NCPA’s Connections India Brings Young Theatre-Makers to the Stage in Bengaluru

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), in partnership with the National Theatre UK, presents the fourth edition of Connections India, a youth theatre initiative that gives young people the opportunity to experience the process of making and performing theatre. Expanding beyond Mumbai for the first time, the 2026–27 edition in Bengaluru brings together students from 6 participating schools, colleges and NGOs - Oakridge International School Bangalore, Sacred Heart Public School, Stella Mary School, Annasawmy Academy, Kalakrida Learning Centre (AHUM Trust) and Siri School (Laggere). The Bengaluru leg will take place from November 4 to 6, 2026, featuring six performances across three days.

The festival features contemporary plays that explore themes such as friendship, identity, grief, climate change, social inequality and the choices that shape young lives. Guided by professional theatre directors and practitioners, students gain hands-on experience in the complete playmaking process, from acting and stage management to costume, set design and technical production. The wider initiative will culminate in a National Festival in January 2027, bringing the journey of young theatre-makers into its next chapter. Come and experience the Bengaluru edition and witness young theatre-makers engage with contemporary storytelling.

Written by May Sumbwanyambe, Their Name Is Joy is a coming-of-age drama set in the summer of 2019 on a spring onion farm in Lincolnshire. The play follows a group of young British casual labourers whose experience of farm work exposes them to the reality of modern-day slavery. As their understanding of the world around them changes, they confront the loss of childhood innocence and the difficult realities of exploitation.

The play explores trafficking, modern slavery and the presence of xenophobic and far-right views in society. Through its portrayal of young people encountering these realities, it examines the experiences that challenge their understanding of the world and the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Age Recommendation: 10+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: To be confirmed

Tickets: ₹150 per show

Seating: Free seating (first come, first served)

Language: English

Written by Satinder Chohan, Mia and the Fish reimagines the ancient Indian myth of Manu and the Fish through the story of Mia, a young refugee girl who arrives on the shores of the UK with her sister. During an unusual winter heatwave, Mia discovers a talking fish, which she names Samaki. As the climate emergency intensifies, Samaki grows into a giant fish and becomes central to Mia and her friends’ survival in the face of a looming global catastrophe.

The play brings together mythology and contemporary concerns around climate change and displacement. Through Mia’s friendship with Samaki, it explores belonging, resilience and the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs. The story approaches these complex issues through an imaginative narrative that connects the natural world with the experiences of young people.

Age Recommendation: 10+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: To be confirmed

Tickets: ₹150 per show

Seating: Free seating (first come, first served)

Language: Kannada

Written by Arghya Lahiri, Hence Proven follows fourteen students during the final examination on their last day of school. Part heist story and part science fiction, the play unfolds through a series of situations that lead to unexpected choices. With an examination hanging over them, the students find themselves reflecting on their friendships, hopes and the people they may eventually become.

The play combines the school environment with speculative fiction, examining friendship, freedom of choice and the dynamics of a group approaching a significant transition in their lives. Its narrative brings together moments of humour and suspense while following the choices that shape the students’ experiences.

Age Recommendation: 10+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: To be confirmed

Tickets: ₹150 per show

Seating: Free seating (first come, first served)

Language: Kannada, Hindi and English

Written by Sheena Khalid, Level Up centres on Ritika, a sixteen-year-old struggling with the loss of her mother. Having withdrawn from the people around her, she finds herself drawn into a video game when everything in her life begins to feel hopeless. The only way out is to play through the game, confronting its challenges along the way.

The play explores grief, loss and emotional hardship through the setting of a video game. As Ritika navigates the experience, the story examines her journey through a difficult period in her life and the relationships that surround her.

Age Recommendation: 8+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: To be confirmed

Tickets: ₹150 per show

Seating: Free seating (first come, first served)

Language: English and some Tamil

Written by Vickie Donaghue, Fresh Air follows a group of students from a Pupil Referral group who are sent on an orienteering exercise in a woodland area they discover to be haunted. Pursued by ghostly children determined to keep them there, the students must confront their immediate circumstances to find a way forward. The play combines supernatural elements with the experiences of young people facing an unsettling situation.

The story brings together a ghost narrative and themes of mental health and the future. As the students attempt to escape the woods, they must face the circumstances confronting them and find a way to move forward. The play is written for an ensemble, with twelve named speaking roles.

Age Recommendation: 10+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: To be confirmed

Tickets: ₹150 per show

Seating: Free seating (first come, first served)

Language: Kannada

Written by Sheena Khalid, Level Up follows Ritika, a sixteen-year-old who has withdrawn from her friends following the death of her mother. When she is unexpectedly drawn into a video game, she must navigate its challenges to find a way out. The experience forces her to confront the difficulties she has been facing rather than remain removed from the world around her.

Through its video-game setting, the play explores grief, loss and emotional hardship. It follows Ritika’s experience of confronting these feelings and the circumstances that have led her to distance herself from others.

Age Recommendation: 8+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: To be confirmed

Tickets: ₹150 per show

Seating: Free seating (first come, first served)

Language: Kannada and English