New 2-part musical production of ‘Mahabharata’ set for London stage

London: A new two-part musical stage production of the epic ‘Mahabharata’ is set for its international premiere in London in early October after a successful run in Canada.

‘Mahabharata’, by Toronto-based Indian-origin Why Not Theatre company, is described as a visually stunning contemporary retelling of the ancient Sanskrit epic.

Written and adapted by the theatre’s Co-Artistic Directors, Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, ‘Mahabharata’ brings together an international cast of performers from the South Asian diaspora and incorporates multiple artistic forms including South Indian Carnatic music and operatic notes. The creators say their vision is to celebrate a hybridity of cultures, balancing East and West, traditional and contemporary.

“I am so proud to represent Canada on the world stage with this epic retelling of the ‘Mahabharata’ that we hope will have as big an impact as Peter Brooke’s adaptation in the 1980s,” said Jain, who is also the founder of Why Not Theatre.

“When I was a student in London, the Barbican was where I saw the world’s greatest directors on stage. It was the place where I sat at the foot of masters and studied their moves. Twenty-four years later, this is a dream come true and a rare one for Canadian artists to realise,” he said.

The large-scale "visually stunning" production is divided into two parts that are bridged by an optional traditional Indian vegan meal and storytelling session entitled ‘Khana & Kahani’ at London’s Barbican Centre between October 1 and 7.

The gripping story of a family feud is explored for its profound philosophical and spiritual ideas under the segments of: ‘Mahabharata: Karma (Part 1) The Life We Inherit’ and ‘Mahabharata: Dharma (Part 2) The Life We Choose’.

While tickets for the production are available separately, the Barbican recommends attending the entire session complete with the storytelling session to “delve deeper into the philosophical riddles of the story”.

“The seed of our ‘Mahabharata’ was planted eight years ago. The piece has grown and been nourished by an international team of artists who have created something that both in form and content truly feels like it spans the world,” said Fernandes, who is also part of the cast line-up.

“This is a 4,000-year-old story that contains ancient wisdom about empathy, justice, and our relationship to the planet, which feels strikingly relevant today. It is thrilling to launch our ‘Mahabharata’ on the international stage at the Barbican,” she said.

Exploring the themes of storytelling and empathy, Part 1 is pegged around the central question of: When everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong, how can one end a spiral of revenge? Part 2 includes a 15-minute Sanskrit opera adaptation of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and centres around the question of whether we are destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors.

The production, which had its world premiere at the Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada, uses poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s ‘Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling’.