What's New

FIPA's productions for Summer and Autumn 2009. See calender for dates.

Nature's Icons

FIPA's new production touring this year's Summer Melas is the powerful and spectacular outdoor Nature's Icons starring Cid Shaha as Goddess Durga (with Ash Mukherjee sharing the role) in her battle against Mahisha as they battle for control of Nature. Hi Ching directs and also composed the music with South Asian musicians and computerised score. An exciting, magical outdoor performance on stilts with vibrant costumes using recycled material. Funded by the Arts Council. Partners are Southampton Mela, Crawley Mela, EEA.

Dark Angels

Bollywood dance with a difference! In an unusual take on the Faustian theme, a film moghul and his star protégé encapsulate the glamour and darkness of the Hindi film industry in a dynamic mix of East West flavours that is unique to Bollywood films. Choreographed by Ash Mukherjee and Cid Shaha. Directed by Hi Ching. This will be performed at some outdoor stages in the Summer Melas and will premiere indoors at the Rich Mix Centre on 25th November as part of a double bill.

The Fatal Hunt

Our new theatre production is also premiering at Rich Mix Centre on 25th November. This exquisite production of Tagore’s The Fatal Hunt is the prequel to the Ramayana. Dashrath, father of Rama, kills Rishi, son of blind sage Muni, during a hunting expedition. Muni curses Dashrath as the implacable, dark forces of destiny unfold with an extraordinary host of magical puppets spirited to life by three unique award winning dancers. Though the dance operas of Tagore form an essential part of Indian culture, they are little known in the West. Exposure to British songs and Western opera had a huge impact in forging Tagore’s artistic language and strands of familiar melodies are evident in this early masterpiece. The traditional renditions of maestro Pandit Biplab Mondal and singer Dr. Ananda Gupta are ingeniously interwoven with dramatic Karnatic, Hindustani and digital elements producing a soundscape that is fresh, dramatic and atmospheric.

Director Hi Ching has created a captivating chamber piece with an inspired choreographic language devised in collaboration with his extraordinary dancers Ash Mukherjee (Bharata Natyam), Ni Madé Pujawati (Balinese) and Cid Shaha (Kathak).

A shorterned version of this piece followed by workshops will tour schools in the South East in the Autumn.

Sung in Bengali with English surtitles. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.