Kathakali in Kerala

Kathakali is Kerala's dance drama, performed by men playing gods, kings and demons from epic stories, and it is as much painting as movement. Faces are built up over two or three hours with rice paste and mineral colour into fixed types: green for the noble, red and black for the violent, with a papier mache ridge framing the chin. The dancer never speaks. Meaning is carried by hand gestures, by the eyes and eyebrows, and by singers and two drums at the side of the stage. Traditional performances at temple festivals run all night, while the shortened versions staged for visitors last an hour or two.

What you actually see

• The makeup session - dancers lying on the floor while chutti makers build up the face, usually open to watch.
• The gesture demonstration - a short explanation of mudras and eye technique before the play begins.
• Drums and vocal - chenda and maddalam plus singers with a gong, driving the entire performance.
• Costume and headdress - the vast pleated skirt, layered jackets and towering headgear built up on stage.

When to go

October to March is Kerala's dry season and also the temple festival season, when full-length performances happen at night in temple grounds. In Kochi, short evening shows run daily year-round and begin with the makeup, which is worth arriving early for. Book a seat in the front half, because the eye work does not carry far.

Honest expectations

Visitor shows are heavily condensed and can feel like a demonstration rather than a play. Full temple performances start near midnight and run until dawn, which very few travellers will sit through. Halls are hot, seating is basic, and the plot is impossible to follow without the printed summary. Flash photography from the audience is a constant irritation.

Nearby

Fort Kochi's old waterfront is the usual base, with the backwaters at Alappuzha a couple of hours south.