Thirunarayan Productions presents
HOLY DIRT
New work for outdoors by Vidya Thirunarayan, directed and designed by David Glass
An international co-production, HOLY DIRT is set to explode onto the scene in the UK, India and South Korea in 2025/26.
Premieres in the UK on 13 July, Southampton 26th & 27th July ,Ensemble Festival , London
This new adventure, working with the creative all-rounder and director DAVID GLASS, melds theatre, dance and clay with music.
Holy Dirt: Myth, Mischief, and the Mess we’re in !
Holy Dirt is a vibrant, funny, and beautifully episodic performance that playfully explores the mythic feminine as she struggles ridiculously through our climate catastrophe- she stumbles, she dances, she transforms. Clay, stones, water, and sand erupt across the space in a visually startling performance set to a rich global soundscape—where the rawness of earth converges with myth and ritual.
At its heart are two entwined forces drawn from Therukoothu, the traditional outdoor theatre of South India: Parashakthi, the primal feminine principle, and Draupadi, a woman of this world navigating the wounds of patriarchy and environmental collapse.
Parashakthi is the force of becoming—beyond gender, playful and terrifying, nurturing and wildly creative. She is the invisible thread running through all things: interconnectedness, abundance, and relationality personified. She creates, destroys, and watches—both theatre-maker and amused witness—through the eyes of the audience.
Holy Dirt explores how the activism of female climate warriors, past and present, connects to our relationship with the Earth today. A show for all the family, it tackles this urgent theme with boldness, provocation, spectacle, joy, and inspiration.
The piece unfolds through vivid, recognisable movement motifs, making it accessible and engaging for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Creative team:
Artistic director and performer: Vidya Thirunarayan
Director and Designer: David Glass
Second performer : Sasha Krohn
Composer : Foz Foster
Production Manager and Stage Manager : Sam Rush
Set Fabrication : Martin West
Producers: Lisa Wolfe, UK; InKo Centre, India
For more information please contact Lisa: wolfework2@gmail.com
Available for booking for summer 2026
Some of the women eco-warriors celebrated by Holy Dirt who have championed Nature in distinct, diverse and powerful ways
Medha Patkar : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medha_Patkar
Vandana Shiva : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva
Ridhima Pandey : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridhima_Pandey
Marina Silva : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Silva
Poornima Devi Barman : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purnima_Devi_Barman
Wangari Maathai : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangar%C4%A9_Maathai
Sugathakumari : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugathakumari
Julia Butterfly Hill : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugathakumari
Autum Peltier : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_Peltier
Caroline Lucas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Lucas
Saalumarada Thimmakka : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saalumarada_Thimmakka
We thank the following for supporting the R&D phase in 2023/24 and their continued support for the production phase. Arts Council England, Certain Blacks, Art Asia, The Indo-Korean Cultural and Information Centre( InKo Centre), India and 101 Outdoor Arts.
