Plays about racism, migration staged at international theatre fest

The 14th edition of the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFOK) is underway in Thrissur, with 23 plays and 47 shows spread across nine venues. Among them, eight are plays from foreign countries, including Brazil, Italy, Tunisia, Palestine and Chile.

The theme of the eight-day fest this year is ensemble peace and confidence under which contemporary plays that deal with contemporary issues like racism and migration are being staged at the fest. Festival coordinator Jaleel Kunnath says, “It is a curated festival, with very few plays selected through applications. We have selected five Malayalam plays this year and coincidentally, they are all by young directors. The outlook of the youngsters has changed the plays and we have some excellent works as a result.”

"Each year, participation is increasing. We have made ourselves more audience friendly and have arranged repeat shows of select plays so that more people can catch it. Technical support wise, it's a big challenge to meet the needs of all the theatre groups, especially the visiting groups, who have specific requirements and rely heavily on technology. But we are trying to meet their needs exactly," adds Jaleel. The festival will conclude on February 16.
International PlaysApatridas (Stateless) -Portuguese, Le Fou -Tuisia, Montrash - Bangladesh, Alle Armi - Italy, Stuporosa - Italy, How to Make a Revolution - Palestine, Fuego Rojo - Chile, Johnny Got His Gun - Finland
National PlayMaati Katha, Rumiyana , Urmila , Parijata ,Do You Know This Son? , Saudagar, How Long is February: A Fantansy in Three Parts , Bechara BB ,Ghanta Ghanta , Pappisorai, Theatre, Corner, Ubu Roi, Award ,Njanum Potte Bappa Olmaaram Kanuvan