KOCHI: The National Theatre Festival scheduled to begin in the city this week will feature an array of interesting plays from across the country. The festival will be held from March 16 to 24 and Tagore theatre will be main venue. Two plays will be staged on all days at 6 pm and 8 pm and the inaugural play will be the theatrical adaptation of O V Vijayan’s Khasakkinte Ithihasam directed by Deepan Sivaraman and presented by the K.M.K. Smaraka Kalasamithi. The play will have three stagings on March 16, 17 and 18. The festival, dedicated to the late playwright Kavalam Narayana Panicker, will have plays from different states including Maharashtra, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The plays to be staged on March 17 are Mahabharata, directed by Anurupa Roy and presented by Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust and 12 Machines, directed by A. Kannan Unni and presented by Backstage Theatre Group. Other plays are Madhyama Vyayogam, directed by Kavalam Narayana Panicker, presnted by Sopanam, Tichya Aaichi Kahani Arthat Mazya Athwanicha Phad directed by Rajashree Sawant Wad, Nandi Productions, Maharashtra, Outcast, directed by Randhir Kumar, Rag Bihar, Oru Enthinu Enthinu Penkutty, directed by K. Aliyar, Athlete Kayika Nataka Vedi , Pebet, directed by Kanhailal, Kalakshetra, Manipur,
Charithrapusthakathilekku Oredu, directed by Jose Koshy, Invisible Lighting Solutions, Thrissur (on March 20), Santhap, directed by Sandeep Bhattacharya, Rangashram, West Bengal; Mirughavidhooshgam, directed by S. Murugabhupathy Bhoopalan, Chennai (on March 21); Swapnavasavadatta, directed by Prasanth Narayanan, Rangayana Dharwad Repertoire, Karnataka, To Kill or Not to Kill, presented by Arnav Arts Trust, New Delhi (on March 22), Ekantham, directed by Sreejith Ramanan, Prakash Kalakendram, Kollam, Bharath Mata Ki Jai, directed by Lokesh Jain, Mandala, New Delhi (on March 23), Kali, directed by Chandrahassan, Lokadharmi, Ernakulam and Chillara Samaram, directed by Arun Lal, Little Health Theatre, Ponnani.