Thook was commissioned by Hunger for Trade, an international theater network established to explore the problems and perspectives of the global food market. Conceived by Schauspielhaus Hamburg, Hunger for Trade is comprised of nine artist companies from Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, England, Germany, India, Romania, South Africa and Switzerland that have committed to gather to share research as well as develop performative strategies to establish an artistic discourse on the future of food in its global context. Core themes identified by the network include farming, trading, eating, starving, politics and markets, and food in art.
Riad Mahmood Foundation of Education and Arts along with the Boell Foundation, Germany and Goethe Institute / Max Mueller Bhavan were producing partners for the play. The show opened in May in Rangashankara and Max Mueller Bhavan to critical acclaim. Thook travelled to USA for performances in Carriage House Theatre, Connecticut & Iseman Theatre, Yale.
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Reviews
‘Theatre was taken to a whole new level with the impressively researched Thook… through four powerful stories, ranging from the documentary to the satirical The impressively-researched Thook was performed by a stellar cast comprising of Gopal Dutt Tiwari, Ashwini Kumar Chakre, Faezeh Jalali, Abhinav Kimothi and Irawati Karnik. Adding to the production was a brilliant script by Irawati Karnik and Sandeep Shikhar, direction by Abhishek Majumdar and live music, composed by Abhijeet Tambe..’
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/the-food-riots/article6136736.ece
The Indian Ensemble’s original play “Thook” has activist ends — it examines issues of “food security, international trade and hunger,” according to the playbill — but succeeds in creating searing images of individual human suffering, compassion and humor’