Documentary Theatre in India

Documentary Theatre in India

Assembling Publics, Performing Politics

This unique volume presents the undocumented practices and histories of Documentary Theatre in India. Set against India’s contested political landscape, where legal documents determine one’s life, the contributors highlight the relevance of Documentary Theatre, challenging dominant concepts and offering new frameworks for understanding its cultural significance. Essays, conversations, and creative contributions from renowned scholars and artists from India and beyond are complemented with practical theatre exercises – making this volume a vital resource for academics and anyone interested in the potential of theatre. With contributions from YS Alone, Rustom Bharucha, Zuleikha Chaudhari, and others.

»Documentary Theatre is a relatively new practice in India with tremendous possibilities in our times, when the idea of history and the document generates so much anxiety. The fascinating and varied artistic strategies of several practitioners form a significant part of the book, and they tell us how Documentary Theatre allows great latitude of approach, and suggest its relevance in the absence of the document and in its presence. I highly recommend this book to any thoughtful theatre practitioner.«

»I deeply enjoyed reading this book. It is an absolute page-turner – engaging, thought-provoking, and extremely informative. Through the lens of Documentary Theatre, I gleaned so much about the rich history, interwoven stories, and chronicles of India. Rarely do I find such a scholarly text this captivating. Five stars from me!«

»This book is as provocative as the kind of theatre it explores. It simultaneously examines and demonstrates the power of Documentary Theatre to challenge authoritative truth claims. Timely and urgent – not only in the Indian context but also beyond – this is a must-read for all practitioners, scholars, and passionate pedagogues of Documentary Theatre.«