Andrea Jimenez, Noemi Rodriguez and Roisin O’Mahony might be as different as chalk and cheese but one thing links them together – theatre. These women, all in their mid-twenties, come from different backgrounds – Roisin is Irish, Andrea and Noemi are from Spain. “Noemi is an introvert and the thinker in our group. Roisin is intuitive and sensitive while I am full of beans and impulsive. However, all these traits balance the scales when we are together and help us gel as friends, and as a team when we collaborate on stage,” says Andrea.
Andrea and Noemi are part of Teatro Envilo, a theatre group, while Roisin works with a sister company called Intuitive Creatures. “We did our post graduation together in Devising Theatre and Performance at London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA). The course trains us to create our own work. We learn to use our body to articulate, shape and present our artistic visions. There is no director or text in our works. We create everything together thus bringing out works that are rich with multiple perspectives. Having worked together on a couple of projects while in college, we realised we shared the same passion for theatre. If we had to bracket our kind of theatre, I think, we would call it the theatre of life. Our performances are a humorous yet tender look at our humanity and fragility,” says Noemi.
The three young women are in India on a visit. The trio who started their journey in Mumbai are currently in the city.
“It’s been 10 days since we have been here in Kerala and it is really paradise on earth. We caught a Kathakali performance at Kalamandalam in Thrissur. They were performing a scene between Krishna and Hanuman. It was a mind blowing experience. Their technical perfection was inspiring and so was the beauty of their movements, make-up and costumes. While they have a grammar which they stick to, our style is a contemporary one; there is no restriction to our movements. As we invent the stories ourselves, there is no set idea on how our characters should move. We hope to catch a Koodiyattom performance tonight,” says Noemi.
The trio have been holding a workshop for city-based theatre group, Abhinaya. The workshop which started on November 17 will end on November 22. “There are 16 participants in the workshop. We hope to show them how to create a performance that connects with the audience. It can be on anything, social or political. We are also trying to help rid themselves of their inhibitions through various games and exercises,” says Andrea.
The artistes will be holding classes in physical theatre at Auroville, Pondicherry next. The women who will be returning to London on December 9 say that they hope to be back in Kerala soon. “We hope to stage a performance here. It will be something thought provoking; it will probably have glimpses of our experiences in India,” they say.
