Beneath The Music.
2023 Created by Jay Emmanuel and produced by Performing Lines WA.
Beneath the Music is an exploration of the journey from resistance to acceptance of queerness, especially by those we hold dear.
Created by Jay Emmanuel and written by Karthika Naïr, this poetic new physical theatre work is, above all, a celebration of gender fluidity and queerness across generations, traditions, and cultures.
Beneath the Music is a story of a mother and son’s journey of acceptance. A story driven by love, it is ultimately a search for identity and understanding that will strike a chord with anyone who has ever felt they are living in two worlds.
Beneath the Music is an exploration of the journey from resistance to acceptance of queerness, especially by those we hold dear. Created by Jay Emmanuel and written by Karthika Naïr, this poetic new physical theatre work is, above all, a celebration of gender fluidity and queerness across generations, traditions, and cultures.
Keshav and his husband are settling into their first home together in Australia. When Keshav is asked by his mother to return to India to help the family, he must confront her disapproval of who he is and the life he has chosen. A surprise encounter with an ancient festival and a traditional Indian story help mother and son on the road to love’s acknowledgment and acceptance.
Partly drawn from French-Indian poet Karthika Naïr’s award-winning book Until the Lions, Beneath the Music looks at this Indian classic through queer eyes to uncover and celebrate different cultural and generational ideas of gender, sexuality, and intimacy. A team of internationally renowned performers and a stellar creative team bring this physical yet poetic work to life through poignant and energetic theatrical vignettes that combine dance and theatre. Download the Show Program.
A very different and moving piece of theatre, Beneath the Music, easily holds its audience for its 75-minute duration. A thoughtful, engrossing, and engaging production.”
— Stage Whispers
Photo Credits: Dan Grant & Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson
Credits
Concept and Direction
Jay Emmanuel
Writer
Karthika Naïr
Performers
Kalieaswari Srinivasan
Manjula Radha Krishnan
Ramith Ramesh
Tyrone Earl Lraé Robinson
Choreographer
James O’Hara
Set and Lighting Design
Willy Cessa
Sound Design and Composition
Tao Issaro
Lighting Realiser
Peter Young
Costume Design
Nicole Marrington
Costume Consultant
Kalieaswari Srinivasan
Video Artist
Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson
Video Artist Collaborator
Asha Kiani
Terrakoothu Master
Kalaimamani P. K. Sambandan Thambiran
Production Manager
Ben Nelson
Stage Manager
Liam Murray
Intimacy Coach
Gabrielle Metcalf
Produced by
Performing Lines WA
Presented by
Encounter