Shilpee Theatre has begun its European tour with an opening performance of ‘Lost and Found’ at Cargo Theatre in Freiburg, Germany, on July 12. The show started a 40-day journey through Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, with 12 performances, six workshops, and a goal to build cultural bridges through theatre.

Communication Manager Rupesh Sah, overseeing the tour, calls it “a 40-day cultural journey that turns theatre into a bridge connecting Nepal and Europe.”

Directed by Ghimire Yubaraj, ‘Lost and Found’ addresses themes of statelessness, gender inequality, migration, and spiritual search. Performed in Nepali, the play includes projected English and German subtitles, which are displayed on screen using a projector during the performance. The play blends mythological and contemporary narratives to explore citizenship laws disproportionately affecting Nepali women.

The group is also staging a second production, ‘River Sore’ (also known as ‘The Story of Three Rivers’). This nonverbal physical theatre piece explores environmental collapse through the metaphor of Himalayan rivers. The silent performance offers an emotional journey without words, resonating across linguistic boundaries.

Workshops conducted during the tour focus on ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’, a form of applied theatre aimed at empowering communities through dialogue and interactive performance. Led by Ghimire, these sessions offer tools to use theatre for social change, inclusion, and resistance.

Several international partners support the Europe tour, including the International Theatre Festival Sommerwerft, Protagon e.V. Frankfurt, and The Comedy School Copenhagen. The group will return to Nepal on August 17.

The team includes Yubaraj Ghimire (author and director), Pabitra Khadka (actress), Sumit Bhandari (actor), Govinda Oli (actor), Suhana Acharya (actress), Rabin Pariyar (light operator), Sushila Bishwakarma (music operator), and Anup Timilsina (sound and multimedia designer).