Why Not Theatre
Mahabharata महाभारतम्
By Miriam Fernandes & Ravi Jain
‘A dazzling distillation of a millennia-old epic.’
Australian Exclusive / Theatre / Canada
Dates & Times
8 – 16 Feb
Part I: Karma Sat & Sun 2.30pm, Tue & Thu 7.30pm
Part II: Dharma Sat & Sun 8pm, Wed & Fri 7.30pm
Khana & Kahani (Community meal & storytelling session at Cloisters Arcade) Sat & Sun 5.30pm
Durations
Part I: Karma 2hrs 40mins including interval
Part II: Dharma 2hrs 15mins including interval
Khana & Kahani (Community meal & storytelling session) 75mins
Access
- Open Captioned | Sun 16 Feb 2.30pm Part I & Sun 16 Feb 8pm Part II
- Audio description | Sun 16 Feb 2.30pm Part I, Sun 16 Feb 8pm Part II & Sun 16 Feb 5.30pm Community meal & storytelling session
- Auslan | Sun 16 Feb 5.30pm Community meal & storytelling session
- Tactile tour | Sun 16 Feb 2.30pm Part I & Sun 16 Feb 8pm Part II
Tickets
$49 - $99
- Add on option | Khana & Kahani (Community meal & storytelling session at Cloisters Arcade) $39
- Receive a discount when purchasing both parts in a single transaction, with a maximum savings of 15%.
- Festival Club membership and Mob Tix prices available.
Location
His Majesty's Theatre, 827-905 Hay St, Perth WA 6000
More infoNotes
- Performed in English
- Contains discussions and non-graphic depictions of violence, war and sexual activity.
East meets West meets Perth. Old meets new. Poetry meets performance. Mahabharata is an epic tale of rivalry and humanity you’ve waited 4,000 years to hear. Experience this ancient Sanskrit poem about dynasties vying for control of a kingdom transformed into a once-in-a-generation theatrical experience.
'A captivating theatre experience, from the first flame to the last pixel.'
Robert Lepage
The Story
King Janamejaya is holding a ritual sacrifice in which he will kill all the snakes in the world to avenge his father’s death. In hopes of ending this cycle of revenge, a storyteller is summoned to tell King Janamejaya the tale of The Mahabharata. The storyteller tells of the rival Pandava and Kaurava clans, and the choices that lead to their infamous Game of Dice. Through playful narration, shadow play, classical Indian dance and a live band, the ensemble tells the stories of humans struggling to build a just world in the face of competition, jealousy, and rage.
Exploring the themes of storytelling, ecocide, and dharma (empathy), Part 1 begins Mahabharata’s epic journey that asks, “When everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong, how can one end a spiral of revenge?”
King Janamejaya is told of the war fought by his ancestors – its devastating destruction of the planet, the mass extinction that followed, and of the survivors left behind to rebuild. Using captivating projections, dynamic soundscapes, and poetic stage design, Part 2: Dharma includes a 15-minute Sanskrit opera adaptation of the Bhagavad Gita. King Janamejaya is confronted with the battle of Kurukshetra, and the battle inside his own heart. Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors?
Mahabharata is a story that one learns over a lifetime; it needs to be absorbed and digested.To delve deeper into the philosophical riddles of the Pandava family's 13 years of exile, you're invited to gather and share a traditional vegetarian Indian meal. Hosted by a charming storyteller, you'll experience a tale from the Mahabharata as many people have, around the dinner table
Please note This event is only available as an optional add-on for patrons who purchase a weekend Mahabhrata Part II on the same date as a community meal sitting or a marathon (both Karma (Part 1) and Dharma (Part 11)
Location Cloisters Arcade, 863 Hay St, Perth WA 6000
Duration 75mins
More info
Written & Created by Miriam Fernandes & Ravi Jain, using poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling
Original concept developed with Jenny Koons
A Why Not Theatre Production
Originally commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival in association with Barbican, London
Director, Writer & Creator Ravi Jain
Associate Director, Writer & Creator Miriam Fernandes
Set Designer Lorenzo Savoini
Costume Designer Gillian Gallow
Lighting Designer Kevin Lamotte
Associate Lighting Designer Mikael Kangas
Projection Designer Hana S. Kim
Associate Projection Designer Ann Slote
Original Music & Sound Designer John Gzowski & Suba Sankaran
Traditional Music Consultant Hasheel Lodhia
Choreographer Brandy Leary with contributions from Jay Emmanuel & Ellora Patnaik
Kathakali Choreography for Jay Emmanuel - Kalamandalam ThulasiKumar (choreography), Kalamandalam Adhityan (Chenda), Kalamandalam Roopesh (Maddalam), Kalamandalam Abhijit Pillai (Thalam)
Creative Associate, Khana & Kahani Storyteller Sharada K Eswar
Lead Producer Kevin Matthew Wong
Lead Production Manager Crystal Lee
Cast
Shawn Ahmed, Neil D'Souza, Jay Emmanuel, Miriam Fernandes, Ravin J. Ganatra, Karthik Kadam, Darren Kuppan, Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu, Goldy Notay, Ellora Patnaik, Meher Pavri, Sakuntala Ramanee, Ronica Sajnani, Ishan Sandhu, Navtej Sandhu, Munish Sharma, Sukania Venugopal
Musicians
John Gzowski (Conductor, Co-Composer, Co-Sound Designer, Guitar)
Suba Sankaran (Band Leader, Co-Composer, Co-Sound Designer, Voice)
Dylan Bell (Bass, Keyboard, Music Contributions)
Gurtej Singh Hunjan (Percussion & Music Contributions)
Hasheel Lodhia (Bansuri, Voice, Music Contributions)
Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed (Tabla & Music Contributions)
Stage Manager Neha Ross
Assistant Stage Manager Victoria Wang & Jenny Kim
Technical Director Daniel Bennett
Head of Video & Video Op Danny Carr
Video Engineer Matthew Mellinger
Head of Sound Brandon Wells
Head of Wardrobe Chanti Laliberte
Production Finance Sarah Newkirk
Production Marketing Mary Anderson
UK General Management Wise Children Productions
Touring Agent David Lieberman Artists' Representatives
Executive Director of Why Not Theatre Karen Tisch
Mahabharata includes text with permission from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling, published by W. W. Norton & Company; Devdutt Pattanaik’s Jaya, An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata, published by Penguin Random House India; and the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore.
Bhagavad Gita Opera
Written & adapted by Miriam Fernandes & Ravi Jain
Original music & score by John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran
Translation & text adaptation by Sharada K Eswar
Performed by Meher Pavri, with guest recording artist Trichy Sankaran (mrdangam)
Images David Cooper
Acknowledgements
Supported by Perth Festival Medici donors & the Government of Canada
Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund
Remounted with the generous support of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity through a theatre residency in January 2025
Why Not Theatre
Major Partner
Canada Council for the Arts
Partner
Ontario Arts Council
