Aditi Mangaldas brings powerful response to Delhi gang rape case back to London stage

Highlights

• The acclaimed Kathak choreographer returns to Sadler’s Wells Theatre with WITHIN on 27 and 28 November.
• Inspired by the 2012 Nirbhaya case, the production explores the duality of humanity and brutality.
• The two-part work moves from darkness to light through contemporary movement, classical Kathak, music and poetry.

Acclaimed Indian dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas will return to London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre in November with WITHIN, a powerful dance production inspired by the 2012 Nirbhaya case in Delhi.

The production will be staged on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November, marking its first UK performances since 2014. Through contemporary choreography rooted in the classical Indian dance form Kathak, Mangaldas explores the relationship between humanity and brutality, examining the darkness within people and the possibility of transformation.

Mangaldas was working in her studio in Delhi when the rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in the city shocked India and drew international condemnation. Known publicly as Nirbhaya, meaning fearless in Hindi, the victim became the inspiration for WITHIN, which confronts the continuing reality of violence against women.

The production unfolds in two connected parts, KNOTTED and UNWRAPPED, taking audiences on a journey from darkness towards light.

Eleven dancers, including Mangaldas, struggle across the stage through repeated turns and fallsArijeet Mukherjee

A dance production confronting humanity and brutality

The opening section, KNOTTED, presents a dark and unsettling vision accompanied by an apocalyptic soundtrack composed by Ish Shehrawat and diFfuSed beats of Sound Reasons.

Eleven dancers, including Mangaldas, struggle across the stage through repeated turns and falls. Their movements push Kathak technique to its limits, exploring the brutality people inflict on others as well as themselves. The section creates an intense atmosphere that confronts audiences with the horror at the heart of the work.

The second section, UNWRAPPED, shifts towards classical Kathak, bringing dancers together with percussionists and a singer on stage. With faces initially wrapped, the performers move through elegant formations, intricate spins and rhythmic footwork.

A central solo showcases Mangaldas’s storytelling through dance, while poetry narrated by the choreographer is taken up by the musicians. The music for this section was composed by Mahesh Vinayakram.

Aditi Mangaldas on the inspiration behind WITHIN

Mangaldas drew on the ideas of Indian philosopher J. Krishnamurti and the symbolism of Jain Siddha sculpture when developing the production.

Reflecting on these influences, she said: “Two major factors influenced my response to the horror of the Nirbhaya case and the choreography of WITHIN.”

She explained that Krishnamurti’s words about understanding oneself through an accurate reflection helped shape the work. Jain Siddha sculpture also influenced her thinking through its representation of transformation and the possibilities that exist within each person.

Mangaldas drew on the ideas of Indian philosopher J. Krishnamurti and the symbolism of Jain Siddha sculpture Innee Singh

The production’s concluding section draws on a poem by Hazrat Shah Niaz, which reflects on how recognising the humanity within ourselves can allow love and beauty to shape the world around us.

Mangaldas said these ideas informed the work’s movement from darkness to light.

Aditi Mangaldas returns to Sadler’s Wells

Recognised internationally for her work in Kathak, Mangaldas combines the classical form’s distinctive spins, percussive footwork and rhythmic precision with a contemporary movement vocabulary.

Mangaldas won the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance in 2024 for MEHEK, created with OdedraNarendra Dangia

She last appeared at Sadler’s Wells in 2024 with MEHEK, a duet created and performed with dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra. Her other productions presented at the venue include FORBIDDEN, which explores female sexual desire, and the classical solo IMMERSED. Her group work Inter_rupted was presented at the Barbican Centre as part of the Dance Umbrella Festival in 2016.

Mangaldas won the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Dance in 2024 for MEHEK, created with Odedra.

The upcoming performances of WITHIN offer London audiences an opportunity to experience a work that uses dance to confront violence, examine human nature and explore the possibility of change.

Event details

• Production: WITHIN by Aditi Mangaldas
• Dates: Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November 2026
• Time: 7.30pm
• Venue: Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN
• Tickets: Sadler’s Wells official booking page
• Age recommendation: 12+
• Additional information: A British Sign Language-interpreted post-show talk will take place on Friday 27 November.