30 AUG 2026 // It's never 'just hair' - open rehearsal door Avantika Tibrewala
Mythical and personal research "braid" in an act of rebellion against the obedience and expectations women are imposed to keep themselves (and their hair) in check and to rein in their wildness.
From August 17 to 30, performance artist Avantika Tibrewala was in residence at the Plein Theater Production House. The residency concluded with an open rehearsal of It's never 'just hair', which premieres at the Plein Theater on November 12.
In It's Never 'Just Hair', Avantika Tibrewala explores "Wild Woman" personas from Indian folklore - such as the witch-like Chudail - in contrast with with the socially accepted "good girl" archetype. Mythical and personal research "braid" in an act of rebellion against the obedience and expectations women are imposed to keep themselves (and their hair) in check and to rein in their wildness.
Residency with Avantika Tibrewala Avantika
Avantika Tibrewala is an India-born performance artist and creator based in Amsterdam. Her practice moves between live performance, including dance-theatre and documentary interviews, centering the body as both a subject and a site where meaning emerges.
Driven by an research into human behavior, her work explores social norms and the politics of the unspoken. Rather than presenting fixed narratives, she chooses to openly share her curiosity and research with the audience. Her work, at once intimate, provocative, and reflective, reimagines the relationship between audience and stage.
During her residency, Avantika Tibrewala will work on the performance It’s Never ‘Just Hair’. She ended her residency with an open rehearsal on August 30, and the premiere will take place on November 12 at the Plein Theater.
12 NOV 20:30
It's never 'just hair' - Première
Info & Tickets >
It's never 'just hair'
Why is a woman’s “goodness” often measured by the neatness of her hair?
In It’s Never ‘Just Hair’, Avantika Tibrewala brings the Chudail to life—the femme fatale from Indian folklore you were warned about.
Her hair breaks through the polished boundaries of obedience and rebels against the notions that teach women to keep themselves in check and rein in their wildness.
Through movement and spoken word, she dismantles the “good girl” archetype. The performance becomes a love letter to rage, a re-evaluation of the Chudail myth, and an act of rebellion for women whose hair refuses to behave.
The Chudail does not hide: she laughs amidst the remnants of what no longer serves her. Colonial aftermath? Cut away. Patriarchal combs? Broken. Monstrous or divine? You decide.
Plein Theater Residencies
Plein Theater devotedly offers space to passionate innovators who wish to experiment with (puppet and object) theater, contemporary dance and music, or unexpected interdisciplinary forms.
Curated by artistic director and theater maker Berith Danse, distinctive artists are invited to make our house their home, our stage their laboratory, and our spaces their sounding board for new stories and voices. Presentations and workshops by residents for neighbors, friends, and enthusiasts are part of the open door of our theater.