Aakash Odedra’s Songs of the Bulbul comes to London and Cambridge this July.

Aakash Odedra, one of the UK’s most celebrated Kathak artists, brings his award‑winning solo Songs of the Bulbul to Sadler’s Wells East from 7–11 July, followed by a final July performance at Cambridge Arts Theatre on 21 July.

Fresh from its acclaimed world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival — where it was named Best Show by The List and ranked second in The Guardian’s top dance works — the piece offers a rare chance for audiences to experience Odedra’s most personal work to date.

Drawing on an ancient Sufi myth of the bulbul, the Persian nightingale, the production blends Kathak, contemporary movement and Sufi poetic traditions. Described as “an immersive theatrical world that is both intimate and expansive”, the show is shaped by Odedra’s collaboration with choreographer Rani Khanam and composer Rushil Ranjan.

At its emotional core is a dedication to Odedra’s late mother, his “smiling bulbul”.

Tuesday 7 – Saturday 11 July at 7.30pm
Sadler’s Wells East, 101 Carpenters Rd, Stratford Cross, London E20 2AR
020 7863 8198 / https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/aakash-odedra-company-songs-of-the-bulbul
Tuesday 21 July at 7.30pm
CAMBRIDGE Arts Theatre, Cambridge, CB2 3PJ
01223 503333 / https://www.artstheatre.co.uk/whats-on/songs-of-the-bulbul/

(photo credit: Kuldeep Goswami)