Spellbound

This hugely popular touring performance blends shadow puppetry and Bharatanatyam traditional dance to celebrate India’s rich cultural heritage.

Spellbound is a multilayered shadow play designed to delight audiences of all ages. Performed behind an illuminated giant screen, the dance and shadowplay is supplemented by narration and fiery effects, bringing the darkly romantic tale of Rama and Sita to life in a stunning new way.

The intricate shapes and profiles created by Indian dance are perfectly suited to shadow puppetry, with the light allowing for representations of precise hand movement and surprising shifts of scale. Pyrotechnics such as fire drawings combine to create larger representations of the story – and fireworks shooting from the stage add to the show’s vibrant character and chime perfectly with any special celebration.

We’ve taken Spellbound around the country since its launch in 2011 – everywhere from London to Leicester, Manchester to Yorkshire. This hugely flexible 30-minute show can be staged in a variety of locations, and scaled appropriately to incorporate additional content or wider audience participation. The production includes a processional entrance for the narrator, which can be scaled to suit different locations.

One key element to Spellbound is the way in which we work to engage performers from local dance companies, helping to develop new skills in communities while also leaving a legacy after the performance has finished.