THEATRE: A Mid-season check-in with the team behind cultural fusion performance piece, “Child”
Through a blend of music, dance, and spoken word, Child is a performance piece that seeks to reignite within us the joy, curiosity, and freedom that often gets eroded by the demands of life. Midway through their Blue Room Theatre season (from 8th - 19th July), now being staged at Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya (SMV) on Beaufort Street, we check in with the creative team behind Child.
Q: At its core, what is Child about?
Mani Mae Gomes (Producer) : The disconnection from our inner child that is forced upon all of us as we grow up. We all began life in a place of curiosity, wonder and play. But to fit in and be successful in this world, sometimes we have to completely ignore what makes us happiest when it doesn't align with the narrow idea of what's "normal". You might have to ignore what makes you innately curious and joyful in order to be seen as an asset to society. It is an act of bravery to listen to your inner child when the world is telling you to do the opposite. In Child, Pavan shares the story of what his success as a musician has cost him.
Kira Gunn (Composer/Performer): I would say that at its core, Child is about humility. It’s about the humility of learning the lessons that life has to teach you. And it takes humility to listen to whatever voice it is that you feel is leading you, especially when it goes against the grain of what the culture is saying, or what your work environment is saying. I think that when we lose touch with our inner child, we lose something, and so it’s about the humility of recognising that something is lost, and then going on a journey to try and re-find it, or re-form it, or invite it back into your life.
Q: What should audiences expect to experience at the show?
Manju Radha Krishnan (Choreographer): My hope is that the audience experience, even for a moment, the joy and wonder of being a child. To me, the inner child represents our true joy/purpose that we get disconnected from as life gets busy or as we move through different stages of life. I hope everyone leaves inspired, energised and full.
Q: Now that you are mid-way through, how are you feeling about the piece?
Kira: Now that we’re halfway through, I feel a lot more connected to the show. Each show is slightly different, so there are different aspects that get brought out or emphasised ever performance – especially with Pavan’s acting. So it’s like there’s a little something new to learn from each show.
Q: What is the feedback or audience reactions you have received about the show so far? Was there anything that surprised you?
Deven Rao (Lighting Designer/Operator): The feedback we’ve received in the first week has been abundant and gratifying. From children sharing their thoughts on the music and lights to adults reminiscing their own feelings and experiences on childhood and adulting. Certain scenes may stage a thought they haven’t had in a long time, and hearing and sharing those thoughts and emotions from so many audience members was not only a surprise, but we felt privileged. It’s about conversation – we’re blessed to be able to start these conversations so that they may have an opportunity to speak to us and their family and friends about their own inner child.
Q: There seems to be a change in venue for the show, which is now being held at Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya (SMV) in Beaufort Street. What is your experience performing in this venue, and how is it different from the Blue Room Theatre?
Mani: I've only been [at SMV] while working with Pavan on Child. It's a beautiful dance studio which doubles as a theatre! I think we've been able to create a more customised experience for theatregoers with the large space we have, and Claire's amazing foyer activation. It feels special to be performing Child in a place that's an important part of Pavan's childhood. Even though it's bigger, I think it feels more intimate to me because most of the team are super familiar with the venue, so it feels like welcoming people into a space that's ours in some way. Whereas The Blue Room Theatre, even though it's awesome, the difference is that being at a special new venue feels, well, special and new. The vibe of SMV is also just very calming and feels like it’s brimming with creativity.
Laura Liu (Producer): I’ve gone past SMV for years and always wondered what the building was. It’s so awesome to be able to discover, create and play in this space now! There is something so fulfilling about entering and being welcomed with generosity into a creative space that is sacred and special to a community. And like Mani mentioned, it’s beautiful to see a show about childhood and inner child be produced and played in a venue where the lead creatives grew up in.
Q: What were your key influences for this piece? What inspired you? What did you draw from?
Kira: I feel like this is mostly Pavan’s realm to answer this question, because I haven’t really written any of the show, but I did write my one song in there, so we’ll talk about that. My influences for this piece (the song) were real life experiences of, in my case, disconnecting with God. So not from my inner child, but from faith, and experiencing the temptations to find in other people or in the world around me the things that only God can really give me in a way that could truly fill me. So I characterised [as] a romance with someone who wasn’t actually able to fill the space in my heart. That I was actually just really crying out for God to fill my heart. So the song’s about that experience.
Pavan Kumar Hari (Lead Creative/Performer/Composer): Child was born from a deep curiosity about how we carry our early experiences of childhood into adult life. The story is very anecdotal and has come from many years of reflection. Through conversations with others and myself, the revelation that inspired the work was that in our adult life, the inner child never dies, but rather waits patiently to be heard, to be witnessed where it hides.
