Mehak Mirza Prabhu sits in front of a brown brick backdrop in Adelaide, her voice a gentle yet powerful blend of warmth and intensity.
A Mumbai-based storyteller, novelist, and life coach, Mehak is in Adelaide to participate in the Adelaide Fringe Festival. The festival marks her international debut, a milestone laden with firsts. “This is my first time performing in English, my first international show, my first international travel, my first time in Australia.”
We are connected on Zoom, and true to her calling, Mehak draws us into the conversation with every word.
She is presenting Julie: Her Life in Your Hands, her latest project. “It is not just a performance; it’s an experiment in human connection,” she reveals, like a theatrical Rorschach test where the audience holds the pen.
“The entire idea started with writing Julie’s story,” Mehak explains. “It’s a woman’s life, and like all of us, she begins with a blank page. But here’s the twist: the audience decides how her story unfolds.”
Julie is an interactive performance in which, at five pivotal moments, the audience is given two choices for Julie’s path. Should she take the job offer in another city? Should she confront her estranged father? The decisions are made in real time, with lasers and live voting, turning the theatre into a living, breathing organism.
Her first two shows on 18 and 19 March (the run ends on 23 March) were warmly received. Audiences have embraced the unpredictability of Julie, finding joy in the chaos and introspection in the dilemmas.
Julie is Mehak’s most ambitious project yet. It’s not just a play; it’s a social experiment, a reflection of how we navigate life’s crossroads. “The audience doesn’t just watch Julie’s life—they live it,” Mehak says.
“At first, the choices are simple, almost trivial. But slowly, they become moral dilemmas. That’s when the audience gets truly invested. They’re not just spectators; they’re co-creators.”
The performance blurs the line between actor and audience in ways that are both thrilling and disorienting. At times, audience members are invited on stage to become characters in Julie’s life, improvising scenes with Mehak.
“It’s chaotic, unpredictable, and beautiful,” she says. “Every show is different because every audience brings their own energy, their own biases, their own humanity.”
Mehak’s journey to this point is as unconventional as her art. A decade ago, she was a businesswoman with no theatrical aspirations, crippled by stage fright. “The first time I stepped on stage, I was 35,” she recalls with a laugh.
“Before that, I froze at the mere thought of speaking in public.” But life, as it often does, had other plans. When her business faltered and her health took a toll, she found solace in writing.
Her first story—a five-minute monologue about a sex worker reclaiming her life—was her breakthrough. “That’s when I realised the stage wasn’t a place to fear; it was a place to become someone else, to tell stories that mattered.”
Her craft is not just about narrating tales—it’s about weaving emotions, memories, and the collective imagination of her audience into something alive, something that breathes.
Mehak recalls one particularly moving moment in her ten-year-long career: an elderly man, recovering from surgery, sent her a video message after watching her show Mrs Dubey. “He said my story made him laugh during a difficult time,” she says. “That’s the power of storytelling—it connects us, heals us, reminds us we’re not alone.”
As for what’s next, Mehak says, “Right now, it’s all about Julie,” adding, “Every show teaches me something new, and I want to keep refining it.”
For the moment, she is basking in the love Adelaide has given her so far. “Australia has been beautiful! I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of places, though I’ve mostly been focused on the show. The people here are so warm, welcoming, and kind. During the show, it feels like they take it upon themselves to make sure it goes well. It’s like they’re saying, ‘We’re in this together, and we won’t let this show go wrong.’ There’s so much love and support, and it’s been an incredible experience.”
For more details into the Adelaide Fringe Festival, click here
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