KOCHI: The premiere of the second part of the Mahabharata, a four part rendering of the ancient Indian epic by renowned Japanese theatre personality, Hiroshi Koike, will be staged in Thrissur on January 12 as part of the International Theatre Festival.

The second part of the four-part Mahabharata series by Hiroshi is produced in India and the Thrissur-based Theatreconnekt has joined in with an array of international artists for the enactment.

Lee Sweek Keong, noted Butoch dancer from Malaysia, Tetsuro Koyano a Balinese mask dancer and well known choreographer Waewdao Sirosook will join with Sreejith Raman from the School of Drama Thrissur, Denny Paul, Sumesh (former dancers from Attakkalari, Bengaluru) and Moon Moon Singh, alumnus of National School of Drama Delhi. Indian artists will also be working in costume design, music, stage art design and management, according to a release by the promoters of the venture.

The first part of the Mahabharata was commissioned in 2013 and the director worked mainly in Cambodia. The Third and Final parts will be staged in Japan and Malaysia in the next two years.

After the performance at Thrissur, the second part of the Mahabharata will be staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai on January 14. This will be followed by a performance at Damansara Performing Arts Kuala Lumpur and Salihara Theatre in Jakarta on January 23 and 24 respectively.

Peter Brook, the British born theatre personality living in Paris had adapted Mahabharata for a theatre performance using multi-national artistes in the late 1980s. Since then this is the first time another major important global theatre personality has turned to the epic for a dramatic performance.