An Impressive 2022 Programme To Mark A Quarter-century Of Indian Ink

Indian Ink Theatre Company Presents
Five National Seasons, One International Tour, One Brand New Play, and Plenty of Outreach. All in a Year’s Work for Indian Ink Theatre Company.

What started as a collaboration in a chilly Wellington studio has evolved into one of Aotearoa’s most cherished theatre companies and one of our most successful theatrical exports. Indian Ink has clocked up a massive audience of nearly half a million in its 25 year history and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.

To mark this prestigious milestone Krishnan’s Dairy will tour to Kāpiti, Christchurch, Hamilton, Wellington and Auckland from 9 June – 21 September. Aucklanders are in for an extra treat as their run is complemented by a season of Mrs Krishnan’s Party. This nostalgia trip from the shopfront of Krishnan’s Dairy where the company first started, to the more recent storeroom party, offers a rare chance to experience the whole story of our favourite corner dairy. 

As if a national tour wasn’t ambitious enough in these strange times, the company have just completed a tour to Hawaii and Arizona from 26 March – 7 April with their 2020 hit Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream. Giving some hope to kiwis that the performing arts will return en force, this tour is just one of many planned to America in the coming years. Indian Ink are masters of the art of touring and have completed a whopping sixty-five international tours in its 25-year life. 

Not content with just sticking to the road well-travelled, Indian Ink are also expanding their outreach activities to take them off the stage and into the museum. Indian Ink Co-founder Jacob Rajan (MNZM) has been invited to join Kshetra, a collective of prestigious artists (Tiffany Singh, Mandy Rupa-Reid, Mandrika Rupa, Sarah Dutt, Rafik Patel and Shruti Yatri) putting together a dynamic exhibition called A Place to Stand: Contemporary Indian Art in Aotearoa. The exhibition runs 15 May – 24 July at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. Te Papa is also partnering with Indian Ink for Wellington performances from 17 - 21 September, during which Jacob Rajan will lead a series of public/school workshops on the Marae.

The limitless energy of Indian Ink has led to the creation of ten original New Zealand Indian plays. 2022 sees the launch of their eleventh – Dirty Work, which will have a development season at Auckland’s TAPAC Theatre in September. Rajan will also briefly take off his Indian Ink hat to cross the ditch in October to star in Sydney’s Belvoir Street Theatre production of The Jungle and The Sea. 

Across the rich history of Indian Ink, an extraordinary series of plays have been created that have won a slew of awards and delighted audiences throughout New Zealand and around the world. The company’s international successes include tours throughout Australia and the USA, as well as sell out seasons in Singapore, Germany, India and the UK.

Under the dynamic leadership of co-founders Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis, Indian Ink has won three Production of the Year awards, two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards, won Best Play, Best Composer and Best Actor at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards and broken box office records.

When Jacob and Justin first conceived of the company, the South Asian voice was rarely heard in Aotearoa, fast forward 25 years and these voices are not only heard but embraced by local and international audiences. This success has also inspired young creators and community groups to celebrate this rich culture and its storytelling, and beauty.

After 25 years, the INK is still flowing.
 

www.indianink.co.nz

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