In the month of liberation, the disability- inclusive theatre play “Noishobde Ekattor (’71 in Silence)” is set to be premiered on 9 and 10 March at National Theatre, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Produced by the British Council in partnership with Dhaka Theatre, the performance features 15 artists with disabilities from eight divisional cities of Bangladesh and focuses on the country’s Liberation War through different acting methods.
‘Noishobde Ekattor’ is a silent theatre piece that portrays the story of the birth of Bangladesh – how it was before, how the war started and the consequences of the war; a journey which is narrated using physical storytelling techniques on stage. The links for the tickets of the shows can be found at the Facebook pages of British Council Bangladesh and Dhaka Theatre.
The theatre piece is directed by Ramesh Meyyappan, a Glasgow-based theatre maker who develops performances using an eclectic mix of visual and physical theatre styles. “When I was explained the significance of the sign name of Bangladesh, I realised the true passion behind the nation’s history. The eagerness this bold ensemble has shown in portraying this history through eloquent expression of pain and suffering is truly unmatched. I would like to ask the audience to come and see the show to give this group of people an opportunity to use their voices – taking us a step closer to ensuring that all voices are heard and seen”, said Ramesh.
Noishobde Ekattor has been produced as a part of celebrating The British Council’s 70th anniversary in Bangladesh and also Bangladesh’s 50th year of independence. This play is a part of the DARE (Disability Arts Redefining Empowerment) project led by the British Council in partnership with Dhaka Theatre. DARE was launched in 2019 in partnership with Dhaka Theatre. Since then, it has been working in eight divisional cities in Bangladesh where both artists with disabilities and artists from local theatre organisations are participating together in order to get a better idea about how to work on disability theatre to create a sustainable platform on disability arts.