perhaps the most exciting part of the play-building process. It is one of those rare occasions where the room is full of positive energy.

As you read this, I am on my way to Delhi for the big daddy of all theatre festivals — the National School of Drama’s Bharat Rang Mahotsav. The festival is by no means the most lucrative, but it is definitely one of the most prestigious because of its showcasing of interesting international work, and local productions by the legends of Indian theatre (who usually are NSD alumnus as well). This year there seems to be a slight breaking of the mould.

Mumbai is probably the single most theatre active location in the country.

Mumbai is probably the single most theatre active location in the country.

When it comes to the energy of youth theatre, the capital has always been the capital because of its thriving campus theatre; Mumbai has been where people get noticed; Bengaluru has always experimente

For the first time in my short career, I am not at a staging of a play I have directed. The play in question, Project S.T.R.I.P.

Every October a panel of two go on a pilgrimage of sorts. Scouring the country to find the best youth plays for the annual youth theatre festival — Thespo.

The other day a young theatre enthusiast said to me “You can only talk about sex on stage, you can’t DO it!” And maybe she is right.