Come October, the sixth edition of Aadyam, a theatre initiative by Aditya Birla Group, will bring plays from stage to screen as it goes online in the times of coronavirus, the organisers announced on Tuesday. Aadyam, for its debut digital edition, will bring back three plays from its repertoire, which will be streamed via Insider.in.

The three plays will be “Bandish 20-20,000 Hz” (Hindi) by Purva Naresh, “I Don’t Like It, As You Like It” (English) by Rajat Kapoor, and “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (English) by Akash Khurana. The tickets for the shows will be available from late September and the streaming dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Talking about the digital shift of theatre, Shernaz Patel, artistic director, Aadyam said that even during these tough times theatre will find a way to survive as it has for hundreds of years. “This is a tough time for theatre…very tough. We excel in the live, we thrive on the immediate and tactile communion between us and the audience. This love, passion, need…call it what you will…brings us back to the stage year after year, even as sceptics debate if theatre is dying.

“Theatre has survived centuries. With every catastrophe, we have found ways to reinvent ourselves. Death has never been an option for us. So, in 2020 if we have to perform in 920 x 1080 pixels, we will. We accept the challenge. Because this is what we do,” Patel said. The online show would also be made interactive with live polling and mini quizzes.

Aadyam also launched a community platform on Tuesday for theatre lovers, called ‘Theatre Ink’. It features original content written and presented by theatre practitioners and reputed writers from across the country. To be presented in a blog format, Theatre Ink, edited by Patel, will feature interviews, insights, articles, advice, tips, news, behind the scenes snippets and much more, catering to both the industry and audience.