Perth Festival – Mahabharata

East meets West meets Perth. Old meets new. Poetry meets performance. Mahabharata is an epic tale of rivalry and humanity you’ve waited 4,000 years to hear.

Experience this ancient Sanskrit poem about dynasties vying for control of a kingdom transformed into a once-in-a-generation theatrical experience. Meet the Pandavas and the Kauravas – two royal families fighting for control of the kingdom their grandfather once ruled. It’s a tale as old as Homer’s Odyssey or as recent as TV’s Succession. Led by an international South Asian cast, Mahabharata is classic story shared in Indian households around the world. It blends the traditional and the contemporary to take you on a journey featuring gods, the supernatural and the urge to seek bloody vengeance. It’s all brought to life by a hypnotic live soundtrack of classical Indian music and dance, woven together by the ultimate storyteller.

Mahabharata is a visually stunning spectacle performed in two parts. In Part I: Karma see the stories of humans struggling to build a just world in the face of competition, jealousy and rage told through playful narration, classical Indian dance and a live band. In Part II: Dharma captivating projections, dynamic digital soundscapes and poetic stage design tell the story of the devastating battle that nearly destroyed the world and asks are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors?

See Mahabharata as two separate shows or, for the ultimate experience, one complete event with an optional traditional Indian feast and storytelling session.