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Christ University Theatre Collective — Where theatre is built by hand

My Fair Lady — the Ascot ensemble in Edwardian costume on the CUTC stage

Now Playing

A Double Bill

Double Bill

The Proposal Scene 1 The Proposal Scene 2 The Proposal Scene 3 The Proposal Scene 4 The Proposal Scene 5

One-Act Comedy

The Proposal

A nervous landowner arrives to propose marriage but gets derailed into a furious argument about meadow boundaries and hunting dogs. Chekhov at his most absurd — a surgical exposé of vanity, status anxiety, and the ridiculous mechanics of bourgeois courtship.

  • Director Ajna Sultana
  • Lomov Sudhansh Shrish Lal
  • Natalia Stepanovna Aishwarya (Oishorjo) Mahalanobis
  • Chubukov Ray Paul Manoj

One-Act Comedy

The Wedding

A wedding reception spirals into chaos. The bride's family has hired a retired naval captain to impress the guests — but he's the wrong captain. Social pretension collapses under its own weight in this ensemble comedy of manners, music, and mayhem.

  • Director Philipp Sulim
  • Aplombov Sudhansh Shrish Lal
  • Zmeyukina Aishwarya (Oishorjo) Mahalanobis
  • Revunov-Karaulov Philipp Sulim
  • Nastasya Timofeyevna Trisha Purohit
  • Dashenka Deepthi R Rao
  • Yats Ray Paul Manoj
  • Dimba Ajna Sultana
  • Nunina Namika Srinivas
The Wedding Scene 1 The Wedding Scene 2 The Wedding Scene 3 The Wedding Scene 4 The Wedding Scene 5

The Double Bill, in Frames

Remaining intensely faithful to Chekhov's biting humour and late nineteenth-century Russian bourgeois context, this double bill blends physical comedy with live music, ensemble singing, and dynamic dancing for contemporary global audiences.

The Proposal Background 1 The Wedding Background 1 The Proposal Background 2 The Wedding Background 2 Background 5 Background 6 Background 7 Background 8 Background 9 Background 10 Background 11 Background 12 Background 13

Performance Captures

Stills from the Show

Stills from the Show — Scene from The Proposal
Stills from the Show — The Proposal dramatic confrontation
Stills from the Show — The Wedding banquet celebration
Stills from the Show — The Wedding ensemble performance
Stills from the Show — The Proposal character still
Stills from the Show — The Wedding comedic exchange
Stills from the Show — The Wedding musical dance sequence
Stills from the Show — Dramatic portrait still
Stills from the Show — The Wedding lively reception
Stills from the Show — Full company curtain call
"Our performers are also our technical crew, set builders, and stage managers. We don't just conceptualise worlds — we physically build them." Christ University Theatre Company

The Archive

Repertoire

From Broadway-licensed musicals to opera revivals, Greek tragedy to Russian naturalism — a body of work spanning classical and contemporary theatrical forms.

The Ascot Gavotte — the full My Fair Lady ensemble in Edwardian finery, a sweeping stage composition with elaborate period costumes under purple and white lighting

Broadway-Licensed Musical · MTI

Lerner & Loewe · 2025 & 2026 · KE Auditorium, Bengaluru

The grandest, most ambitious undertaking in CUTC history. Six virtually sold-out performances across two major runs. The highest-grossing theatre production of the year in Bengaluru. Performed entirely with unrecorded, fully live singing on stage, featuring an incredible, completely hand-crafted stage design capable of transforming fluidly across scenes — from Covent Garden to Higgins' study to the Ascot racecourse.

  • Director: Philipp Sulim
  • Production Design & Scenography: Ajna Sultana
  • Vocal Direction: Andrey Morozov
  • Licensed by: Music Theatre International (MTI)
Romeo and Juliet Poster

A Punk Tragedy · William Shakespeare

Shakespeare · 2026 · Christ University

Shakespeare's tragedy reimagined against the gritty backdrop of 1990s London — the feud staged as a violent clash between rival football hooligan firms. An original live rock score written, composed, and performed on stage by the ensemble. Period-authentic punk styling, high-energy choreographed combat, and a monumental 15ft arch centrepiece built entirely by the production team.

