Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival 2026: Six plays on identity and belonging

For the last 22 years, the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival has presented work spanning Shakespeare, political theatre, company theatre, and productions from metropolitan centres and other cities.

This year, the event delves into Belonging: Through Memory, Migration and Boundaries, an overarching theme that explores ‘how our identities are shaped by the people, places and histories we carry’. 

Featuring six productions from across the country that represent diverse theatrical voices, languages and lived experiences, the 2026 edition is curated by five members of the Kannada theatre community, Sushma Rao, Surabhi Herur, Sneha Kappanna, Vinay Shastry, and Utthana Barighat.

“It shows us the many ways in which people experience the lack of belonging while also celebrating the solidarity and resilience that makes life possible,” says Surabhi.

Taking us through the line-up, Surabhi talks about the play in which “the loss of memory serves to dissolve some of the boundaries that has kept a loved one away, and another that questions and exposes the social structures that ‘outcasts’ a dance form that is integral to a community’s culture.”

There is the promise of a better, more secure life that migrant and daily wage workers grapple with, Surabhi says. “One play uses the metaphor of a battle to explore the contradictions and difficulties in holding on to that hope.”

In another production, the relationship between an ecological environment and its people are set bare in a stark depiction of the lives of people affected by climate change.

“It is performed by the people who are actually affected by these realities,” says Surabhi. “Then there is the delightful episode of three women breaking boundaries to watch a performance they are traditionally forbidden to watch. This play asks questions about women’s right to public spaces, curiosity and joy in the presence of patriarchal social norms.”   

For Sneha, what makes this festival unique is the fact that the theme has emerged from a collective vision rather than one curator’s individual idea. “The process itself reflects what we are exploring: how different perspectives can coexist, connect and find common ground. For us, belonging is not about everyone thinking alike; it is about creating a space where different voices and experiences have a place.”

Sushma talks about how the selected productions this year are by theatre groups that have not performed in Bengaluru before. “For us, this was an opportunity to bring the city’s audiences something they do not get to experience often, and to open up the festival to different theatrical practices, languages and cultural contexts.”

As for the theme, Sushma finds the range of plays “particularly compelling” as they are not abstract ideas about belonging. “They emerge from lived experiences, local histories and social realities. I hope audiences leave the festival having encountered worlds they may not otherwise have had access to, and seeing their own ideas of home, identity and community a little differently.”

From October 23 to 31 at Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru. Tickets on in.bookmyshow.com