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Ravana in London

The Theatrical Career of a Demon in the South Asian Diaspora

Oberlin College, USA, Paula.Richman{at}oberlin.edu

The Ramayana, one of Hinduism's two pre-eminent epics, portrays the heroic Rama as an exemplar of proper behavior, but demon king Ravana as deviant in culinary, sexual, and political deeds. Representations of Ravana have been theorized as functioning to (1) dehumanize (mostly Muslim) enemies as aliens or (2) condemn treatment by plantation owners in indentured labor colonies. This article analyzes representations of Ravana in three London plays (1970—2001) to see how South Asian diasporic performances depict the demonic. In a feminist Ramlila in Southall, Greater London, Ravana symbolizes racism in Britain. In a family entertainment at the National Theatre, Ravana is composed of ten `multicultural' heads. In a Tara Arts production where Rama meets Odysseus, the external enemy (Ravana), matters less than the internal one (the suspicions men harbor about their wives). These examples suggest that, in diaspora contexts, representations of Ravana can generate multiple, complex, and sometimes contradictory meanings.

Key Words: Birmingham Repertory Theatre • multiculturalism (Britain) • National Theatre (Britain) • Ramayana • Ramlila • Ravana • Southall • Tara Arts

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