Shaili Sathyu, co-founder and Artistic Director of Gillo Repertory Theatre, has been at the forefront of Theatre for Young Audiences in India for more than a decade. Under her guidance, Gillo has produced over 40 plays, conducted hundreds of workshops, and toured across the country with more than 700 performances, reaching over 145,000 children. Her work champions original Indian content, age-specific storytelling, and making theatre accessible to children everywhere. Recognised with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, Shaili continues to shape Gillo as a space where young audiences and artists can meet through performance, imagination, and dialogue.

At Abhivyakti, Gillo Repertory presents Fletcher Aur Zenobia, adapted from Edward Gorey’s whimsical 1967 tale. The story begins with a cat stuck on a tree who encounters a doll, leading to an unusual and unpredictable adventure. With humour, strangeness, and heart, the play unfolds a world that feels illogical yet deeply familiar, much like how children imagine stories. At first, Fletcher may appear unlikeable, but as the journey progresses, he reveals unexpected charm. For Shaili, this is a story from her own childhood, shared with the hope that audiences leave smiling, reminded of the joy of childlike wonder.