Umadevi, a new performance by the Malabar Hotel Theatre, premiered on 18 January 2026 as part of the prestigious Muziris Kochi Biennale 2026, marking the beginning of an Indian tour across four states.

The Polish Institute in New Delhi has been involved in the project since its earliest stages—from the research phase, study visits to video documentation. The Institute is pleased to see the project reach its long-anticipated premiere.

Premiere at the Muziris Kochi Biennale

The official stage premiere of Umadevi took place on 18 January 2026 at the Muziris Kochi Biennale, India’s leading platform for visual arts.

Prior to the stage premiere, an outdoor performance debuted on 16 January 2026 on the Kochi waterfront, also as part of the Biennale. Conceived as a large-scale public spectacle, this outdoor version served as an artistic introduction to the project and an important promotional event.

Indian Tour Across Four States

The premiere of Umadevi inaugurated an Indian tour spanning four states:

Kerala, West Bengal, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Andhra Pradesh.Over the course of less than one month, the company presented 10 events in total. In addition to the Muziris Kochi Biennale, the production was showcased at Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2026, India’s largest and most important international theatre festival.

About the Performance

Umadevi is a documentary-inspired performance dedicated to the extraordinary life of Wanda Dynowska—writer, social activist, founder of the Polish Theosophical Society, and a key translator of classical Indian philosophical texts into Polish.

Dynowska devoted much of her life to building spiritual and cultural bridges between Poland and India. She was also deeply engaged in humanitarian work, supporting Polish and Tibetan refugees for whom India became a new home.

Starting from her biography, Umadevi evolves into a powerful visual meditation on the tension between body and spirit. Blending dramatic theatre, puppet theatre, visual arts, video, music, and light, the performance creates a poetic and immersive stage language.

Director and dramaturg: Łukasz Chotkowski

Scenography and puppets: Marcin Bikowski

Music, video, and lighting: Marcin Bartnikowski

Performers: Paula Czarnecka, Marcin Bartnikowski, Marcin Bikowski

Tour Schedule:

• 16 January – Outdoor premiere (2 shows), Kochi, Muziris Kochi Biennale
• 17 January – Outdoor performances (2 shows), Kochi, Muziris Kochi Biennale
• 18 January – Stage premiere, Kochi, Muziris Kochi Biennale
• 19 January – Stage performance, Kochi, Muziris Kochi Biennale
• 24 January – Two performances at Anuchitan Art Centre, Kolkata
• 5 February – Performance at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2026
• 7 February – Performance in Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2026