Putting up a show

A scene from the UK production. Pic/Helen Murray

Setting the stage
Coming in: January

Shernaz Patel and Sonali Kulkarni

Based on the Agatha Christie novel, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, the international production Mirror Crack'd is set to take stage in Mumbai. Produced by NCPA, the play has been adapted for an Indian audience by Ayeesha Menon and features prominent names like Shernaz Patel and Sonali Kulkarni. It will have a long run until the second week of February.

Popping in to the city
Coming in: April

Khalid Donnel Robinson, who goes by the stage name Khalid, might not have looked like a high-school kid in 2016. But he was still only 19 when he released Young, Dumb and Broke, a platinum hit single about the travails of youngsters who are still in school. Since then, the now 21-year-old has gone on to release his chartbusting second album Free Spirit, which has won him a Grammy nomination in the 2020 edition. The American singer has also collaborated with a host of other stars such as Shawn Mendes, Billie Ellish and Imagine Dragons for Thunder, a monster hit. The musician will be making a pit stop in Mumbai this April while on a tour of Asia. Be there to catch one of the biggest pop stars in the world right now in action.

Too hot to handle
Coming in: February

A veteran synth-pop band from the UK, Hot Chip has been in the business of making people swoon to their music since the early 2000s. Formed by a bunch of friends who met in school at Putney, their songs have evolved over the years from straight-up dance music to something more layered. They will be headlining a festival in Nashik in February. That same fest had brought down Justice, a premier French electronic act, last year. And with Hot Chip, the organisers have kept up their form because though it's a big-ticket act, few people would have expected them to play a gig in India, which incidentally was the same case with Justice.

Cultural confluence
Coming in: February

Dancer-choreographer Astad Deboo is back this year with a unique new performance. He is teaming up with Korean music group Noreum Machi and Carnatic musicians MC Manunath Praveen Kumar and Varijashree Venugopal. The untitled music and dance production developed in Berlin, will see Deboo respond to both sounds with choreography.

Let's dance
Coming in: February

Illenium is an American DJ who has made a name for himself not just with his singles and collaborations with acts such as The Chainsmokers, but also for remixing tracks of hit acts like Lana Del Ray and Florence and the Machine. He will make his India debut at a primarily electronic music festival in Pune in February. Expect a substantial dose of EDM, though unlike many other dance DJs, Illenium also lays emphasis on actual lyrics. Either way, don't forget to put your dancing shoes on while attending the gig.

Sounds from Madras
Coming in: January

Catch a glimpse of Margazhi, the December music and dance festival from Chennai, right here in the city. The day-long Margazhi Mahotsavam, will feature Carnatic music performances, lecture demonstrations and a South Indian canteen for flavours from the south. Some of the performers include vocalist Alamelu Mani, mridangam artist Umayalpuram K Sivaraman and violinist A Kanyakumari.

Trevor Noah will speak now
Coming in: April

The comedian, actor and producer Trevor Noah is touring with his show Loud and Clear 2020 and will make a stopover in the city. The show has much acclaim to its credit including an Emmy Award. He is known to take on political subjects in his unique satirical style and this may well be the comedy show to look out for this year.

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