A Work-In-Progress Presented by Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta.
Prem Patr (‘love letter’) is a multi-sensory live performance that will take you by the hand and transport you to the streets of India by weaving together stories of love and loss…
Two young lovers celebrate their love in the face of societal expectations.
A street vendor tries to rebuild her life.
A daughter takes to the stage on the eve of her wedding and takes a leap of faith.
For one night only we invite audiences to join us for a work-in-progress showing at Granville Town Hall. This is a chance for audiences to take a sneak peek into the joyful world of Prem Patr by Chinmaya Madan, a bustling world of storytelling, music, puppets, dance and food.
This free showing is accessible to audiences of all ages and has limited tickets available so please BOOK NOW if you wish to join us.
Please note this event is not at Riverside and is to be presented at Granville Town Hall on Wednesday 24th April 2024 at 7.00pm.
Acknowledgements
This project was first supported by NIDA’s Festival of Emerging Artists in 2022, and is now presented in association with Cumberland City Council as part of Granville Nights, which is proudly supported by the NSW Government through the Culture Up Late Western Sydney Program.
Cast and Creatives
Performer / Co-devisor Chinmaya Madan with Nickin Alexander Ava Madon Caroline L George Monica Kumar Radhika Mudaliyar
Co-devisor / Designer Kathleen Kershaw Associate Director Nigel Turner-Carroll Producer Nelson Lee Dramaturg Bali Padda Stage Manager Bella Kerdijk Script Supervisor Nicholas Brown
Prem Patr is the premiere work created by the Jaipur based theatre company The Orange Moon.
CAST
CHINMAYA MADON
Theatre has been an important part of Chinmaya’s life since his childhood. He grew up in a theatre family where both his parents were theatre directors and spent all his early days in different rehearsal spaces, with hundreds of actors traveling to various cities with multiple theatre companies.
Chinmaya is an actor, deviser and director. He has worked with some of the best directors in India performing in more than 12 states. He was also the recipient of “Award of Scholarships to young artists in different cultural fields” , a scholarship awarded under the Scheme of Scholarship and Fellowship for Promotion of Art and Culture by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India in 2019. He is passionate about youth theatre and has worked with kids for more than five years. Chinmaya believes that theatre provides him with the power of making a difference, his work will possess the ability to create emotion, make people feel, make them think, alter their thoughts, and this excites him.
Chinmaya recently finished his MFA(Directing) master’s degree from National Institute Of Dramatic Art. Whilst at NIDA Chinmaya’s highlights were directing The Way Out with Actors Centre Australia, directing Say it to my face by Gloomie in collaboration with Triple j unearthed and assistant directing David Berthold’s production of Falsettos. For the Festival of emerging artists Chinmaya directed Prem Patr, a multi-sensory experience that revolves around different stories and shades of love.
NICKIN ALEXANDER
Born in Penrith to Indian migrant parents, Nickin Alexander is a first-generation, Australian-born Actor and writer whose family hails from Kerala. Nickin grew up generally causing a ruckus. The weekends, however, were always about attending Malayalam classes and Indian functions where he was first introduced to the stage with dance and presenting, igniting a love for community.
Nickin started as a writer but discovered early, however, that his calling was in acting. He was scouted by a local Punjabi production team who enlisted his help both as an actor and behind the scenes where he learnt the ins and outs of being on set, until he went off on his own, auditioning for The National Institute of Dramatic art (NIDA) where he completed a Diploma of Stage and Screen Performance in 2022.
Since then, Nickin has appeared in two plays, Sunderella (A queer Bollywood take on the classic Cinderella) and Prem Patr’s original run (a multi-disciplined theatrical experience a part of the Festival of Emerging Artists). He has also appeared in a variety of short films, commercials and has even narrated an audio book (The Days Toppled Over, by Vidya Madabushi).
Since joining the industry, Nickin’s values through his origin, his family and their rich history as well as his fierce love of the craft as pivotal in his work, hoping that he can bring a vibrant, fresh and authentic view on storytelling.
AVA MADON
Ava is an actor graduating from Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore. She was most recently seen in the satirical comedy Not Now Not Ever: A Parliament of Women at Belvoir 25a and I Hate People/Timon of Athens, a production praised by the Sydney Morning Herald as “the pinnacle of Shakespeare in Sydney this century”.
