New London play to explore India’s officially recognised third gender ‘Hijra’
By Ben Kelly
A new play will present the untold story of the Hijra – India’s officially recognised third gender – when it opens in London today (April 8).
The House of In Between follows the lives of a Hijra clan in Bihar, who are making their way through India in 2016 while maintaining their culture, traditions, beliefs and values.
Hirjas – whose existence in India dates back centuries – are legally considered to be neither male nor female, and were in April 2014 acknowledged by India’s Supreme Court as a third gender.
Although some are intersex, Hirjas are generally born with male physiology. Some choose to undergo a ‘nirvaan’ which involved removal of the male genitalia.
The playwright Sevan K. Greene says of the production: “I was inspired to write a piece that gave voice to this marginalised group whose stories have been hidden yet resonate so loudly with me, with their need to hold on to the past while being slowly razed by the present.”
He adds: “Third genderism is a tricky concept so instead of trying to be scientific, I want audience to understand the Hirka tradition through a very specific clan.”
The House of In Between runs from April 8-30 at Theatre Royal Stratford East, London. For more information visit statfordeast.com.
For all the best deals on theatre tickets, visit tickets.attitude.co.uk.
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