  • Director: Philipp Sulim
  • Art Direction: Ajna Sultana
Antigone — a magenta and crimson stage composition with haze, figures in golden armour, and dramatic overhead lighting

Tragusical · An Anachronistic Adaptation

Sophocles · 2024 · Jagriti Theatre & Christ University

Sophocles' Greek tragedy reimagined through a fantasy-driven lens — a world populated by elves with custom prosthetic features, grand choreographed combat sequences, an original live score, and immersive surround projections cast across the ceiling and walls of the auditorium.

  • Director & Combat Choreography: Philipp Sulim
  • Scenography & Art Direction: Ajna Sultana
Trial by Jury — the full company in Victorian court dress, performing live opera on a courtroom set

Comic Opera · Gilbert & Sullivan

2024 · KE Auditorium, Bengaluru

The first fully staged, ticketed opera in Bengaluru in over seven decades. Vocalists trained under Belarusian opera veterans Andrey Morozov and Natalla Morozova. Sold out its initial run through organic community outreach before staging a massive 2,000-seat performance. The production returned its entire budget.

  • Director, Scenographer & Production Designer: Ajna Sultana
  • Vocal Direction: Andrey Morozov & Natalla Morozova
Shim Cheong — performers in vivid Korean costume with elaborate handcrafted props including a giant illuminated lotus

Original Indo-Korean Adaptation · Thespo 25

2023 · Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai & Christ University

A monumental Indo-Korean collaboration performed entirely in Korean. Selected as one of just four productions nationwide from over 100 submissions for Thespo 25, India's premier youth theatre festival. Two sold-out shows at the iconic Prithvi Theatre. Featuring a fully handcrafted 15-metre dragon requiring ensemble puppetry and a giant illuminated lotus centrepiece.

  • Writer, Director & Scenographer: Ajna Sultana
  • Producer: Philipp Sulim
  • Original Score: Koshy Thomas
The Importance of Being Earnest — cast in high Victorian dress, elaborate set with floral arrangements and period furniture

Classical Comedy · Oscar Wilde

Wilde's Trivial Comedy for Serious People · Christ University

Oscar Wilde's timeless masterpiece brought to life with meticulous period authenticity, razor-sharp comedic timing, and exquisite visual detail. Historical accuracy across set design, accent work, physical deportment, and high-society mannerisms. All sets and costumes built by hand.

  • Director: Philipp Sulim
  • Scenography & Art Direction: Ajna Sultana
The Seagull poster

Naturalistic Revival · Anton Chekhov

Chekhov · Christ University

Directed by native Russian, Stanislavski-trained practitioner Philipp Sulim. A "one-set wonder" built entirely from scratch — grass spanning the stage floor and a functional pond filled with water constructed into the stage architecture. Every set piece and historical costume manually built in-house.

  • Director: Philipp Sulim
  • Masha: Ajna Sultana
"Because our performers are also our technical crew, set builders, and stage managers, our company possesses an unparalleled structural agility — making us uniquely equipped for the high-stakes pressure and rapid turnarounds of global festival circuits." CUTC Ensemble Statement

The Company

Ensemble

Fourth-year Honours students and accomplished faculty directors. Not merely students and faculty — a disciplined, professional ensemble engineered to execute high-stakes, technically complex performances on the global stage.

Philipp Sulim — at work during The Seagull

Philipp Sulim

Chair of Theatre · Stage Director · Executive Producer

Specialist in Arts (Sp.A.) in Acting, Directing, and Theatre Pedagogy from the University of Arts and Culture, Saint Petersburg, Russia. A master trainer in acting and directing, Stage Combat Specialist. Bridges rigorous classical training with innovative modern stagecraft across large-scale commercial hits, interdisciplinary immersive adaptations, and international festival features.

Author of "Stanislavski's Realism as a Relevant Mode of Artistic Production in Contemporary Post-Truth Art" published in The Post-Truth Era, Literature and Media.

