Kathakali Adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea Brings Modern Innovations to Traditional Dance Drama

The Old Man and the Sea in Kathakali

Kathakali’s origin and growth have been deeply influenced by older ritual and performance traditions such as Kutiyattam, Theyyam, Padayani, and Thirra. While modern art forms adopt elements from Kathakali, the classical art has remained conservative, traditionally avoiding innovations in performance space, stage design, and lighting. The Kathakali adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea proposes a significant shift by redefining the performance space through a dual-stage arrangement connected by a central passage amidst the audience, supported by multiple orchestral units and specialized lighting.

The production is written by Mohan Das Romanta and Aneesh Sankar, and directed by Kalamandalam Neeraj. Kerala Kalamandalam, located in Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur district, Kerala, India, is a renowned centre for classical Indian performing arts founded in 1930 by Vallathol Narayana Menon and Mukunda Raja.

Writers and Director

Mohan Das Romanta is a playwright, sculptor, teacher, and poet. Aneesh Sankar is an actor, writer, amateur architect, painter, poet, and director who works with the Little Earth School of Theatre, Kerala, and has trained in Kathakali, Chutti, Chakyarkoothu, and Ottanthullal.

Director Kalamandalam Neeraj began his formal Kathakali training at Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University in 2000 and currently serves as a Second Grade Instructor there. He has choreographed new dance dramas and interdisciplinary productions and is a Doordarshan B-High grade artist.

Director's Note

Traditionally, Kathakali presents stories of mythological royal heroes and heroines only, lacking scripts that deal with the life and struggles of a layman. The main objective of The Old Man and the Sea is to improve the grammar of Kathakali by balancing traditional aspects with modern theatre concepts to attract a fresh audience.