THE DEPARTED DAWN

At the 18th edition of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards, The Departed Dawn is a play that sheds light on the global refugee crisis and draws inspiration from the experiences of Lhotshampas, Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees. The performance begins with a search for a place to call home and gradually explores the challenges faced by refugees as they strive to create a friendly and welcoming environment in the face of adversity. The characters are soon confronted with the harsh reality of evil forces that threaten their safety and security. As a result, they are forced to leave their homes in the dark, with no hope of ever witnessing a sunrise from their own homes again. This poignant performance highlights the struggles and resilience of refugees around the world, and leaves a lasting impact on the audience.

The intense emotions shown by the characters are representative of the plight of the refugees and their sufferings during a crisis. The performance makes an effort to investigate the relationship between the dislocated body and the environment. It aims to investigate the physical languages of the body in challenging circumstances. The dislocated body turns into a symbol of oppression when your house transforms into a broken, disconnected image that you are unable to put back together. The performance aims to trace the lines and curves of a body when it is dislocated without a border or a final goal. 

An effort is made to build a body that takes into account internal subtleties, which are sparked by external influences and vice versa. The verbal text and the physical text are two separate texts that will be explored in the performance along with how they might be juxtaposed to make a third text. The Departed Dawn  is a creative response to a period when violence has permeated every aspect of our lives and has even come to be accepted as usual. Don't miss out on this performance!