From Shahidul Zahir to paratheatre: Spardha unveils daring lineup for August run
Independent theatre collective Spardha is launching its inaugural drama festival this year, offering a series of productions, workshops, and public discussions. The festival will run from August 8 to September 20, unfolding in three chapters designed to spotlight emerging talent and provoke meaningful dialogue through performance.
The festival will begin with "Purbo Ranga" (August 8–30), a chapter that features five intensive workshops conducted by young theatre-makers. These sessions will explore ensemble performance, physical storytelling, and social narratives—hallmarks of Spardha's evolving aesthetic.
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The second chapter, "Uttal Taranga" (September 5–13), will present four major productions. Two plays will be directed by noted theatre visionary Syed Jamil Ahmed, including a new adaptation of "Ami Birangana Bolchi", which will be staged four times.
Spardha's acclaimed productions "Bismaykar Sabkichu" and "Tobu-o Jege Uthi"—the latter directed by Mohsina Akter—will return to the stage for one and three performances, respectively. This phase also includes four additional workshops and a public panel.
The final chapter, "Antim Vati (The Final Cauldron)", scheduled from September 18–20, will take place in a remote rural setting outside Dhaka. Titled "Tracking Experiential Paratheatre", this immersive event will merge performance, movement, and environment in a durational journey through lived experience.
Founded on September 12, 2018, by Mohammad Sohel Rana, Spardha rose to prominence under the mentorship of Syed Jamil Ahmed, adapting literary and political texts by writers like Shahidul Zahir. Their prior works—including "Bismaykar Sabkichu", "4.48 Psychosis", and "Tobu-o Jege Uthi"—have been praised for their innovative form and defiant tone, and all are set to reappear in refreshed formats at the festival.
Speaking to bdnews24.com, Sohel Rana said, "Spardha's festival is not just a celebration of theatre—it's a platform for young voices, political questions, and radical aesthetics." He added that the schedule, venue details, and registration processes will be announced in the coming weeks.
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