Creatively, I drew from my own memories, and from the ways sound and movement can access truths that language alone cannot. Since the process was so collaborative, I drew largely from others in the team and their own resonance to the story.
Musically, I was influenced by traditional Indian rhythmic cycles, Western minimalism, and improvisational textures that allow for emotional spontaneity.
Q: The show draws on both Western and Indian storytelling. Can you tell us a bit about how the storytelling approaches from these two cultures interact with each other in the piece?
Pavan: Ultimately both Indian and Western forms of storytelling are just that, storytelling. They are both forms of expression which is why in this work, they both come together as equals. Musically, the Indian rhythms merge with Western harmony.
Movement-wise, Western contemporary freedom fuses Indian Classical hand gestures which carry symbolism in the story. The two cultures meet in improvisation as they speak to one another in counterparts. Being born as an Indian in Australia, these forms of storytelling exists within me and through our incredible team, they were expanded upon and made tangible.
Q: If people enjoy this show, is there a piece of media (book, film, music, theatre etc.) you’d recommend for people to seek out?
Annmarie C-J (Publicist): If this show stirred something in you, you might enjoy revisiting the works that live in the same emotional landscape — think of Inside Out or Where the Wild Things Are, for their gentle unravelling of the self. Or the music of Joanna Newsom or Nils Frahm, for sound that feels like memory. Even the poetry of Mary Oliver or David Whyte – artists who remind us to pause, to feel, to wonder. Seek out anything that feels like a soft mirror to your own becoming.
Laura: Kpop Demon Hunters is also a fun bit of art with music and reminders of childhood.
Q: What has been your favourite thing about performing/delivering the show so far?
Manju: I have absolutely enjoyed the collaborative process of working on this show. The incredible talent of the 3 performers and the generosity between the team (both on stage and off) helped put together a work that doesn't belong to any one person but is a real amalgamation of every person's input/creativity.
Deven: From the beginning, the conversations were always collaborative and open. Although the production’s protagonist is an artist finding their form, we understood that this applies to everyone, whichever profession and whatever culture. The best part of making this production was listening. Listening to how others experienced their childhood, their comforts, their hobbies and how they felt. Opening up a whole range of understandings and knowledge for the rest of the team. We only hope the audience may share their experiences in this endeavour and connect us all to their inner child.
Mani: Finding the play with Pavan throughout the show, which keeps it living and in touch with our own real-life inner children.
Q: What do you hope audiences take away from this show?
Mani: I hope they remember their inner child and see what connection might look like. I hope they'll be reminded of the joy they can find from listening to their bodies, following their curiosity, and finding wonder in the little things.
Deven: When we started the conversation of Child a couple years ago, it was clear to us just how much we get pushed away from that aspect of inner child. Life and attachments to our endeavours continue to test our own willingness to explore and stay true to who we are, and be clouded completely by societal expectations and industrial reforms, whichever way they come. We hope the audience can explore, listen and play just a little more, to their inner child.
Annmarie: We hope audiences walk away feeling a little more curious — more open to wonder, play, and possibility. We hope they feel lighter in spirit, a little less burdened by the noise of fear or expectation. Perhaps they caught a glimpse of their inner child… or felt an invitation to begin listening to that voice again.
More than anything, we hope the show planted a quiet seed of compassion — a reminder that even in life’s hardest moments, there’s always a choice. To follow your own truth, or the version the world tells you to live. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll choose to lead from your heart.
Kira: I hope that audiences can take away some kind of piece of inspiration to reconnect in some way spiritually. Or to re-engage with a process of learning or searching for truth that may have been left behind or abandoned at some point. I just hope that it will inspire people to deliberately engaging in enriching their inner life in some way – inner life meaning the spiritual self.
Q: What’s next for you after Child?
Deven: We have a number of projects that are in continuous work. We feel that although much work goes into preparing a production, there’s always more we can do in terms of research and clarity. Perhaps something we can become more precise at in the years that go by!
Music, theatre or dance productions, we are very excited by what we have coming up. Stay in contact with our socials for more information, and we hope to see you all there. Child has been at the forefront of our thinking these past few months, and we hope we can spark conversations in our audience’s inner child.
Laura: Also, Deven is about to become a father! Baby on their way – August 2025 woohoo!
Child is currently showing at Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya (SMV) from July 8th - 19th. Get your tickets here.
Photography by Taje Singh.
