Indian Ink Theatre Company

The extraordinary artistic partnership of Justin Lewis and Jacob Rajan is now comfortably in its second decade. Together, they have created a series of remarkable theatre productions of intimate scale, each one reminding us of the simple truths of life.

REPERTORY

2025/2026 SEASON

Dirty Work

At Sysyphus Solutions, founder Vijay runs this billion-dollar enterprise remotely, from his home in Bangalore. Somewhere in another place, another country is one of satellite offices of Sysyphus where Joy cleans the offices for minimum wage. The computers are down and the big boss wants the impossible. A hapless middle manager, his unhelpful assistant and their chorus of office workers are making a mess of things. Which isn’t good news for the cleaner. But tonight, Joy brings her own dreams to life, with a chorus of 20 singing office mates where everyone finds a path to their own vision and navigates a way through the delicate balance Dirty Work and their own dreams. Workplace hierarchies are shattered, class and culture clash and from the chaos emerges a different way to value one another. The four actors of Indian Ink star with a chorus of locals in each venue.

"A joyful, highly theatrical celebration"

-NZ HERLAD

Mrs. Krishnans Party

Step into the back room of Mrs. Krishnan’s convenience store where garlands decorate the ceiling, music flows and Mrs. Krishnan is throwing a party like no other. Food simmers on the stove, laughter abounds and strangers become friends in thei joyous celebration of life.

Watch the actors juggle cooking, music, and guests in an unfolding drama where no two nights are the same at a show that has the critics ravings and audiences leaping to their feet

"A joyful, highly theatrical celebration"

-NZ HERLAD

Paradise (Or The Impermanence of Ice Cream)

Kutisar, your unlikely spiritual guide from The Guru of Chai, returns to guide you to Paradise. Jacob Rajan’s masterful storytelling is center stage as he weaves 1980s Mumbai nightclubs, raging infernos and ice- cream into the mystery of India’s vanishing vultures. Laugh out loud funny and profoundly moving, Paradise is packed full of delicious treats like exquisite puppetry, thrilling music and magical staging. Based on a true story…

"the vulture is a glorious combination of spirituality, solemnity and humour ”

-Australian Stage Review

WATCH

“The heavier themes are explored with a deft touch, helped along by Rajan’s flawless transitions from character to character.” -Theaterscenes

For almost two decades Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis have pursued their idea of the ‘Serious Laugh’- opening mouths with laughter in order to slip something serious in along with a love of mask and story. The company blends western theatrical traditions with eastern flavours and has been critically acclaimed for its use of live music, heightened theatricality, humour, pathos and great storytelling.