Aakash Odedra Company's SONGS OF THE BULBUL Will Embark on UK Tour
The Kathak solo, co-created with Rani Khanam, will play Oxford Playhouse and Sadler's Wells East.
Aakash Odedra's solo, Songs of the Bulbul, co-created with Kathak choreographer Rani Khanam and set to an original score by Rushil Ranjan, is to tour to four UK venues in June and July. This is a rare second chance for UK audiences to see the much-acclaimed work which had its world premiere at the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival. It was named the Edinburgh International Festival's Best Show by The List and The Guardian's second favourite dance work of the year. Earlier this year it was performed for the Princess of Wales at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre in Leicester.
An exploration of longing, surrender, beauty and the fragility of life, Songs of the Bulbul blends Kathak technique with contemporary physicality and Sufi poetic traditions. Unfolding as a ritualistic journey through movement, sound and atmosphere, it lays bare Odedra's personal and spiritual dance landscape on stage. Music, sculptural lighting and symbolic imagery combine to create an immersive theatrical world that is both intimate and expansive.
Rani Khanam's exquisite storytelling choreography features expressive hand gestures and flowing lines through space. Renowned for her intimate knowledge of Islamic and Sufi texts, Khanam has worked widely with Sufi musicians, singers and dancers from across the Islamic world.
Rushil Ranjan is renowned for his distinctive ability to bring together Indian and Western classical traditions. His original score is written for orchestra, Qawwali singers and other Indian classical musicians, played in a recording by the pioneering Manchester Camerata.
Together, Odedra, Ranjan and Khanam tell an ancient Sufi myth about the bulbul, a Persian nightingale, a symbol of the beauty of the natural world and the pursuit of religious enlightenment, which, when captured, sings a glorious tune. The song reaches an inexpressibly beautiful pitch in the moments before it perishes from despair.
At its heart, Songs of the Bulbul carries a personal dedication from Aakash Odedra to his late mother, affectionately known as his “smiling bulbul”, adding an intimate emotional resonance to its universal themes.
Tour Dates
Tuesday 30 June & Wednesday 1 July at 7.30pm
OXFORD Playhouse
11-12 Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2LW
Tickets: 01865 305305 / https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/songs-of-the-bulbul
Friday 3 July
WATFORD Palace Theatre at 7.30pm
20 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1JZ
Tickets: 01923 225 671 / https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk/events/songs-of-the-bulbul/
Tuesday 7 – Saturday 11 July at 7.30pm
Sadler's Wells East, LONDON
101 Carpenters Rd, Stratford Cross, London E20 2AR
Tickets: 020 7863 8198 / https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/aakash-odedra-company-songs-of-the-bulbul
Tuesday 21 July at 7.30pm
CAMBRIDGE Arts Theatre
6 St Edward's Passage, Cambridge, CB2 3PJ
Tickets: 01223 503333 / https://www.artstheatre.co.uk/whats-on/songs-of-the-bulbul/
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