WePushTheSky by Qabila (India)

Dates and Times:

11 January 2025, Saturday, 8pm

12 January 2025, Sunday, 3pm

...part history lesson, part culinary exploration, and part feminist fable”

—Karthik Ranganathan, Citizen Matters

WePushTheSky is an interactive solo performance that weaves together food, song, story, myth, and history. Where personal stories meet community histories, survival stories of the Karbala entwine with songs of the Ramayana, and anecdotes from the past confront desires about the future. A play that reflects on an urgent social reality of our present times—friendships that have been lost, gained, or have endured amidst increasing shrill political rhetoric across the world.

Written and performed by Nisha Abdulla and directed by Ujwala Rao, WePushTheSky centres friendship and feminist solidarities as an antidote to the politics of hate. The play invites the audience to listen deeply to another's reality and elevates listening to the act of an assertive ally. WePushTheSky has toured widely to warm receptions in India, performed at the Feminist Theatre Festival in Jenin, Occupied Palestine, and has been invited to perform at the 15th Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) International Forum in Bangkok, Thailand.

...a triumph of storytelling and is exceptionally brave..

—Venkat Srinivasan, Sabrang India

Accessibility features: Open captions in English for all shows.

There will be a dialogue with the artists after each performance, with speech to text interpretation available upon request for the dialogue on 16 January 2025. Please email your request to [email protected] by 6 December 2024.

General

Once tickets are sold, there are strictly no cancellation, exchange or refund.

For concession tickets, random verification checks may be carried out at the theatre.

Esplanade&Me Specials (limited tickets)

Card members enjoy a 10% discount off standard price tickets. Log in to your Esplanade&Me member account to access the promo code.

Photography

Photography and videography are strictly not allowed during the performance.

Accessibility

We welcome patrons who need accessible seating arrangements—including wheelchair users, those who require access to open captions, and those with assistance dogs.

Due to varying production designs and seating configurations, please contact us at [email protected] before booking your ticket so we can share more information about seating and routes with you. You can also find more information about accessibility at the Fringe website.

For queries or more information, please contact us at [email protected].

QABILA

Qabila is a Bangalore based theatre collective. Our work centers new writing and the dissenting imagination, our plays are politically provocative and staunchly feminist. Currently on tour are two productions: wepushthesky (a play exploring faith and friendship in the midst of divisive political rhetoric, performed at Feminist Theatre Festival in Jenin, Palestine) and how long is february? a fantasy in three parts (Grantee of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023, an experimental digital play that explores stage+screen dramaturgy).

PLAYWRIGHT & PERFORMER – NISHA ABDULLA

Nisha Abdulla is a Bangalore based theatre-maker and educator. Her anti-oppressive arts practice places care, curiosity, and community at the core of the creation process. Her work often explores the interplay of identity-belonging-power-gaze in the contemporary socio-political context. She is Artistic Director of Qabila and founder member of OffStream. She has been the recipient of Voices from the South Grant (Edinburgh Festival Fringe),100Artist Grant (SudKulture), and Artist in Resident at Schauburg Theatre for Youth Munich, supported by Vila Waldberta.

DESIGN & DIRECTION – UJWALA RAO

Ujwala Rao is a theatre-maker from Bangalore, India, with over 12 years of theatre experience as actor, dramaturg, and director. She has worked with prominent theatre groups in Bangalore, including Qabila, Rangashankara, Bangalore Theatre Collective, Osage and Sanchari Theatre. In 2019, Ujwala received the Chevening Scholarship which allowed her to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Theatre-Making at the University of York, where she honed her skills in working with play texts and devised performances.

PRODUCTION MANAGER – SHRADHA RAJ

Shradha Raj is a Bangalore based actor, theatremaker, director, and writer. Her work centres Caste and Gender, and she works across Kannada and English. She is the recipient of the Blue Club Fellowship and OffStream Futures Grant. Her work has been part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Thespo.

LIGHTING DESIGNER – ARUN DT

Arun DT is a Bangalore-based multifaceted artist with a passion for acting, lighting design, and production. With more than 8 years of experience in the theatre, Arun has successfully managed and performed in numerous productions, showcasing his versatile skills and dedication to the craft.