Nepal Mandala is a space for performance. We are all agog to see ritual performances ranging from major to minuscule celebrations in cultural locations. We can also take the example of other places like Janakpur. However, my focus in this article is on the Nepal Mandala.

Both native and foreign scholars have studied this area and published books and articles on different aspects of this subject. At present, performances of different ritual events and modern theatrical activities are going on, especially in the Kathmandu Valley. The enthusiasm of these events is reflected in their performances and their reporting. Debates about the modus operandi of these performances are ongoing. This simultaneity of different performances highlights a need to study the subject of performance culture.

Recently, some youths have been inviting me to see theatre shows and participate in discussions with universities about opening a theatre study programme and framing curricula for the same. But there is another side to the performance discussions. The erstwhile theatre artists have also asked me to see films on different motifs they have created with their involvement. Whether their films are impacted by their past theatre karma is an interesting subject in its own right. In this article, I talk about the background of theatre performances and problems related to their continuation or the erosion of the values of those traditions in the present. I also want to write briefly about how I view Nepali theatre.

For its discussion, I would like to refer to a book I wrote over a decade ago, Nepali Theatre As I See It, published by Gurukul theatre. Gurukul was not only a space that organised important theatre activities but also covered pedagogy, inter-performative activities, music, paintings and architecture on a modest level. It was thus a leading theatre institution. Topics related to theatre were also discussed at the national, regional and international levels. The period when the theatre operated was, however, politically challenging. For instance, the Maoist guerrillas were fighting with the Nepali state. Similarly, thousands of youths who were involved in the insurgency and those who were caught in the crossfire had lost their lives.

With the performance of my play Agniko Katha (The Story of Fire) on February 6, 2003, Gurukul theatre began its journey. Set on a stormy night, the storm had ripped off the roof of the makeshift theatre, which was built by turning a warehouse into a theatre. Theatre artists in the play climbed up the roof, fighting the storm and returning to their roles after a lull. Metaphorically, the country was caught in a similar storm. The motif of the above play is drawn from the turbulent moment in Nepali history. Through this play, I responded to the questions of monks and nuns about the veracity of the love inclination of the practising monk and nun.

In yet another play about the ongoing war titled Mayadevika Sapana (Dreams of Mayadevi), I was invited to come down the theatre hill by Maoist youths, whom I followed with a sense of misgivings to hear them say they were grateful to me for presenting their subject well. In all cases, I wrote plays, whereas Sunil Pokharel directed and performed them. Puskar Gurung, artistic director of the Dabali theatre, performed my other plays based on the urban or metropolitan impact of the transitional times in Thamelko Yatra (Journey of Thamel).

Gurukul closed on January 14, 2012, with Agniko Katha as its last show. This performance marked a period of nine years during which it performed various noteworthy plays. Following its closure, some artists established new theatres and formed groups. Some turned to films as actors and directors.

My book Nepali Theatre as I See It was written during these transitional times. However, it covers the history of theatre from early to late times. This book features photographs from the collections of Sunil Pokharel and others that show rare moments and characters. For instance, there is a photograph of Sapana Pradhan Mall, a senior Supreme Court judge, playing a role in a drama in her earlier days.

I had the opportunity to interview some of the architects, actors and producers of the Nepali Parsi Theatre, including Kesar Man Tuladhar, Bekha Maharjan, Hari Prasad Rimal, Master Ratnadas Prakash and others. In this process, I learned about probably the first woman theatre artist, Nana Tiwari, sister of playwright Bhimnidhi Tiwari; she is said to have been a pioneer in women’s acting in many ways. Director Harihar Sharma mentioned the skills of this theatre artist to me. I have alluded to other theatre personas of past and present times.

It is the right time to remember and review the Nepali theatre. I would like to stress the importance of promoting the interart aspect of the Nepali theatre. This means that the performance culture in the Nepal Mandala cannot be understood by excluding architecture, sculpture and paintings. Performance culture in this space was a product of the aesthetic and pragmatic need. Such performance spaces and the minuscule theatres like the raised dabu in the courtyards directly evoke the architectural skills of the artists.

A cultural, social and power apparatus seemed to work in consonance to generate a performance culture in the Nepal Mandala. Performance was society’s need, which had an aesthetic and pragmatic nature. Such understanding was a part of life. That is why the metropolises here are agog with festivities and celebrations.

But we are also addressing the modern theatre here. It did grow with a break in the tradition. In my view, it occurred through an architectural invasion. Buildings of the Asian Baroque style or those made by emulating Western architecture, like the Singha Durbar, did break with the native architectural and aesthetic traditions. They used the Parsi theatre. The erstwhile famous Parsi theatre of Singha Durbar and other minuscule theatres are examples.

The enthusiasm I mentioned at the beginning of this essay represents the spirit of theatre in our times. It is important because it comes from a generation of seekers. Such quests should focus on authenticity and education, as they come from vigilance to express, experience and experiment.