Kathakali, the classical dance drama of Kerala south India, performing stories of dignity, love, strength, compassion, arrogance, rejection, cruelty, and war.

The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company, include outstanding international Kathakali artists from Kerala, to bring emotion, colour, and incredible characters onto the stage. The company have toured extensively in the UK and world-wide bringing Kathakali to thousands of people.

Allow your imagination to enter the magical world of Kathakali and find a place where stories come alive.

Enter the magical world of Kathakali, a highly visual, emotional, and powerful drama that captures human nature through theatre. Explore family values, your dreams, compassion, aspirations and consider the rights of women to be respected. Observe the destruction of war and how arrogance plays a huge role in the breakdown of society.

Photo Credit – Garry Laybourn

About The Company

The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company is the leading Kathakali group outside of India. Our vision is to make Kathakali accessible, understandable and enjoyable to people of all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds throughout the UK and internationally.

The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company was founded in 1987 by Kathakali make-up specialist, Kalamandalam Barbara Vijayakumar and Kathakali actor, Kalamandalam Vijayakumar to bring the remarkable art and culture of Kathakali to the UK. Since then we have toured all over the UK enabling thousands of people to experience the powerful storytelling of Kathakali.

Our mission is to deliver outstanding Asian theatre and culture through workshops and performances by eminent artists from India, to encourage equality, understanding and respect through a common enjoyment of the arts.