Australian Consulate-General, Mumbai, Royal Opera House, Mumbai and Avid Learning proudly present a unique evening of rope and pole Mallakhamb accompanied by the rhythmic melodies of electro-fusion music, featuring acts performed by visually challenged artistes from the Kamla Mehta School for the Blind and contortionists from the Mallakhamb India Ensemble. The final act, directed by Australian Artistic Director Benjamin Knapton, was originally commissioned for and performed at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games “Festival 2018” held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and was also presented at the 2019 Sydney Festival in January earlier this year. The ensemble is also slated to tour multiple destinations in Europe and North America later this year. Musician and Composer Donn Bhatt, who has composed the background score for the performance, will also perform a solo set to kick-off the evening.Join us for these gravity-defying performances that explode all expectations of the limits of the human body!
Benjamin Knapton is an Australian director who has worked across theatre, contemporary circus and film. He was the Associate Director of Circa from 2010-2014 and the Associate Artistic Director from 2014-2016. With Circa Ben created, directed and co-directed new circus works and large-scale events that toured extensively to major international festivals and venues. As an independent director Benjamin has worked with festivals and companies including Festival 2018, Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival, Brisbane Festival, Sziget Festival, The Barbican, Stalker, Brink Productions, Bleach Festival and QPAC. Ben’s popular new creation Mallakhamb Mumbai premiered at ‘Festival 2018’, was programmed at Sydney Festival and will tour various countries throughout Europe and South America in 2019. Benjamin has also produced and managed a number of international tours and new projects, including projects with London Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Festival (How Like an Angel), International Dance Festival Birmingham (Wings of Desire), MA Scene National in France (Before Your Eyes / Devant Vos Yeux) and the film adaptation of Tim Winton's The Turning. He holds a BA in Applied Theatre, an MA in directing, and a practice-led PhD in directing. Ben’s Masters won the prestigious Philip Parsons Prize.
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