My Fair Lady Antigone The Seagull The Bear Romeo & Juliet The Wedding
Ajna Sultana — art direction for Antigone, wide shot of the scenography

Ajna Sultana

Director · Scenographer · Playwright · Assistant Professor

A complete visual and narrative auteur. Grounded in literary scholarship and the Stanislavski system, she bridges academic pedagogy with intense, hands-on stagecraft. Her practice encompasses original playwriting, acting, fine illustration, graphic design, technical set fabrication, prop crafting — she manually executes every layer of a production from the ground up.

Her acting credits include Iago in Shakespeare's Othello and Masha in Chekhov's The Seagull.

Shim Cheong Trial by Jury My Fair Lady Antigone The Importance of Being Earnest The Proposal
A scene from My Fair Lady featuring the study set — Sudhansh performed as Colonel Pickering

Sudhansh Shrish Lal

Actor · Director · Theatre Educator

A versatile performer whose practice spans classical theatre, musical theatre, psychological realism, movement-based performance, and theatre pedagogy. Grounded in the Stanislavski system, guided by the philosophy: "Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art."

Served as Assistant Director and played Zoltan Karpathy in My Fair Lady's inaugural run, transitioning to Colonel Pickering for the second. Director and Scenographer for Synge's Riders to the Sea and Strindberg's The Stronger.

My Fair Lady The Importance of Being Earnest Antigone Trial by Jury The Proposal The Wedding
A scene from The Proposal — Oishorjo as Natalia Stepanovna

Aishwarya (Oishorjo) Mahalanobis

Actor · Costume Designer · Theatre Educator

Kolkata-born theatre actor with training in Bharatanatyam, Western Classical Vocals, and Western dance forms. Her approach integrates movement, voice, and character. Expertise in costume design, props, makeup, and visual storytelling. International training with the Baylor University Theatre Department.

Credits include Lady Bracknell in Earnest, Mrs Pearce in My Fair Lady, and the remarkable site-specific production Somporko Theatre — staged inside a moving Kolkata tram.

My Fair Lady The Importance of Being Earnest Shim Cheong Antigone The Proposal The Wedding
Trial by Jury — Ray Paul Manoj performed as a vocalist and actor in this operatic production

Ray Paul Manoj

Singer · Actor · Choir Conductor · Ensemble Musician

A singer, choral conductor, actor, and instrumentalist who bridges musical excellence with theatrical performance across opera, musical theatre, and Western classical choral repertoire. He leads and shapes musical ensembles as conductor and euphoniumist, with professional commitments including the Bangalore Men's Chorus.

Performed as Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady, Simone in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Bass Soloist in Mozart's Requiem.

My Fair Lady Gianni Schicchi Mozart Requiem The Proposal The Wedding
A scene from The Importance of Being Earnest — Deepthi served as Assistant Director

Deepthi R Rao

Actor · Director · Stage Manager

Grounded in the Stanislavski system and dual-tradition vocal training, she bridges performance authenticity with rigorous technical execution across script analysis, lighting, and stage design. From directing modern classic texts to hands-on hair styling, prop crafting, and financial coordination — she supports productions both onstage and behind the scenes.

Director of Treadwell's Machinal and Molnár's A Matter of Husbands. International devised collaboration with Baylor University.

Machinal The Importance of Being Earnest My Fair Lady Shim Cheong The Wedding
My Fair Lady ballroom scene — Trisha Purohit starred as Eliza Doolittle

Trisha Purohit

Actor · Vocalist · Dancer

An actor, singer, dancer, and artist pursuing Theatre Honours at Christ University. Trained extensively in acting, Western Classical and Musical Theatre vocals, ballet, and jazz. A soprano with the Bangalore Cappella Choir, she completed an exchange programme at Baylor University, Texas, studying acting, dance, vocals, Shakespeare, and devised theatre.

Recent credits include Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Oz in We Will Rock You (South India tour), Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest, and Nastasya Timofyevna in The Wedding.

My Fair Lady We Will Rock You The Importance of Being Earnest The Wedding Antigone Shim Cheong
A scene from The Wedding — Namika as Nunina in the wedding ensemble

Yekkala Namika Srinivas

Vocal Coach · Performer · Multidisciplinary Artist

A performer, educator, and multidisciplinary artist grounded in Western classical vocal technique and psychology. Her practice encompasses vocal pedagogy, orchestral performance, acting, and creative collaboration across stage and studio. From clarinet and guitar performance to fine makeup artistry and prop management.

