Birth of Prithvi Theatre(mumbai)

The Birth of the Theatre

The late Prithviraj Kapoor launched a Hindi theatre company called Prithvi Theatres in 1944, with a production of Kalidasa's "Shakuntala". It was as actor-manager of this troupe that Prithviraj Kapoor toured India for 16 years. It was his dream to eventually construct a theatre - a dream which, at the time of his demise in 1972 was yet to become a reality.
During this time another theatrical company, Shakespeareana*, was touring India. Headed by the charismatic husband and wife team of Geoffrey and Laura Kendal, Shakespeareana performed Shakespeare and contemporary English theatre for captive Indian audiences all over the country.
Prithvi Theatres and Shakespeareana crossed paths at the Royal Opera House in Bombay. It was this meeting that would marry two acting traditions and give birth to a small and unique theatre - Prithvi.

Prithviraj Kapoor's youngest son Shashi Kapoor, who had worked as an actor in the Prithvi Theatres, married Jennifer Kendal, daughter of Laura and Geoffrey Kendal, and the leading actress of Shakespeareana.
Both Shashi and Jennifer shared a passion for theatre, and a great respect for Prithviraj's dream for Indian theatre. After studying the situation of theatre in the country, a need was felt for a unique theatre space - a space where the intimate and compelling actor/audience relationship, not unlike that of traditional Indian folk theatre, could be rediscovered.

A few years after Prithviraj Kapoor's demise, they decided to set up a trust in his memory and buy land with the intention of building a theatre to promote the performing arts, thus the Shri Prithviraj Kapoor Memorial Trust was formed.
Shashi and Jennifer worked dedicatedly towards realising Prithviraj's dream, and on the 5th of November '78 the Prithvi Theatre was inaugurated.
Prithvi is now a focal point for thousands of theatre lovers. It was born of a love for theatre and it continues to thrive on the patronage and good wishes of its actors and its audiences.

Geoffrey Kendal accompanied by his wife Laura Lidell first came to India in the 1940's - both as actors with ENSA, the entertainment company for the British troupes. This was the beginning of a relationship with India which was to last till the end of their working years, and later.

After World War II Geoffrey Kendal formed his own theatre company- Shakespeareana. As actor-manager of this company, Geoffrey Kendal toured India and the far east extensively right upto the 1980's accompanied by Laura, and in the early years, by his two daughters Jennifer Brag and Felicity Kendal.

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