Bengaluru — Bangalore, if you still call it that — has a theatre scene that surprises people who are new to the city. There are plays in Kannada, English and Hindi, and often in other languages too. There are grand auditoriums and tiny basement studios, decades-old amateur groups and new companies forming every year.
If you've watched a few plays and found yourself thinking I want to do that, this guide is for you. It's the route most actors in the city take, step by step.
Step 1: Watch a lot of theatre
Every good actor in Bangalore started in the audience. Watching widely teaches you what you like, introduces you to the groups and people doing the work, and shows you how many different kinds of theatre there are. A few venues every newcomer should know:
- Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar. Opened in 2004 and named after the actor and director Shankar Nag, it was envisioned by Arundhati Nag and is run by the Sanket Trust. It's a dedicated playhouse with shows in many languages and an annual theatre festival that has become a fixture of the city's calendar.
- Ravindra Kalakshetra, near Town Hall. Opened in 1963 to mark Rabindranath Tagore's birth centenary, it's a landmark of Kannada theatre. Its stage has seen the work of figures such as B.V. Karanth and Girish Karnad.
- Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield. Opened in 2011 by Arundhati and Jagdish Raja of the Artistes' Repertory Theatre, it's an intimate theatre with a thrust stage, where the audience sits on three sides. It hosts theatre, music, comedy and workshops. (jagrititheatre.com)
- Bangalore International Centre, Domlur. A busy cultural centre that hosts plays, dance, talks and music through the year. (bangaloreinternationalcentre.org)
- Chowdiah Memorial Hall. The famous violin-shaped hall named after the violinist T. Chowdiah, used for larger productions and concerts.
Beyond these, look for plays in smaller spaces: studios, cafés, bookshops and community halls. Some of the most exciting work in the city happens in rooms with fifty seats.
Step 2: Get to know the groups
Bangalore's theatre runs on groups: collectives of actors, directors and technicians who make plays together, many of them amateur in the old sense — people who do it for love, around day jobs. Some have been around for generations. Bangalore Little Theatre, for example, was founded in 1960 and is often described as the city's oldest English-language theatre group; it runs training through its Academy of Theatre Arts, including an annual Summer Project on Theatre. (bangalorelittletheatre.org)
To find groups:
- Read the programme notes at every play you see. They list the group, the director and often what's coming next.
- Follow venues and groups on Instagram, where most auditions and workshops are announced.
- Talk to people in the foyer after a show. Theatre is a small world, and newcomers who turn up regularly get noticed.
Step 3: Take a workshop
A good workshop is the fastest way in. It trains you, puts you in a room with other beginners, and often leads directly to a first production.
When you're choosing an acting workshop or class in Bangalore, ask:
- How much time will I spend on my feet? Acting is learnt by doing. Look for sessions that are mostly practical.
- How big is the batch? Smaller groups mean more individual attention.
- Who is teaching, and what do they make? A teacher who acts or directs on stage regularly brings the craft in with them.
- Is there a showing at the end? Performing what you've learnt for an audience, even a small one, is where the learning sets in.
- Can I try a session or talk to past students? Any confident teacher will be happy for you to.
Fees, duration and style vary enormously, so compare what's included rather than price alone.
Step 4: Audition — and work backstage
Many groups hold open auditions for new productions; some will ask you to prepare a monologue (here's our step-by-step guide to preparing an audition monologue). Don't be discouraged if your first few go nowhere. Ask whether there's a smaller role, or a place in the ensemble.
And say yes to backstage work. Running lights, managing props or being an assistant stage manager teaches you how a production actually works, earns you the trust of a group, and very often leads to a role in the next show. Plenty of actors started by holding a torch in the wings.
Step 5: Train on your own
Between workshops and rehearsals, keep the instrument in shape:
- Do a daily voice and diction warm-up.
- Learn the foundations of Stanislavski's system and practise the Meisner repetition exercise with a friend.
- Explore the Indian tradition through navarasa practice.
- Read plays — two a month is a good habit. Read Indian playwrights alongside the classics.
- If nerves hold you back, work through our stage fright techniques.
Step 6: Perform wherever you can
Readings, open mics, short-play festivals, college fests, community events — every performance in front of a real audience counts. The city has a busy calendar of spoken-word nights, storytelling evenings and short-form theatre, and these are where many actors find their nerve and their first collaborators.
Questions people ask
Do I need experience to start?
No. Workshops and many groups welcome complete beginners. What matters is that you turn up, listen and work.
Which language should I act in?
Start in the language you think and feel in most easily. Many Bangalore actors work in two or three languages over time; the craft carries across.
Am I too old to start?
No. Theatre needs people of every age, and many actors in the city came to it in their thirties, forties or later, often alongside full-time jobs.
How much time does it take?
A workshop might mean a few hours a week. A production usually means regular evening and weekend rehearsals for several weeks before opening. Ask about the schedule before you commit.
Where ADC fits in
ADC — Aarambh Drama Company — is a theatre company in Koramangala. We rehearse, train and make theatre from our studio in the basement of Chandru Chambers, on 80 Feet Road. Aarambh means "the beginning", in Hindi and in Kannada — and every actor's journey has one.
If you're in Koramangala, come and find us.