October 2018

Thunderstruck: Ri Ri’s Dance Academy’s First Theatrical Tour and My Debut as Assistant Director

Hello everyone! I’m Ria Meera Munshi, the proud Artistic Director of Ri Ri’s Dance Academy, and I wear many hats as an Assistant Director, Choreographer, Movement Director, and Actor, for Thunderstruck. Today, I want to share an exciting chapter of our journey with you.

Retelling Epic Stories with a Modern Twist

In our upcoming theatre tour, Thunderstruck, supported by the Arts Council, we’ll be re-telling the epic stories of Navratri and Ramayan. These timeless tales will be brought to life with the help of new technology, presented in a fresh and innovative structure. Our tour will initially focus on unconventional and community venues, such as the Gujarat Hindu Society in Preston, Lancashire.

Thunderstruck Theatre Production

Our show, Thunderstruck, is set to be an unforgettable event lasting two hours, including an interval. We’ve crafted an artistic palette that includes poetic text, dance, acting, visual arts, live music, and dynamic sound and lighting design.

Staging the show in the round will provide a more exciting and high-quality audience experience, allowing us to create a captivating and immersive piece of theatre by surrounding the audience with the action. The focal point of our digital animation will be projected onto a transparent material shaped like a cube in the centre of the space.

Embracing New Technology: Video Mapping

We’re integrating projected elements onto a four-sided gauze structure, allowing live performers to move within and around it. This setup is perfect for our show, enabling the integration of shadow and silhouette into the work and allowing for dual imagery across gauzes from multiple projection points.

The projected elements of the narrative will be directly interwoven with the performers and soundtrack, resulting in a truly dramatic event. We’ll combine this with a visual language inspired by the incredible sari materials—bright and vivid—transformed into animated motifs and patterns that weave and play across the surfaces, gently morphing and transforming as the story unfolds.

Dance Choreography: A Mesmerising Experience

Our dance choreography will involve various elements, including levels, movement, and transitions inspired by all five Indian dance forms. The additional use of scarves will reflect different scenes, sounds, and music, making the performance eye-catching for the audience. All these elements will ensure a mesmerising experience for those watching.

Join Us on This Magical Journey

We’re thrilled to bring Thunderstruck Theatre Production to Ashton, Bolton, Bury, and Preston in September and October 2018. Stay tuned for more updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses as we prepare to take you on this magical journey through dance and theatre.

We are incredibly grateful for the support and positive feedback we’ve received. As the Octagon Theatre in Bolton shared, “Congratulations on a successful tour of Thunderstruck, with so many sell-out shows! At the Octagon, we were very pleased to support the show to happen in Bolton. It was great to be able to offer our audiences something different to our regular programme along with reaching out to new audiences. The feedback on the show was fantastic.”

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm.

Lots of love,

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For more insights and reviews, check out this review of our Thunderstruck Theatre Production. The reviewer praised our innovative use of technology and the immersive experience we created for the audience. They highlighted how the integration of shadow and silhouette, combined with the vibrant sari-inspired visuals, made for a truly captivating performance.