Professional voice acting credits include Toonz Animation and Half Boiled Studios. Vocal Coach with The Mystic Keys (Dubai) and Circle of Fifths (Bengaluru). Trinity Rock & Pop Vocals (Grade 7).

Gianni Schicchi Magnificat The Wedding
The CUTC Ensemble Group

How We Build

The Craft

Every phase of the production lifecycle, managed entirely in-house. We are performers, builders, painters, tailors, electricians, and designers — the same people.

Set Construction & Scenography

Hand-fabricated structural sets built from the ground up. A Covent Garden market that transforms into a Wimpole Street study. A multi-tiered throne that becomes a cave. A stage floor covered in real grass with a functional pond of water. Not rented — built.

Costume & Period Design

Meticulously researched period costumes fabricated in-house. Victorian RP accents matched with historically accurate dress. Late-19th century Russian bourgeois wardrobes. Korean traditional costume for a production performed entirely in Korean. Every garment made by the performers who wear them.

Live Music & Vocal Performance

100% live vocal execution. No playback, no pre-recorded tracks. Operatic harmonies trained under Belarusian master instructors. An original live rock score written and performed on stage. Classical choral performance. Live piano accompaniment performed on equal terms with the singers.

Lighting & Technical Design

Complex lighting design, immersive surround projections, spatial audio via hidden rear speakers, dynamic visual environments. Technical workflows engineered for high spatial adaptability and the rapid bump-in/bump-out turnarounds of festival circuits.

Practical Effects & Prop Craft

A 15-metre handcrafted dragon requiring ensemble puppetry. An internally illuminated giant lotus. A Tiresias creature with functional moving mouth sculpted across its back. Dancing jellyfish and octopus constructions. Custom prosthetic features for an entire cast.

Visual Identity & Illustration

High-end, hand-drawn illustrations, poster design, and promotional identity created entirely from scratch. Not outsourced to agencies — drawn, designed, and art-directed by the ensemble's own scenographer and visual artists.

My Fair Lady production featuring actors in period costumes during a tea scene, with Eliza Doolittle seated between two formally dressed gentlemen.
My Fair Lady - Eliza Doolittle’s world brought to life through expressive acting and period costumes.
Trial by Jury ensemble performing a lively group scene on stage, with actors in formal costumes under vibrant pink and purple lighting.
Trial By Jury - A lively ensemble showcasing expressive storytelling and stage presence.
Romeo & Juliet ensemble performing on stage under vibrant pink and purple lighting, with actors gathered in a dramatic group scene.
Romeo & Juliet - A vibrant stage with colourful lighting and dynamic performances.
My Fair Lady actors performing an intimate scene against a brick house set under warm stage lighting.
My Fair Lady - An intimate exchange captured through expressive acting and dramatic lighting.

About the Ensemble

Who We Are

We are a professional-grade theatre company and self-sufficient production house composed of fourth-year Music and Theatre Honours students from Christ University, Bengaluru, performing under the leadership of two accomplished faculty directors.

Operating at the highest tier of industry standards, our collective bridges rigorous academic theory with an extensive, years-long track record of commercially successful, ticketed productions across prominent regional and national stages — Jagriti Theatre in Bengaluru, Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai.

Our ensemble's foundation is anchored in the Stanislavski System under the pedagogical guidance of our Department Chair and Russian theatre practitioner, Philipp Sulim. We train by principles of psychological realism, physical truth, and absolute ensemble cohesion. By marrying this deep, dramatic methodology with a rigorous heritage in Western classical music, we build multisensory, technically complex theatrical experiences in which performance, sound, and space exist as a single, unified voice.

What defines our practice is absolute creative autonomy and a commitment to international quality benchmarks. We manage every phase of the production lifecycle entirely in-house.

Institutional Affiliation

Department of Theatre & Music
Christ (Deemed to be) University
Hosur Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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