Thespo18 is here. Show Time at Prithvi Theatre

Having arrived in India with 530 rupees and a puppet, just a few weeks later I am a rich woman. Rich in ideas, friendships, kindness, laughter, not to mentioned the delicious food and teamed with incredible indian women and it is all these things that have been a part of creating 'Mujer'. Ladies and Gentlemen...we have a show and we are ready for an audience.

Squeezing the set and full company (we haven't had the full company for 2 days, as these talented women are in multiple shows across the city) into Quasar's (founding member of QTP/Thespo Theatre) house, it was a perfect and intimate final rehearsal. To my delight I even managed to get a full mug of tea without sugar, total bliss and my dentist will be pleased! This was also the perfect moment to share stories as a company and a really precise moment for me to notice the journey of each of the young women in the room over the period of just two weeks. A real pleasure, a moment that will stay with me and probably me favourite moment captured on camera.

At the famous Prtihvi Theatre a subsidiary of the Shri Prithviraj Kapoor Memorial Trust & Research Foundation the atmosphere is buzzing. There are writer, directors, performers and a fabulous team of Thespo volunteers beaming in their green Thespo18 Festival t-shirts.  We are in Prithvi House, the studio space. The capacity in a standard Indian 'as many as we can possibly squeeze in' and the house is full!

Having come together as a company just over 2 weeks ago, it was a joy to hear the audience laugh with recognition, see them moved by the women's personal stories, their hopes, their fears and the understanding towards the end when one audience member put it in the talkback "I realised from watching this performance, that whether you are a man or a woman, we don't always have the answers and we never may have all the answers but that's alright". Another audience member said that on seeing this show he felt that he understood more about what it is like to be a young women in Mumbai and saw his sisters around him differently as a result. 

Dolly Thakore (casting director for the film Gandhi amongst other notable work) was keen for the show to tour locally at events that she is involved with as part of her charity. Who knows what's next for 'Mujer'.... 

 I do know that I look forward to seeing what Lyra, Tanvi, Thanu, Gauri, Mati, Urmilia and Riya get up to next and over years to come.  I will be watching this space, always wishing them the very best that life can offer and very grateful that our paths came together in this beautiful collaboration of 'Mujer' #stormingthestage at Thespo18!