Ancient stories continue to find new life on stage, and a theatre production in Perth is offering audiences a fresh way of looking at one of India’s most widely known epics. Sita and Urmila – Unheard Conversations brings forward the voices of two women often left on the margins of the Ramayana, exploring their inner lives and the questions that linger behind the grand narrative of duty and sacrifice.
The mythic socio political drama will run from 20 to 22 March at the Nexus Theatre in Murdoch. Created by The Great Indian Theatre Company, the production blends theatre, music and dance while drawing inspiration from regional and folk retellings of the Ramayana as well as contemporary interpretations.
The story centres on Sita and Urmila, sisters and daughters of King Janak of Mithila. Their lives take different paths when Sita accompanies her husband Ram into exile, while Urmila remains behind in the palace. The play imagines a dreamlike space where the two sisters are able to speak across distance and time, raising questions that traditional versions of the epic rarely explore.
Through these imagined conversations, the production reflects on themes of duty, sacrifice and the expectations placed upon women. The narrative asks what Sita and Urmila might have shared if their voices had been given more space within the mythology itself. Rather than focusing on heroic battles or royal destinies, the work turns attention to the emotional and personal dimensions of the story.
Director and playwright Sreekanth Gopalakrishnan said the Ramayana has long been told through the actions of its male protagonists, particularly Ram and Lakshman. His approach looks at the same narrative through the experiences of their wives.
“The Ramayana is one of the most widely read, heard and performed texts in the world,” he said. “This production reimagines the epic through the eyes of Sita and her younger sister Urmila. It asks whether the story, at its heart, may also be one of sisterhood and sacrifice.”
Gopalakrishnan acknowledges that this perspective may challenge audiences who are more familiar with traditional interpretations of the epic. By placing the focus on the women within the story, the production raises broader questions about the cultural norms and expectations that shaped their roles.
Founded in 2022, The Great Indian Theatre Company has been working to bring multicultural stories to Australian audiences while highlighting artists from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For many performers in the Indian community in Western Australia, the company has created opportunities to present their work beyond community settings and into wider theatre spaces.
The production features a cast of eight actors drawn from Perth’s Indian community. The ensemble includes Amal Sajeev, Aryan Menon, Akshay Sheela Nair, Ashish Malik, Deepti Shukla, Karthika Nair, Prakriti Rayamajhi and Wilfred Doray.
For Gopalakrishnan, theatre has been a long standing creative outlet alongside his professional career in information technology. Raised in Kerala, a region known for its strong performing arts traditions, he first became involved in theatre during his school and college years. His early work included intercollegiate performances and collaborations with youth groups staging political street plays.
After moving to Perth with his family in 2014, he gradually returned to theatre, writing and directing several community productions and short films. His earlier work has explored historical and social themes.
One of his previous productions, The Final Line, examined the partition of India in 1947 through the five week period in which British lawyer Cyril Radcliffe was tasked with drawing the border between India and Pakistan. The play received critical recognition and won the Yvonne Hough Neilson Award at the 48th Robert Finley Awards.
Another production, Crimson Gully, presented a drama set in red light districts that questioned social hypocrisy. That work also drew nominations at the ITA Finlay Awards.
With Sita and Urmila – Unheard Conversations, Gopalakrishnan and his team return to mythology while approaching it through a contemporary lens. The production aims to remind audiences that ancient stories often carry enduring questions about identity, fairness and social expectations.
Performances are scheduled for 7 pm on 20 March, with two shows on 21 March at 3 pm and 7 pm, and a final performance at 3 pm on 22 March. Each performance runs for one hour and fifty minutes. Tickets are priced at 35 dollars and are available through the online booking platform TryBooking.
By reimagining the Ramayana through two voices often left unheard, the production invites audiences to reflect on how familiar stories can reveal new meanings when viewed from a different perspective.
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