Wepushthesky: A story of friends, faith and future

A solo performance by Nisha Abdulla and directed by Ujwala Rao, Wepushthesky, invites the audience to listen to what lies beneath the surface. Opened in December 2022, the play has been performed at various venues in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Malappuram, and Kochi and will be performed for the first time at Ranga Shankara, J.P. Nagar, on Friday, September 1. 

In this production by Qabila Collective, the protagonist weaves personal stories and community histories into a powerful account of friendships lost, found, and lasting. Amid loud and divisive political rhetoric, the play is an affirmation of one’s ability to forge belonging from the sharp edges of differences. 

Speaking to The Hindu, Ujwala said that it aims to talk to people who are politically confused. “When we set out to do this play one conscious call we made was to keep the messaging of the play not political. The play aims to talk to people who are apolitical or politically confused, they feel something is wrong but don’t know why. We want to encourage the audience to not assume that this is something politically heavy for them to watch. The play is about stories of friendship and faith, and how the nature of friendships have changed in a polarising political climate. As a director what enthused me to make this play was that it is Nisha Abdulla the performer’s personal story, memories, and community experiences,” Ujwala said.  

A scene from the play. (Source: The Hindu)

The title of the play Wepushthesky is inspired by Nick Cave’s song Push the Sky. Earlier the play was a digital piece of art directed by theatre person Vivek Madan, in which Ujwala was the dramaturg of the play. However, when it was decided that a physical play would be made out of the story, she decided to don the cap of the director and create a solo-performance piece based on the personal story of her friend.

The lights for the performance are designed by Madhusudana B.R. and Arun D.T., set design by Gowtham Upadhya and production handled by Shradha Raj. Tickets for the play are available at the Ranga Shankara box-office and on BookMyShow.