Positioned at the intersection of intellect and emotion, the fourth edition of XPRESSION, a theatre festival presented by Shudrka Hyderabad, returns as a vibrant celebration of performance and dialogue. Spanning three days, the multilingual showcase brings together a community of theatre practitioners, directors, actors, critics, designers and scholars from across the country.
Centred around the theme Breaking the Frame: Proscenium and Beyond, this year’s edition invites audiences to look at theatre beyond the stage. “Every edition becomes a meeting ground for artistes searching for new possibilities in performance,” says Swapan Mondal, founder and director of Shudrka Hyderabad. Since its inception in 2004, the organisation has been committed to nurturing meaningful multilingual theatre while engaging with contemporary social and artistic concerns.
This year’s lineup brings together productions from Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kochi and West Bengal. Diverse in form yet united by a spirit of experimentation, the programme offers a compelling snapshot of Indian theatre and its continued evolution.
Among the festival’s five productions, Shudrka Hyderabad’s Kontho, Awaaz, Arupu: Unsilenced examines the uneasy relationship between power, truth and dissent. Moving between the lives of a teacher, a scientist and a community denied the right to speak its own language, the multilingual production explores what happens when authority seeks to control not just actions, but thought itself.
By avoiding a specific place or period, the production leaves room for audiences to find echoes of their own realities within its narrative. The play also departs from the conventional proscenium stage, transforming the audience seating area into the performance space and drawing viewers into its examination of surveillance, control, and resistance.
Delving into the importance of a shared space for discovery and learning, Bhanu Sriram, who stars in Kontho, Awaaz, Arupu: Unsilenced, acknowledges the value of independent theatre festivals. “As an actor, I value festivals because they expose us to diverse performance styles and remind us that theatre is a living, collective art form. The festival is particularly significant because it makes theatre accessible and affordable,” he says.
Continuing the festival’s engagement with questions of power and resistance, The Bloody Red Oleander reimagines Rabindranath Tagore’s Raktakarabi (red oleanders) for a contemporary audience. Weaving together Tagore’s enduring themes with present-day realities, the production becomes a sharp reflection on political indifference, systemic violence and social complicity.
The showcase’s diverse programme also features Confession Soup, where the simple rituals of cooking, music and conversation become gateways to hidden truths. Moving into the existential terrain, Almost Flawless follows an actor and a writer, haunted by their pasts and suspended in an endless wait for hope.
Offering yet another perspective, Agleyum Cliyopatrayum draws inspiration from the Lithuanian folk myth of Egle and Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra to explore the many manifestations of love. Through its distinctive visual design and ritualistic performance elements, the production creates an immersive experience by building a layered atmosphere to connect with the audience.
As Hyderabad prepares to experience XPRESSION once again, the festival serves as a reminder of the vital role such platforms play in fostering artistic experimentation and cultural dialogue. For Dhrupad Ghosh, who stars in The Bloody Red Oleander, part of the appeal lies in his audience. “My experience of performing here has always been positive, and I have found Hyderabad audiences to be receptive, curious, and open to different theatrical traditions,” he says.
The actor also emphasises the festival’s commitment to multilingualism and the rare space it creates for artists to push the boundaries of creative expression – celebrating diversity not as a token gesture but as a core philosophy.
Tickets start at ₹300. June 5 to 7. 6 pm onwards. At Rangbhoomi Spaces & Events, Serilingampalle.
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