Indian Ink’s Unforgettable Tale Of Life, Death And Ice Cream Heads To Nelson And Dunedin

Indian Ink Theatre Company is thrilled to finally bring their acclaimed production, Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream to Nelson (29 – 31 August) and Dunedin (5 September), after previous dates were cancelled due to Covid. True to the beloved Indian Ink style, this solo show is rife with mischief, intelligence, exquisite puppetry, inspired sound design and comic originality.

Paradise showcases the incredible talents of one of New Zealand’s most treasured actors – Jacob Rajan (MNZM) as he delivers a dazzling solo performance channelling seven characters, while weaving the afterlife with a dash of Bollywood disco into the real-life mystery of India’s vanishing vultures. Though a solo show, Rajan is accompanied on stage by a breathtakingly crafted life-size vulture, created and puppeteered by Jon Coddington.

Our lives are but melting ice cream and the transition between this world and the next is never easy. For Kutisar, it’s made profoundly more difficult when his passage to paradise depends on the guidance of a vulture, but they’ve disappeared from India’s skies. A rebellious young woman from Mumbai’s enigmatic Parsi community – a people whose faith is entwined with the vulture – holds the key that may yet deliver him.

Inspired by Ernest Becker’s Pulitzer prize-winning Denial of Death, and the vibrant, life–filled chaos of India’s most cosmopolitan city, Rajan alongside co-writer and director Justin Lewis had the idea for this script after a trip to Mumbai in 2019. The pair were captivated by the city, its people and its secrets – in particular the mystery of India’s vanishing vultures, one of the fastest mass extinctions of all time.

Indian Ink are undoubtedly one of Aotearoa’s most celebrated theatre companies, and Paradise is a true testament to their far-reaching success. Following a critically acclaimed tour in 2021, this production has also captivated audiences across Hawai’i, Australia, Canada and Singapore. The company will also head to Whangārei with their beloved production Guru of Chai in July.

This true-life mystery will blow your mind and melt your heart faster than an ice cream on a hot summer’s day.

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