Theatre for the Ballot: Campaigning with Street Theatre in India

An integral part of political campaigns in India, street theatre is not restricted to parties of any particular ideology; the nature and role of street theatre varies according to different organizational structures and conditions of performance. For political parties it is a mode of reaching out to the electorate at the grassroots level; for spectators it is also a source of entertainment. The author toured with IndiaÕs foremost street theatre group, the Jana Natya Manch (PeopleÕs Theatre Forum), during campaigns in Kanpur for the April 2004 Parliamentary elections.