Are you a theatre lover? Head to this festival in Hyderabad!

Scheduled from November 24 to December 17, the ‘Manam Theatre Festival’ includes 18 theatre performances and an array of ‘fringe’ events like talks, demos and workshops.

Hyderabad: Celebrating performance, culture, and community, ‘Manam Theatre Festival’ is all set to kick off its first-ever edition in Hyderabad, bringing a vibrant theatre experience to the city. Scheduled from November 24 to December 17, the festival includes 18 theatre performances and an array of ‘fringe’ events like talks, demos and workshops.

The festival is dedicated to bringing diverse, inclusive, and unconventional stories to Hyderabad through contemporary acts, experimental productions, and innovative interpretations. From featuring Sofiyum, a Lepcha folk fusion band from Sikkim collaborating with Dur Se Brothers, Adishakti Laboratory from Puducherry, and UK playwright Henry Naylor performing “Afghanistan is not Funny”, the event boasts a promising lineup.

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Bringing a Hyderabadi flair to the festival are Jay Jha’s ‘Kissago’, Vinay Varma’s ‘Sutradhar’, and Surabhi Santosh’s ‘Curtain Call Theatre’. Additionally, theatre arts students from the University of Hyderabad will showcase a production titled ‘Rest of the Story’, a homage to Badal Sircar’s enduring dedication to social issues and theatrical experimentation.

“The festival’s aim is to provide environments and occasions where these opportunities become possibilities and possibilities become realities. To present platforms for conversation and discussion on the various ways that art can be created,” says Harika Vedula, curator and organiser of the Manam Theatre Festival, and Founder, The We_Us Collective, an initiative of the Almond House Foundation.

In addition to the main performances, each weekend is structured with a Friday performance by a local troupe and two plays presented by a visiting troupe on Saturday and Sunday. Between these weekends, various fringe events are planned to foster discussions, idea exchange, and community engagement, encouraging interaction between the city’s residents and the performing troupes.

Apart from the Rangbhoomi Spaces in Gachibowli, the events are going to take place at the NIFT auditorium in Hitech city, the MCR-HRD campus in Jubilee Hills, and District 150 in Knowledge City.