JOIN USPeppa is in town!
It is a chance for kids to see their favourite character up, close and life-size! Live Viacom18 and BookMyShow are bringing the live theatrical adaptation of the popular animated series on TV ‘Peppa Pig’ to India for the first time.
‘Peppa Pig Musical’ is the official franchise of the stage show that was conceived and performed in UK, and it ran to packed houses in the US and Asia before its Indian debut.
Metrolife caught up with Dilshad Khurana, director of ‘Peppa Pig Musical’ in India and member of famous Khurana family, who have been in theatre for more than a decade.
What can the audience expect in the Peppa Pig musical?
It’s the first-ever live performance in India of the beloved children’s character Peppa Pig. This immersive musical is filled with incredible life-sized characters, beautiful costumes, giant bouncing balls, new songs and a lot of surprises for Peppa fans.
When it was staged in other countries, we saw kids jumping up from their seats, lining up right next to the stage to get close to the action, waving and dancing and even crying when they have to leave. We are confident that the little ones in Bengaluru will love the play as much as their counterparts in other cities did.
Will the audience in India relate to a British animated series? Or have you tweaked it a bit?
Indian kids are addicted to the character of Peppa Pig; it is a universal phenomenon and so there was no fear of audiences being alienated by the British series.
Since children are familiar with the unique and character-specific voices and elements of Peppa’s world, and also because this is the official franchise of the stage show, it was
very important to stick to key elements to maintain authenticity. But we have had to make minor tweaks to incorporate logistical differences in tandem with venues in India that
we have performed at and will be performing in.
The Khuranas are a family with a long history of theatre. What is the atmosphere at home like?
It’s dramatic! All five of us don’t live together so most of our catch-ups are at rehearsals or at shows. We try not to carry our work home and interfere in each other’s choices but having the whole family involved means there’s always 100 percent support.
What kind of topics do you usually choose for your plays — either to direct or act in?
I don’t particularly look for anything; any interesting topic or a well-written script attract me. As an actor, I am now actively looking for roles that are different from what I’ve played in the past.
From a psychologist to a homemaker to a theatre artiste now. How did this transition happen?
The order is a little different. I’ve been doing theatre for almost 20 years now. I then got married and pursued my Masters in psychology. I am presently, a practicing psychologist during the day and a theatre professional at night!
Future projects?
After Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru, the Peppa Pig Musical is headed to Hyderabad and Ahmedabad as part of the first season. We are working on the second season for
this musical with newer cities soon to be announced. I am also working on a few writing projects and hopefully a new play in which I will be acting.
I have also been lending my voice for audio projects for Audible and Penguin and I am looking to do more of this in the coming year.
Catch the show!
The musical will be staged in the city on January 11 and 12 at Dr B R Ambedkar Bhavan, with shows starting from 11.30 am on both days. Tickets are priced at Rs 550 onwards and are available on BookMyShow.