Chotto Desh

Premiere: 16 September 2023, the MAC, Belfast

We are delighted to present our much-loved family-friendly production of Chotto Desh. Adapted in 2015 by Theatre-Rites’ director Sue Buckmaster from Akram Khan’s Olivier Award-winning and critically acclaimed solo DESH, this heart-warming story follows a young man on a journey to find his place in the world.

Following its original three-year tour from 2015 to 2018, the production returned for touring in 2023, capturing the attention and imagination of a new generation of young audiences.

Chotto Desh, meaning “small homeland”, draws on Khan’s unique quality of cross-cultural storytelling, creating a compelling tale of a boy’s dreams and memories from Britain to Bangladesh that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the modern world. Blending Kathak and contemporary dance with an exquisite mix of spoken text, dreamlike animation, visuals and specially composed music, Chotto Desh is an enchanting and poignant dance-theatre experience for children aged 5+ and their families to enjoy together.

GUIdance

Guimaraes, Portugal

14 February 2026

Book

“A real delight. It mixes reality and mythology to explore rebellion, identity and homeland.”

The Guardian

Chotto Desh

Production Trailer | 2023

00:00
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00:00

Restaging Chotto Desh

Exploring the themes with Amy Butler

2:00

Storytelling with Sue Buckmaster

2:32

Performing with Jasper Narvaez

2:11

Credits

Akram Khan
Artistic Direction / Original Choreography
Sue Buckmaster
Direction / Adaptation
Jocelyn Pook
Music Composition
Guy Hoare
Lighting Design
Jose Agudo
Assistant Choreographer
Amy Butler
Rehearsal Director
Dionysios Alamanos
Rehearsal Director
Nicola Monaco
Rehearsal Director
Tim Yip
Original Visual Design
Kimie Nakano
Original Costume Supervisor

Artistic Team & Credits

DESH Artistic Direction and Original Choreography Akram Khan
Chotto Desh Direction and Adaptation Sue Buckmaster (Theatre-Rites)
Music Composition Jocelyn Pook
Lighting Design Guy Hoare
Stories imagined by Karthika Naïr and Akram Khan
The grandmother’s fable in Chotto Desh is taken from the book The Honey Hunter
Written by Karthika Naïr, Sue Buckmaster and Akram Khan
Assistant Choreographer Jose Agudo
Rehearsal Directors Dennis Alamanos, Amy Butler, Nico Monaco
Grandmother’s voice Leesa Gazi
Jui’s voice Sreya Andrisha Gazi
Dancers Jasper Narvaez, Nico Ricchini

See more

Exploration

- Karthika Naïr

Resource

The [Hi]stories of Chotto Desh

Gallery

Restaging Chotto Desh 2023 - Inside the Rehearsal Room

By Camilla Greenwell
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