In India, less and less people watch stage theatre today. Fast lives, the rise of multiplexes, gaming culture and independent cinema have all added to the challenge. So to promote the Hutch Ranga Shankara theatre festival, we had to think afresh. It started with an insight – Indians are curious about other people’s lives. Whether it’s a street fight or a lovers’ quarrel, people stand and watch. So we staged “incidents” for unsuspecting people to witness and be a part of.

We took theatre directly to the people. Dramatic scenes from real life were enacted in front of unsuspecting audiences. Professional actors were used and “incidents” were tailored to suit each location, like a couple breaking up at a restaurant or a fight at a coffee shop. Across 25 different locations. They ended with the message, “For more drama, come to Ranga Shankara”. Only then the audience realised that what they saw was staged. At which point flyers were also distributed. These contained detailed play synopses, schedules and timings, along with phone numbers and SMS codes for instant bookings and enquiries.

There was a visible increase in enquiries and bookings immediately following each “incident”. Every day, there were at least 200 phone calls and 150 SMS for ticket bookings/enquiries. Festival tickets were sold out a week in advance for both matinee and evening shows. During this time, the top of mind scores for Hutch rose by nearly 12%, without any additional media investment.