Aakash Odedra’s return to Australia has been set, with his acclaimed solo work Songs of the Bulbul scheduled for the Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne from 3 to 7 February 2026. The British choreographer and dancer, whose work has travelled widely and shaped conversations around classical and contemporary Indian dance, brings a production that has drawn praise across Europe and picked up the Best Show Award at the Edinburgh International Festival.
Songs of the Bulbul is rooted in the Sufi tale of a nightingale held in captivity, using the bird’s final song as a metaphor for fleeting beauty and the human search for meaning. The piece uses Kathak, Sufi storytelling and a score by composer Rushil Ranjan to build a dialogue between physical intensity and spiritual reflection. The work asks a question that runs through Sufi poetry: whether we stay bound to the material world or seek a release that offers another kind of freedom.
The story of the bird draws a clear path through the work. As its despair deepens, its song grows sweeter, turning its last notes into a moment of defiance and grace before the soul escapes its confinement. Odedra uses this progression to shape a performance that moves between delicacy and force, guided by the traditions he has trained in since childhood and the collaborations that frame his work. He developed the piece with choreographer Rani Khanam, bringing together poetry, music and rhythmic footwork into a single thread.
The Edinburgh season established the work’s reputation. Critics described it as “a mesmerising tour de force” and “a profound exploration of freedom and the human spirit,” recognising both its precision and its emotional weight. The Guardian called it “a song of beauty and light and life,” while The Scotsman described it as “a work of exquisite beauty and sadness… the kind of theatrical moment that stays with you forever.”
The Aakash Odedra Company, founded in Leicester in 2011, has long drawn from classical Indian forms such as Kathak and Bharatanatyam while giving them contemporary shape through a British Asian lens. The company has performed more than 600 full length works across 50 countries and continues to build partnerships with artists across music, dance and design.
Melbourne audiences last saw Odedra in the world premiere of Samsara as part of Asia TOPA 2020. The company returned in 2024 with Little Murmur, a production created for young people that reflected on Odedra’s experience of dyslexia. Songs of the Bulbul marks a return to solo performance, with a work designed to carry both ferocity and contemplation in equal measure.
Following the Melbourne season, the production will travel to Perth Festival from 13 to 15 February 2026. The tour is presented by Far & Away Productions, with support from Manchester Camerata, Jacobs Pillow, Arts Council England and the British Council.
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