A University of Kent performance exploring the parallels between Shakespeare's tragic Ophelia and the heroine of modern French erotic novel The Story of O has been featured in a prestigious Indian theatre festival.

Sixteen staff and students from the University travelled to the 4th International Theatre Festival of Kerala in the first week of February to stage a production of Imagining O after accepting an invitation to become the only UK representative to take part in the annual Indian festival.

Imagining O was devised last summer by a team from the University's School of Arts, working under the direction of leading US theatre director Richard Schechner, who was a Leverhulme Visiting Professor at Kent.

Professor Paul Allain, the production's producer, said: 'The International Theatre Festival of Kerala was launched in 2008 and it showcases innovative and experimental contemporary plays from both India and other countries.

'The festival is now a major event in the international theatre calendar and we're very honoured to be invited to take part.

'Schechner's other performance that has toured to India was Brecht's Mother Courage which caused a huge stir. This performance might well have a similar effect with its challenging material and experimental nature.'

The theme of this year's festival is 'meet the masters' with contemporary theatre productions centred on the works of celebrated playwrights from around the world such as Shakespeare, Kalidasa, Ibsen, and Brecht.