Directed by May Joseph.
Choreographers: May Joseph and Muthu Mozhi.
Theyyem Performers: Muthu Mozhi, Similesh, Aneesh.
Kalaripayyati Performers: Midhilesh, Manish.
In 2004, the Tsunami swept into Cochin as a surge, an ominous portend for the city’s archipelago like structure. Cochin’s many
barrier islands are low lying regions facing open water, and hence vulnerable to the scenario of rising ocean levels. When the Sea Rises
is a performance on the Fort Cochin seawall along in the historic district of Fort Cochin. Fort Cochin was a major port in the
16th century maritime imaginary, and hence an ecumenical crossing point for world cultures. Vasco da Gama, Fort Cochin’s
most famous resident lived in Fort Cochin during his last days, and was buried here, before postthumously being sent back to Portugal.
When the Sea Rises is a performance exploring both Fort Cochin’s cosmopolitanism and its ecological vulnerability.
When The Sea Rises was a collaboration between local Fort Kochi performers trained in the Theyyem and Kalaripayyati movement traditions, and May Joseph, an environmental theater director trained in the Bharata Natyam dance tradition.