Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    • Dance
    • Music
    • Art
    • Heritage
    • Theatre
    • Books
    • Films
    • Team
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    Home»Theatre»Circus Theatre: A New Performing Art On The Anvil- 6
    Theatre

    Circus Theatre: A New Performing Art On The Anvil- 6

    Abhilash PillaiBy Abhilash PillaiFebruary 10, 2022
    Circus theatre
    Circus theatre
    Share
    WhatsApp Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram

    Bridging The Chasm:

    While theatre enjoyed both a political discussion and social relevance, circus suffered from exploitation and problems of poverty.

    The commonality between Theatre & Circus

    It was a tragedy. One electrician who had climbed the top-most grid in the tent to change a fused electric bulb. He had fallen to his death. We were in shock. Several questions sprung to our mind. There was no time to process the event. 

    Meanwhile, the people for the next show were queuing in front of the box office. The shows could not be cancelled and the next show at 4.00 p.m. show had already begun. There was an ambulance and we sent a silent prayer to the deceased – he was taken to the hospital and was declared brought dead.

    The next day, the atmosphere inside the tent was palpable. The team’s morale was low. Still, the show went on as usual. Yes, in the tent nobody ate food as respect and affection towards their dear Raja. Here, I also discovered that the names often announced in circus are not their real ones because of different reasons and most of the circus artists do not have any addresses. Their identities are always mysterious. At times, nobody even bothered to know what their actual name and identities were. And perhaps it didn’t seem necessary to know where they came from or what their real names were. They all lived together as a family for years in a tent. They never cancelled a show, rain or shine; or in this case even the death of a crew member. You may ask why? Well, they always perform because it is the ticketed money that keeps them going.

    The common ground

    After two hours of Raja’s death, I called Anuradha Kapur, a professor at the National School of Drama (NSD) to share this experience and the conditions of Grand Circus. I was doubtful whether we should go ahead with this project anymore with NSD students. After hearing the whole experience Prof. Kapur had just a sentence “Abhilash, I think circus needs some kind of intervention.”

    It changed my mind and motivated me to continue with the project. The path to collaboration continued and eventually, NSD signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Grand Circus Company.

    In theatre and circus, there are many similarities and diversities not only in the production process but also in the presentational styles as well. Whatever happens in both these spaces there is a commonality of performance practice and productional methods. The performers of both circus and theatre are confronted with rigorous training for a long period. Despite all these, till today, both were travelling in different boats. There was absolutely no mixing of these streams. Even today, they exist in separate water-tight compartments. Yes, both are performing arts in their pristine purity.

    The widening gap

    It is surprising that none of the practitioners of either of the art forms considered it important to bring theatre and circus together. It could be because of the differences maintained by the Indian theoreticians of both of these performing forms. The gap, therefore, of these two forms started to grow bigger.

    These woes are not baseless. One has to simply trace the history and perception of both these art forms. On one side, since the formation of modern theatre, there is an active political discussion about its very existence, its theatrical utility and its social relevance. On the other side, the circus has no political complexion at all but remained as an art rooted in exploitation and slavery since its emergence in India, back in the early 1900s. Essentially, this question has been haunting my mind. As a theatre director, I ask why do we brand circus as a non-political art form? What is the basis? In fact, the commonality and the similarity of circus and theatre prompted me to think in a creative manner. It urged me to produce a different art form by merging both these forms without changing the congenial ambience available in the vast circus space in their tents.

    Click here for more on the series

    Write to us at [email protected]

    Abhilash Pillai Anuradha Kapur Circus National School of Drama Theatre
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleSwan Movement: The Occult Origins of Mohiniyattam-Part 33
    Next Article Paintings of Basant Peringode: Screaming Human Predicaments
    Abhilash Pillai
    Abhilash Pillai

      Abhilash Pillai is the Professor of Acting and Direction and In-Charge of the Cultural Exchange Program at the National School of Drama, New Delhi. He was also the Executive Director of the Asia Theatre Education Centre (ATEC) at the Central Academy of Drama, Beijing, China. Pillai has collaborated with both international and national theatre productions and initiated the first-ever collaboration in India, connecting the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Grand Circus, Kerala. Among other things, he has directed theatrical productions in Russia, Japan, Taiwan, England, and various other countries, in addition to India. He is currently the Director (on deputation) of the School of Drama and Fine Arts at the University of Calicut, Kerala.

