SOUTH ASIAN DANCE AT MELBOURNE FRINGE 2024
Echoes of Her: A Kathak Celebration
Since Heeramandi, Kathak’s come back in a big way, and this piece will show you just how elegant and poetic it can be when expressing the feminine spirit. Show creators Aishwarya and Sharvari are founders of The Cultural Mosaic, a Kathak school fusing German and French with Kathak dance, but don’t worry, this performance will gracefully transcend the language barrier.
Dancing in Infinite Worlds
Joshinder Chaggar, best known for ‘More Than Cute’, a documentary on her seniors Bollywood dance class, will present a solo intercultural dance-theatre piece as part of Theatre Works’ Fringe offerings. Developed through her PhD research, the piece brings together oral and movement-based storytelling to chart her experiences living in India, Nigeria, Australia and Pakistan.
Temple of Desire
Karma Dance return with another mesmerising and subversive work uniting the spiritual and sensual. Drawing from Bharatanatyam, this ensemble piece for 16 dancers blurs the lines between kama and moksha, and is led by critically acclaimed Fringe veteran Govind Pillai, who for the last decade has created award-winning works with Raina Peterson, the most recent Mohini winning numerous Green Room Awards.
Durga Shakti
Just in time for Durga Puja, Nepalese theatre initiative Breakthrough Theatre will retell the Mahishasura Mardhini story using dance. The legend goes that Mahishasura, which literally translates to ‘buffalo demon’, was granted immortality against all men by Lord Bramha, using his power to invade neighbouring kingdoms – that is, until the creation of Goddess Durga, a woman with the strength of the devas combined, who finally slew Mahishasura.
SOUTH ASIAN COMEDY AT MELBOURNE FRINGEÂ
Confetti Confessions
Fresh out of the RAW Comedy 2024 National Finals, Aaqib Merchant brings us a ‘very personal’ work in progress show, where he’ll reveal ‘his deepest, oddest secrets’. What could that mean? Probably something mischievous, offbeat, and deadpan.
There’s a World Where My Head Ought Be
Despite writing for ABC’s Question Everything and Channel 10’s The Project, Suren Jayemanne has concluded there are no new ideas, deciding instead to look back 5000 years ago at ancient Eastern philosophies for his latest solo set.
Why am I still talking?
Scientist turned comedian Rao Morusupalli has some things to say. Observational comedy about being brown and studying astrophysics – and if you’re lucky, he might just give you some fun facts about the universe.
7/11 Attack
Delhi Buoy is here, and ready to takeover Australia, alongside a range of guest comics. Don’t miss this kaafi desi Aussie – or if you do, catch him alongside Aditya Gautam in ‘The Racist Immigrants’.
The Unskilled Immigrant
Aditya Gautam is back with a follow-up to his cheeky and uplifting debut, ‘Don’t Call Me a Papadum’ – he may be an ‘unskilled immigrant’, but he’s certainly a highly skilled comedian when it comes to finding the humour in his migration experiences.
Pope Benedict the IX
Benedict the Ninth is the youngest pope ever elected, and the only person to be pope more than once. Pedro Cooray is a writer and comedian with The Soothplayers, known for Fringe favourite Completely Improvised Shakespeare. But what happens when you put them together? Watch and find out.
The Burden of Excellence
Another RAW Comedy alumnus, Suma Iyer is teaming up with Felix McCarthy to vent about the unbearable load of being above average at everyday tasks. Come for the jokes about being gifted at tax returns, stay for the actual tax advice?
SOUTH ASIAN THEATRE/MIXED MEDIUM PIECESÂ
Two Worlds Collide
Nandita Chakraborty’s memoir ‘Dirty Little Secrets’ has been reimagined as a tactile gallery experience, exploring her journey of migration and transition from her country of birth to the land she now lives on.
Unpacking Black and White
This Digital Fringe event utilises dance, music and multimedia to explore Dr. Puva P Arumugam’s poetry on ‘the woes of a migrant woman’, featuring the music of renowned veena exponent Poly Varghese.
For My Family, And Yours
Auckland’s Ravi Ratnam, aka Ravi the Poet, is bringing his heartwarming show to Melbourne Fringe 2024, an ode to the loved ones around us. This musical and poetic piece is probably one to bring tissues to.
The Good Immigrant
Happy is an oblivious young man who just wants to fit in, but the people he meets in Australia have different ideas…a touring production from Adelaide, where it won ‘Spirit of the Fringe’ and ‘Community Event of the Year’ from the Australia Day council.
Hangman
Two killers, one system – what happens when a prison executioner meets a serial killer? A touring production from Singapore based Avant Theatre, this dark comedy will leave you questioning your moral compass.
The Axe in the Ceiling
Back for a repeat season, this story about a newlywed couple is an adaptation of two Brothers Grimm stories. An ‘absurd love story with surprising layers’, it’s been described by one reviewer as ‘a hidden gem’ of the festival.
For the full Melbourne Fringe 2024 program, and to find out more about these shows, visit the Melbourne Fringe Festival website.
