Kathmandu, March 20
The third edition of the Nepal International Theatre Festival (NITFest) kicks off on Wednesday at Mandala Theatre, Kathmandu.
Like previous editions, this year’s festival offers a diverse program, including theatrical performances across various genres, poetry sessions, live music, and panel discussions.
This edition features 11 international plays from countries such as India, China, Japan, Tunisia, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
To learn more about the international plays being staged at NITFest, read this article.
Kandata and Sakutala
Kandata and Sakuntala, directed by Erina Saji is a collaborative work of Japan and Nepal. In this 43 minute long play Two timeless tales intertwine, bringing together the Buddhist parable of Kandata’s torment in hell and the revered Mahabharata story of Shakuntala.
The play is scheduled on March 20 at 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm
Mochou Mochou
Mochou Mochou is a chinese play, directed by Li Jun. The play revolves around the Ming Dynasty, where nobleman Xu Cheng falls for palace maid Mo Chou, drawn to her beauty and intellect. Learning of her tragic past, he defies an arranged marriage to Cai Yun. Their failed elopement leads to Mo Chou’s public humiliation.
The play is scheduled on March 20 at 2:00 pm and 5:45 pm
Aboriginal Cry
Aboriginal Cry is an Indian play. Directed by Victor Thoudam, this 60-minutes-long play depicts the deep bond between the aborigines and their ancestral land, disrupted by corporate and state-backed forces. As they resist displacement, their struggle is met with oppression. Ultimately forced onto barren land, their anguished cry becomes a symbol of pain and resilience. The play highlights the hardships of communities affected by six mega dams in Manipur, India.
The play is scheduled on March 21 at 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm.
ASCH
ASCH is a play from Tunisia directed by Amenallah El Ghezal. This play takes you to the Matetssamachtawch, a land of absurd events. In this play the editor Madame Cesscu Ciao tasks her team with uncovering the injustices that the people of Matetssamachtawch are facing. Through shifting roles, six actors blend drama and dance, offering a psychosocial lens on unfolding events. The play is produced by Association Carmen pour la culture et les arts.
ASCH is scheduled on March 21 at 2:00 pm and 5:45 pm.
Antigone
Directed by Ahmad Naddafi and Elaheh Kianfard, Antigone is a play from Iran. Anitigone is a solo psychological drama that delves into the internal struggles of a character who confronts a repressed dimension of his own personality.
Antigone is scheduled for March 22 at 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm.
Arrived
Arrived is a collaborative work of Lithuania and Spain. This 45-minute-long play is a street theatre play inspired by immigrants who, after arriving in a new place, begin to create a fresh and surprising sense of “home.” These characters, arriving from a not-so-distant past, view the present world through unique, often humorous eyes.
Arrived is scheduled on March 22 at 1:pm and 5:15 pm.
The Charming Jinju Opera
The Charming Jinju Opera is a Chinese play. This gala performance showcases nine iconic episodes from Shanxi Jinju Opera, blending myth, drama, and acrobatics. Highlights include Zhong Kui Marrying His Sister, The Fourth Son Visits His Mother, Praying for Justice from Sea God Temple, and Lin Chong’s Night Run. Renowned for its stirring vocals and dynamic stagecraft, Jinju Opera captivates with its rich cultural heritage.
The Charming Jinju Opera is scheduled on March 22 at 2:00 pm and 5:45 pm.
Master Shoko & Margarita
Directed by Shoko Ito, this Japanese play takes us to Schönefeld Airport, where Shoko meets Yura, a Russian man facing personal struggles after a failed reunion with his girlfriend. As they bond over Master and Margarita, their friendship unfolds through a series of stories blending reality and fantasy, music and dance. The performance explores love, freedom, and the human experience, transcending cultural and personal differences.
The play is scheduled on March 23 at 12:00 pm.
Tamasha
Tamash, an Indian play directed by Neelam Mansingh Chaudhry, presents interconnected stories by Sadat Hassan Manto, each examining the human condition in the face of conflict and survival.
The play is scheduled on March 23 at 2:00 pm and 5:45 pm.
Performance on Breaking Menstrual Stigma
This forum theatre production, the result of a three-day Theatre of the Oppressed workshop, explores menstrual health myths, taboos, and realities in Nepal. Using movement and storytelling, young women challenge stigma in an interactive space, inviting audiences to engage and drive change.
This act, which is the collaborative work of Germany and Nepal, will be co-facilitated by Theresa Hübsche, Malin Freytag, and Saraswoti Chaudhary.
The play is scheduled on March 24 at 1:00 pm.
New Normal
New Normal is collaborative work of Nepal, Scotland and the United Kingdom. The play follows friends Aaravi, Minal, and Smriti as they navigate the past, present, and future after the unexpected arrival of people from the old world—Earth.
Directed by Gunjan Dixit and Morna McGeoch Fergus Arnott, New Normal is an original play which has resulted from an exciting international collaboration between disabled artists in Nepal and Scotland.
The play is scheduled on March 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm.
