A reinterpretation of the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, The Theft Of Sita brings together artists from Indonesia and Australia. Told principally through the medium of shadow puppetry, The Theft Of Sita uses techniques both traditional and modern to make this 2000 year-old story relevant to our times.

A combination of creation myth and classical quest story, the tale follows Lord Rama and his plucky servants Twalen and Merdah as they strive to rescue Rama’s wife Sita from the demonic Rawanna. Travelling through Bali and Lanka where they become embroiled in battles to save water-starved farmland and political unrest, the parallels between this ancient world and 21st century Indonesia are ever more apparent. The scorched landscape now becomes a metaphor for global warming, whilst the riots in Lanka can easily be imagined as news footage of turmoil in the developing world. The contemporary resonance is made even clearer in the contrast of audio-visual technology and Western jazz with handcrafted puppets and Indonesian gamelan music, creating a culture clash on-stage which mirrors that in the story.