Ricardo Magno’s monodramatic adaptation of Rody Vera’s Palanca award winning play delivers a visceral and harrowing theatrical experience. Presented by Divergent Theatre Collective as the Filipino offering for La Mama’s inauguaral Festival of Mother Tongues, Aswang takes Philippine folklore to deliver confrontational truths about innocence corrupted by the patriarchy’s violent nature.

Seated in La Mama’s HQ, I sense a certain eagerness creep over me. Here I am, ready to watch Bandini — the only Marathi play that’s part of the lineup at La Mama’s ‘Festival of Mother Tongues’. I’ve never been here before, but this eagerness feels familiar. It took me a while to realise where it was coming from. I’ve only felt this in Pune before — seated at Balgandharva Rangmandir, ready to revel in the inexplicable delight only Marathi theatre can bring. 

The Last Sicilian, a play that forms part of the Festival of the Mother Tongue is supported by La Mama and performed at CoAsIt Italian Museo in Carlton. Director Laurence Stragio and performers Rosa Voto, Rosanna Morales and Irine Vela pack a punch from the moment you walk through the door. You, the audience member, form part of the community of mourners carrying salt for a deceased woman. The woman represents the mother tongue of the island of Sicily, Italy.

"I’m a virtual being, take photos of me" is an exceptionally important narrator of the lived experiences of Iranian women who have been oppressed throughout the history of the Islamic regime of Iran. However, this brave generation of women has transformed this oppression into a stance against cruelty, creating one of the most progressive movements under the name "Women, Life, Freedom." This movement has gained global traction, largely due to the contribution of the media in sharing it across the world. This play, written by one of the brightest contemporary Iranian playwrights, Mohammad Rezaei Rad, elaborately captures this milestone in the history of Iran.

MAV is excited to collaborate with local theatre-makers showcasing the talented storytellers who bring diversity and vibrancy to our culturally rich landscape. Launching an initiative that champions culturally-responsive theatre reviews and spotlighting groundbreaking performances across the city, MAV has teamed up with La Mama, APHIDS, and Amarantha Robinson as a community engagement partner. 

MAV was proud to support the launch of A Climate For Art as part of our Diasporas commissioning program. We are committed to demonstrating support for impacted communities experiencing climate displacement and advocate for action informed by land-based knowledge and practices.

What are your co-ordinates of belonging? This has been a guiding question for the MAV team as we reflect on the last 50 years, through our program Retrospection and at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Tuesday, 28 May 2024.