LIVES OF CLAY
Three women and a potter's wheel
If clay could talk, what would it say? Stories of women from ancient myth and modern life are brought vividly to life through thrilling classical Indian dance, original music and.... half a ton of clay.
Vidya Thirunarayan combines her expertise in Bharata Natyam dance with her skill as a potter in a unique theatrical event, directed by Tim Supple.
Internationally renowned as a Bharata Natyam dancer, Vidya Thirunarayan is also a prominent ceramicist, and in 2015 began combining these skills in performance. Through dancing with clay and throwing pots on stage she found a new way to tell stories rich with drama and emotion.
Prajapati, Sanskrit for potter, represents both the supreme creator and the lowest of the low; a duality that has inspired this intriguing new work.
Lives of Clay is a vivid and vital theatre experience, full of heart and made of mud.
Creative team:
Conceived and Performed by Vidya Thirunarayan
Director: Tim Supple
Director of Choreography: Debbie Fionn Barr
Text: Vayu Naidu
Composer: Barry Ganberg
Sound Design: Alan Burgess
Designer: Julie Belinda Landau
Production Manager and Light Design: James Ball
Company Stage Manager: Anna Weatherston
Producer: Lisa Wolfe
National Tour dates
Brighton festival – 14 &15 May
https://brightonfestival.org/whats-on/a-weekend-without-walls-st-anns-well-gardens-4680/
Norwich & Norfolk festival - 21 & 22 May
https://nnfestival.org.uk/whats-on/garden-party-2/
Salisbury International Arts festival – 29 May
https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/whats-on/festival/lives-of-clay/
Timber festival,Burton upon Trent – 1 July
https://timberfestival.org.uk/
Hat Fair, Winchester – 3 July
https://www.hatfair.co.uk/info/festival
Southampton Mela - 16 July
https://artasia.org.uk/mela-festival/
Ensemble festival, London – 23 July
Kensington and Chelsea festival, London - 24 July
Stockton International Riverside festival, Stockton-on-Tees – 5 & 6 Aug
Bell Square, London -13 August
https://www.bellsquarelondon.com/
Funding, commissioning, and partner credits:
Lives of Clay (2022) is supported by Without Walls, commissioned by Brighton Festival, Certain Blacks and 101 Outdoor Arts, with additional support from Arts Asia and funding from Arts Council England. Produced in association with Supple productions at 101 Outdoor Arts Creation Space. With thanks to University of Chichester, Rudolf Steiner House and Farnham Maltings.
Special thanks to Chris Fogg, Geetha Sridhar, Lee Hart, Marie- Gabriella Rotie and Keith Waite for their creative contributions to the Research workshops leading to this production.
For more information on the production please contact
Lisa Wolfe at wolfework1@aol.com
My research investigation into the emerging genre,'Performance craft' continues to develop steadily since 2016.The process of bringing clay and Bharata Natyam together to create a dialogue continues to fascinate me. Academic presentations on this theme continue to be delivered to interactive audiences, thus enabling me to extend the boundaries of this on-going enquiry.I share some related images below.
Please do get in touch if you wish to know more about it.
19 April 2018, Academic Symposium, Centre of Performance Philosophy, University of Surrey
