Theatre · Australian Exclusive
Shaiva Koothu
(India)
A ritual dance drama with a 2000-year history.
Experience a celebrated master of one of the oldest living theatre traditions, telling famed Tamil stories with a modern twist. Trained since the age of seven, dancer and actor Kapila Venu is a leading performer of Koodiyattam, a UNESCO-recognised ritual artform over 2000 years old. Typically restricted to Kerala temples, this is your chance to see a master at work.
Shaiva Koothu is a vibrant and expressive dance-drama associated with the 6th-century Tamil saint Thiru Karaikkal Ammaiyar – a remarkable female poet and devotee of Lord Shiva. The songs, sung in Tamil, beautifully convey her spiritual experiences, her love for Shiva and her journey towards enlightenment.
As one of the few women to perform male roles in these traditionally patriarchal retellings, Venu offers a feminist reimagining. In her extraordinary hands, ancient stories become startlingly alive, striking at the heart.
This is the first time in the history of Koodiyattam that this story has been adapted.
Co-presented with Powerhouse Parramatta
Credits
Concept & Performance – Kapila Venu
Mizhavu – Kalamandalam Rajeev, Kalamandalam Hariharan
Edakka – Kalaniyalam Unnikrishnan
Thalam – Saritha Krishnakumar
Mentored by – Guru G Venu
Produced by – ALIF
Photography – Special Arrangement
Dates
Duration
1 hour 30 minues (no interval).
Venue
1 Danyamada Place (34 Phillip St), Parramatta NSW 2150
Meet the artist
The lead creative/s at the heart of this work.
Kapila Venu
India