On the occasion of the International Theatre Day, the Theatre Mall, Sundhara, organised a programme to discuss the current footing of Nepali theatre. The event saw the presence of playwright and scholar Abhi Subedi, who is one of the founding members of Nepal’s Chapter of International Theatre Institute; Meghraj Adhikari; and director Kedar Shrestha, among others. The event also saw the staging of a solo play.

The International Theatre Day, which is organised jointly by ITI and United Nations, had its main celebration in Paris, France, this year.

During the event, Subedi recited the speech given by Huppert on the occasion of World Theatre Day. Huppert has said: “Theatre has such a thriving life that it defies space and time. Its most contemporary pieces are nourished by the achievements of past centuries, and even the most classical repertories become modern and vital each time they are played anew. Theatre is always reborn from its ashes, shedding only its previous conventions in its new-fangled forms: That is how it stays alive.” The message was translated into Nepali by Meghraj Adhikari.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event, art director of Theatre Mall, Kedar Shrestha, said: “The older generation used to organise various theatrical activities under ITI, but lately, the involvement has declined.” He added, “ITI is a great platform for the theatre, so we should increase our involvement with it.”

The event also saw the staging of the play Yo Kunai Vaas ho Ek. Written by playwright Subedi and directed Ghanashyam Shrestha, the play, which was staged at Theatre Mall last May, features solo performance by Sushma Koirala.