New work for outdoors by Vidya Thirunarayan, directed by David Glass 

Available for booking from summer 2025/26

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                                                Premieres in the UK on 12 July, Southampton, 26th & 27th July , London

 

​​This new adventure, working with the creative all-rounder and director David Glass, melds theatre, dance and clay with music. Holy Dirt is a vibrant, funny and beautifully episodic outdoor performance, playfully exploring the mythic feminine figure as she struggles ridiculously through our climate catastrophe.  

 

An international co-production, Holy Dirt is set to explode onto the scene in the UK, India and South Korea in 2025/26. 

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Holy Dirt explores how the process of activism by female climate warriors past and present, links to our place on earth today. We want to convey this serious theme with a generous dose of daring, provocation, spectacle, entertainment, joy and inspiration.

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The production will be nimble, affordable for touring at small-mid scale, with plenty of participatory activities for communities of dancers, potters and we particularly want to connect with environmentalists in the locations we visit.

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​Vidya says: "Holy Dirt will ultimately tell stories from the hills of India rooted in eco-feminism; stories of women and their deep connection with their land or Boomi devi/Goddess Earth, from the Himalayas to the Mudumalai forests of Southern India. The ambition is to make a piece that surprises in its physicality and to develop an authentic, intercultural voice.”

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Holy Dirt will be performed by Vidya and a guest artist to a family audience.

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Holy Dirt has recently completed an inspirational  R&D  in the UK and India in 2024.It included working with invited collaborators to develop and test ideas, drawing on varied movement, music and dramatic styles. The UK team comprised:  

 

Liz Aggiss : maker of distinctive dance works for over 40 years 

James Foster : multi-instrumentalist, composer and performer 

Teele Uustani : maker/manipulator of objects and puppets including with The Paper Cinema 

Mira Balchandran Gokul : expert Bharata Natyam performer and Kathakali enthusiast

Kumiko Mendl : actor/director and founding member of New Earth Theatre 

Nina Harries : double bassist and vocalist 

Qian Yan, Tan : creative stage manager 

Lisa Wolfe : producer 

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The Indian and Korean team comprised:

Maya Rao - Kathakali performer and theatre -maker/performer

Kalairani - maker-performer of distinct solo tamil theatre works

Palani Murugan- Therukootu performer

Tikan Singh - music composer and performer of tribal instruments from Manipur

Vishwa Bharat- Composer and musician specialising in tamil folk instruments

Hyeran Hwang - Physical theatre performer specialising in  Korean storytelling  tradition Pansori

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For more information please contact Lisa: wolfework2@gmail.com  

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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, India( InKo) and 101 Outdoor Arts.

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