      Related Posts

      Mricchakatikam

      The ‘Clay Cart’ is Ready to Move

      June 18, 2025
      Theatre

      Theatre Design: Rethinking Space, Power, and Presence in Performance

      May 29, 2025
      Kutiyattam

       How Women Claimed Their Space in Kutiyattam

      March 27, 2025

      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      Author In Focus VK Karthika

      Pathaan

      Pathaan: A Triumph of Love Over Hate

      V K KarthikaMarch 31, 2023

      Pathaan breaks the typical stereotype of Islamic Terrorism.

      Avatar

      Eastern Ethos Lifts up Cameron’s Avatar Sequel

      V K KarthikaJanuary 31, 2023

      Eastern ethos and laws of the nature are set to get a new tech-driven meaning as Cameron is planning two more sequels.

      Yazh

      Reviving Yazh, the Indian Harp

      V K KarthikaNovember 28, 2022

      Without Tharun, Yazh, an ancient instrument would not have taken birth in modern times

      Tholppavakoothu

      Girl Power up in Puppetry

      V K KarthikaSeptember 30, 2022

      Rajitha Ramachandra Pulavar and her team gave a new meaning to Tholppavakkooth and the body politics went in for a change in 2021

      Nanjiyamma tribal singer of Attappady

      Why the National Award for Tribal Singer Nanjiyamma Matters

      V K KarthikaAugust 27, 2022

      India witnessed a debate on the ‘purity of music’ when tribal singer Nanjiyamma won the National Award.

      EVENTS

      Nangiyarkoothu

      Celebrating 60 Years of Dance Excellence

      India Art ReviewMay 23, 2025

      Swara-dhi: A Soulful Summer Camp for Music Connoisseurs

      India Art ReviewMay 23, 2025
      Sooryakanthi festival

      Sooryakanthi Dance Festival From Nov 28- Dec 1

      India Art ReviewNovember 25, 2024

      Memorial Awards and Dance Performances in Chennai

      India Art ReviewNovember 25, 2024

      Have You Read These?

      Youth

      The Fountain of Youth

      Vineeth AbrahamMay 16, 2023

      What will happen when a bookworm set out to clean his library? One of the…

      The Elephant Whisperers

      Poetics of Fostering the Animal: The Elephant Whisperers

      Babu Rajan P PMay 1, 2023

      With the decline of natural habitats, human-elephant conflict has seen a surge, often leaving the majestic creatures as unwitting participants. “The Elephant Whisperers” documentary pays homage to the conservation endeavors aimed at preserving these habitats and raising awareness among communities about the perils of anthropocentrism.

      1899 and the Virtual Studio: Futuristic Filmmaking

      IAR DeskMarch 12, 2023

      1899, the new web series from the creators of German masterpiece Dark, will be filmed entirely in a virtual studio. Here’s all you wanted to know about ‘Volume’ and why it matters to futuristic filmmaking.

      Yazh

      Reviving Yazh, the Indian Harp

      V K KarthikaNovember 28, 2022

      Without Tharun, Yazh, an ancient instrument would not have taken birth in modern times

      A ‘Lyrical Dance’ Tribute to Edassery’s Poem

      G S PaulNovember 8, 2022

      Choreographic ingenuity of Vinitha Nedungadi created alluring visuals of the sublime poetic imagination of Edassery in Anthithiri.

      vijayakumar menon

      Vijayakumar Menon Taught Kerala How to Appreciate Art

      Renu RamanathNovember 3, 2022

      The only wealth Menon amassed during his solitary journey was that of art. When Vijayakumar…

      About
      About

      India Art Review is a dedicated digital journal of art and culture, based in Chennai and with representatives in Kerala, Delhi, the UAE, Canada and the US.

      We're social, connect with us:

      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Telegram
      People in Art
      Kalamandalam John

      Kalamandalam John: Kerala’s Lone Christian Kathakali Artist Celebrates Golden Jubilee

      July 8, 2021

      Remembering Ammannur Parameswara Chakyar

      January 1, 2021
      Fr. Paul Poovathingal: Singing Priest With a Healing Voice

      Fr. Paul Poovathingal: Singing Priest With a Healing Voice

      May 25, 2021
      ML Vasanthakumari MLV: The Doyenne of Melody, Laya and Vidhvatta

      MLV: The Doyenne of Melody, Laya and Vidhvatta

      July 3, 2021
      Must Reads
      Mangad Natesan

      Remembering Carnatic Musician Mangad Natesan

      May 3, 2024
      P K G Nambiar

      PKG Nambiar(1930-2023): The Man who Redefined the Role of Vidooshaka

      May 10, 2023
      Kanak Rele

      Dr. Kanak Rele (1937-2023): A Revolutionary in Dance 

      February 22, 2023
      Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

      Adieu, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

      May 10, 2022
      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube RSS
      • Home
      • About
      Copyright © 2022. India Art Review

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.