The line up starts with Sofiyum, the Lepcha folk fusion band from Sikkim, the Dur Se Brothers, Adishakti Laboratory, and Henry Naylors’ ‘Afghanistan is not Funny’.
The play is a result of Naylor’s research in the Afghan war with his friend Sam Maynard post 9/11. With the return of the Taliban, the playwright raises a few pertinent questions.
Providing the much-needed local Hyderabadi connect are performances by Jay Jha’s Kissago, Vinay Varma’s Sutradhar and Surabhi Santosh’s Curtain Call Theatre.
A unique part of the festival is the two Katkatha productions, About Ram (a Balinese interpretation of the Ramayana) and The Nights, (four narratives, from the Arabian Nights).
A distinct offering will be the collaborative effort of Sofiyum, the Sikkim-based Lepcha fusion band with Dur Se Brothers. The play delves into magic realism, mask dances and puppetry.
“Manam Theatre Festival is providing a platform to upcoming young theatre talent. It is not just pandering to big-ticket productions. It is a welcome move,” adds local theatre artist Jha.
The venue is spread among Rangbhoomi Spaces in Gachibowli, NIFT auditorium in High-Tech city, MCR-HRD campus in Jubilee Hills, and in a new District 150, in Knowledge City.