Utterly Gutterly Atrocious

A theatrical production with participants from Worli Koliwada

Produced by G5A in partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank for Project Swachh Worli Koliwada, this unusual and pioneering effort was the first creative collaboration between G5A and Aarambh Mumbai, featuring talented young participants, children and youth from Worli Koliwada as well as professional actors and technicians.

A musical fantastical journey through Gutterland and its peculiar characters, Utterly Gutterly Atrocious (UGA) is a delightful, witty spin on the classic tale of the hare and the tortoise for children and young adults. Through its dynamic and unexpected sub plots and its many twists and turns, the play satirizes and challenges our attitudes towards waste, class and caste in a crazy, funny, bright, engaging and zany way.

the process

In December 2018, we invited the theatre company Aarambh Mumbai to conduct introductory theatre workshops with children, youth and women from Worli Koliwada. The aim of this workshop was to enable access to the arts for the community, and to create a safe space for introspection and discovery. Interested participants, 13 children and 6 youth, were then invited to contribute to a fresh production of “Utterly Gutterly Atrocious” (written and directed by Purva Naresh of Aarambh Mumbai), while simultaneously exploring the basics of theatre, storytelling, staging and creative expression.

From sourcing waste material, to making their own props and costumes, to acting, singing and dancing in this musical, this process not only helped build confidence and initiate a journey of discovery amongst the young people, but it also gave them the opportunity to be a part of a professionally mounted theatrical production.

the performance

More than 400 community members attended the premier show of the play at Ratnadeep Krida Mandal in Worli Koliwada on February 23, 2019. It received an equally encouraging response at the G5A Black Box in March 2019 – 2 shows over the weekend were attended by around 150 audiences, parents and their children primarily.

Role within the project
Community Outreach and liaison during pre production with Ashok Shinde
Design, Communication for digital Outreach
Costume and Prop design, and physical outreach with Samir Bharadwaj
Creative production and community project management with Ashok Shinde and Ankita Shah