In the last 25 years, Akvarious Productions (Bombay, India) has staged over 80 plays, of which seven have been nominated for the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards, and two have won the prestigious award for Best Play. Akvarious has performed over 1600 shows across 35 cities, in India and abroad, and has produced ten plays for children.

Born at Thespo, back in 2000, the company ventured out and dabbled in all types of material – classics, dance dramas, plays for kids, Urdu comedies – till 2010, which is when a clear voice began to emerge. With huge successes like All About Women, The Interview, and the Special Bond trilogy (based on Ruskin Bond’s stories), there was a clear gravitation towards contemporary, humorous, and relatable stories for Indian audiences, particularly a younger demographic. In the last decade, the focus has been on original writing and Indian adaptations, and plays that range from meaningful comedies to deeply human stories. Productions like Dekh Behen, Internal Affairs, and Rafta Rafta have had long runs, become hugely popular, and entertained audiences across cities, while shows like Baghdad Wedding, Tuesdays With Morrie, What Planet Are You On, The Kite Runner and The F Word also found audiences and made an impact.

Akvarious’ production of A Friend’s Story performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as part of the Festival of Independence by Shakespeare’s Globe. They have been regular features at Aadyam, the Hindu Metro Plus Festival, the India Habitat Centre Festival, Prithvi Theatre Festival, Kala Ghoda Arts Fest, and Serendipity Arts Festival.

See the complete list of festival organisers here.