Indian Ink Theatre Company Organisation / Collective / Group

INFO

Name	Indian Ink Theatre Company
Established	1996
Artform	Theatre
Decades Active	1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s

ABOUT

Indian Ink is an award-winning theatre company founded by writer/performer Jacob Rajan and writer/director Justin Lewis.

While studying acting at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, Rajan incorporated his love for mask work into a self-devised solo where he played both Gobi and Zina Krishnan, a married Indian couple who run a dairy. He was encouraged by his tutors to turn the short performance into a full-length play. In 1996, Rajan met Lewis, who had graduated from John Bolton Theatre School and was also interested in mask work and — together — they formed Indian Ink Theatre Company, debuting Krishnan’s Dairy at BATS theatre the following year.

Krishnan’s Dairy went on to win Production of the Year at the 1997 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards and received a coveted Fringe First Award at the 1999 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show toured extensively nationally and internationally until 2022, with The Spinoff calling it “the most successful independent show in New Zealand theatre history” and crediting it with establishing Indian Ink “as a pillar of New Zealand theatre”.

Indian Ink has carved a space for itself by crafting unique and heartfelt plays that showcase unexpected Indian narratives. Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream (2021), for example, weaves vultures, faith and ice cream into a love letter to Mumbai and a meditation on death while Guru of Chai (2008) uses a dubious spiritual guide to deliver a serpentine romantic thriller set on the mean streets of Bangalore and Delhi.

As of 2023, Indian Ink has created 11 original productions. The company describes the theatre they make as a combination of “artful storytelling, mischievous wit and theatrical magic” that “promotes community and fosters empathy in audiences across cultures”. Mask work has been woven into the foundations of the company, with almost every production featuring masks of some description be it papier mache or prosthetic teeth. Indian Ink’s productions also often showcase live, original music.

All the company’s works are designed to tour with portable sets and small casts, including solo shows performed by Rajan, though some recent productions have had larger casts, with Dirty Work (2023) having 3 actors, a musical director and a choir of up to 25 people.

Since 2020, Indian Ink has run Next Gen, a development programme for young adults aged 18–29 who are passionate about theatre. The company also offers internships and secondments. This is part of their bigger Rangatahi programme that includes supporting under-resourced schools/students and providing workshops in mask, puppetry and performance. Indian Ink’s staff currently consists of the two founders, a general manager and four other staff members covering producing, administration, marketing and client development. They also have a five-person advisory board. Rajan continues to be based in Pōneke but Lewis and the company’s head office are based in Tāmaki Makaurau. The two founders have co-written and collaborated on every Indian Ink production to date.