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Paper short abstract

In this autoethnographic research, decolonisation interrogates eurocentric knowledge hierarchies and pushing the boundaries of limitations shaping theatre practices in postcolonial Bangladesh, where colonial-era structures often marginalise local epistemologies.

Paper long abstract

The decolonisation of knowledge, power, and practice necessitates dismantling entrenched Eurocentric frameworks that sustain colonial hierarchies within institutional structures (Fanon, 1963; Said, 1978). In this autoethnographic research, decolonisation interrogates eurocentric knowledge hierarchies and pushing the boundaries of limitations shaping theatre practices in postcolonial Bangladesh, where colonial-era structures often marginalise local epistemologies.

As director and designer of Shakespeare Shoptok (2016), adapting seven Shakespeare classics (Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Taming of The Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), the author subverted colonial legacies of theatre presentation. Premiering at the British Council Bangladesh as part of ShakespeareLives (2016), the exhibition-style performance across seven venues in one premise challenged the proscenium arch's colonial dominance (Bhabha, 1994), reconfiguring spaces for local narratives. Dhaka University’s theatre students reclaimed local epistemologies by blending Shakespearean narratives with indigenous performance traditions, asserting institutional agency in crafting contested futures for theatre in the Global South (Spivak, 1988). This interplay destabilised the centre-periphery binary, creating liminal spaces for epistemic reclamation.

This paper examines Shakespeare Shoptok’s negotiation of epistemic limitations, highlighting decolonial practices that reshape knowledge production. Drawing on postcolonial theory, I explore local histories, power dynamics, and institutional contexts, offering insights into curricular transformation and epistemic justice in postcolonial settings. The exhibition’s impact underscores the potential of decolonial theatre to disrupt hegemonic narratives, fostering plural epistemologies.

Keywords: decolonisation, Shakespeare, Bangladesh theatre, epistemic resistance, exhibition theatre

References (APA 7th): tbc due to word count