Holding Breath: From Eyjafjallajökull to Thirumandhamkunnu

This text is based on a paper delivered at the international conference ‘Interruptions: A research laboratory for theory and practice of theatre’ held in Tel Aviv, Israel, 1–3 January 2020. It was written to be spoken—and to some extent performed—with an accompanying PowerPoint presentation that included many images and video sequences. I have attempted to retain the ‘performance text’ quality in writing and approximate a visual counterpoint. The eighteen months since the initial presentation have allowed for editing and embellishing, and there are new sections together with extensive omissions. The Ruth Kanner Theatre Group introduced me through an energetic and playful choral orchestration of my biography, which was a difficult act to follow.