Kerala Kathakali Centre

Come an hour before the show and the evening changes shape. Performers apply the elaborate green Kathakali make-up on stage, layer by layer, and the turn from person into character happens in front of the audience rather than behind a door. The performance that follows is narrated, so the mudras (signs made with the hands) and the trained movements of the eyes are explained as they happen. The centre has run daily shows since 1990 and is the most established venue of its kind in Fort Kochi; later slots bring Kalaripayattu martial arts and classical music. Tickets are around ₹600.

Watch the green make-up go on, then have every hand sign explained