Her other recent stage credits include If/Then (Neglected Musicals), Venus and Adonis (Sport for Jove),The Lucky Country (Hayes Theatre Co.), Macbeth, Othello (Sport for Jove), Merrily we Roll Along (Hayes Theatre Co.), Bells are Ringing (Neglected Musicals), Titanic the Musical: In Concert (The Marrollo Project) and Cinderella in Into the Woods with both Belvoir and Watch This, for which she was nominated for a Greenroom Award.
Ava is also known for her television work as an actor and presenter for the ABC, working on shows including Mikki vs. the World, Definitely Not News, The Packdown, Stacked!, Ava’s Kitchen, and Junior Eurovision.
CAROLINE L GEORGE
Caroline (she/her) is an actor, voice artist and presenter with credits from London, Los Angeles and Sydney. She is Australian and British with South Indian heritage. Her varied and most recent work in theatre includes assistant directing Terminus (Controlled Chaos Productions) and performing in Dakrness (Newtheatricals), The Marriage Agency (kwento/KXT), Three Fat Virgins Unassembled (Slanted Theatre/KXT), Hamlet and Gallathea (Infinite Jest Theatre Company, Los Angeles) and Carbon Dating (Brockley Jack Theatre, London). She can also be seen in award-winning indie feature films, Risen, Lux in Tenebris and Breathe and in commercials/corporate training content for LenovoPRO, Society One, Temple & Webster, Westpac Group and Woolworths. She can also be heard on Audible as the narrator for audiobooks Lilian’s Eden, I Can See Clearly Now and Weaving Words. Caroline is passionate about theatre-making and is delighted to be included in this development team for Prem Patr.
MONICA KUMAR
Monica Kumar is an actor and writer. Known for playing Padma, in the Apple TV+ series Shantaram, as well as Renuka in the ABC series Wakefield. Her recent work has ventured into both drama and comedy with Haven: Home to Bilo Queensland Theatre Resident Company, and Meraki Theatre’s, feminist sketch comedy show, Tough Titties.
Her writing credits include an upcoming animation with Flying Bark, and the ABC iView series, Carpark Clubbing. The series was selected for The Digital First Initiative by Create NSW and won Best Ensemble, at Die Seriale Festival in Germany, and Best Writing award at the Stareable Festival, in New York, where she was also nominated for Best Actor.
Monica’s theatrical achievements, include Belvoir St Theatre’s, Counting and Cracking. Winner of Best Main-stage Production, at the Sydney Theatre Awards; and Winner of Helpmann Awards, including Best Play and Best New Australian Work.
RADHIKA MUDALIYAR
Radhika Mudaliyar is a Sydney based actor of Indian origin. Radhika has been dancing in the Indian classical form of Bharathanatyam since the age of six. After recently graduating from the prestigious Bachelor of Arts in Acting at WAAPA, she has been seen in Stan’s prosper, and will be seen in Belvoir theatre’s Counting and Cracking.
She was awarded best actor at the Buddha international film festival for her work in the short film all is well, and was a finalist for the equity neighbours internship 2023.
Whilst at WAAPA she played ‘Hermia’ in ‘ A Midsummer Nights Dream’ and was awarded ‘most outstanding actor’ at WAAPA’s Vice Chancellor’s Shakespeare awards for her original piece ‘a Nayika named Hamlet.’
She’s an avid traveller, polyglot and is passionate about environmental protection
Direction to Venue - GRANVILLE TOWNHALL
Granville Town Hall 10 Carlton Street Granville, NSW 2142
Getting there Travel to Granville Town Hall via public transport is encouraged. Granville Town Hall is a 220 metre, three-minute walk from Granville Station. Granville Town Hall is adjacent to a 50-space community car park, access via Carlton Street, Granville.
Public transport link – accessible path of travel including lifts, road crossings and kerb cuts between Granville Station platforms and Granville Town Hall.
Granville Town Hall features one wheelchair accessible entrance into main auditorium accessed via venue side entrance. Accessible bathrooms are outside of the main auditorium, nearby in the Granville Town Hall precinct.
Community car park at Granville Town Hall includes accessible parking spaces.
