'New India Lodge' brings history, food, interactive theatre to Manorama Hortus
Pachak collective will stage 'New India Lodge' at the Malayala Manorama Hortus festival on 5 and 6 December, offering audiences an immersive 1950s theatrical, sensory, and culinary exploration of post-independence India.
Pachak collective will stage 'New India Lodge' at the Malayala Manorama Hortus festival on 5 and 6 December, offering audiences an immersive 1950s theatrical, sensory, and culinary exploration of post-independence India.
Pachak collective will stage 'New India Lodge' at the Malayala Manorama Hortus festival on 5 and 6 December, offering audiences an immersive 1950s theatrical, sensory, and culinary exploration of post-independence India.
An innovative blend of performance art, gastronomy, and interactive narrative is set to captivate audiences at the Malayala Manorama Hortus festival. Titled New India Lodge, the unique production by performance collective Pachak merges theatre, sensory games, and period cuisine to transport visitors back to the formative years of independent India.
Set against the backdrop of the 1950s as the nation was forging its identity as a young republic, the immersive show uses evocative aromas, vintage props, and lived-in spaces to recreate the atmosphere of a bygone era. Hosted in the historic heritage building of Maharaja's College in Kochi, the experience blurs the line between actors and spectators, transforming audience members into active characters within the story.
More than just a play, New India Lodge provides a deeply tactile and cultural exploration of post-independence life. Guests sit together, share meals, and interact with the cast, offering a vivid glimpse into the diverse cultures, personal stories, and sociopolitical shifts of the decade.
The experience is open to individuals aged 16 and above, making it particularly appealing to enthusiasts of history, literature, performing arts, and culinary heritage. Running for a duration of 90 to 120 minutes, the interactive production will be staged on December 5 and 6 at the Hortus festival venue.