Vijay Viswanathan

With over two decades of experience in performing arts education and theatre, Vijay Viswanathan is a theatre practitioner, playwright, director, actor and educationalist committed to making performing arts an integral part of learning and personal development.

As the Founder of Alchemy Academy of Performing Arts Pvt. Ltd., Vijay has pioneered an experiential approach to theatre education, nurturing creativity, communication, confidence and leadership through the performing arts. His Developmental Drama Curriculum, conceptualised for children and young learners, is implemented across 30+ schools in Tamil Nadu, impacting thousands of students since 2002.

A prolific playwright and director, Vijay has scripted and directed over 25 productions, exploring diverse theatrical forms and genres including mime, street theatre, suspense, thriller, family and social drama. Productions such as DRISHTI, SMILE, ONE DEGREE SECOND, HAPPY PARK and CASE NO: 29/2004 have received wide audience appreciation.

His contribution extends to higher education and academic development. He has served as a Board of Studies Member for the Master of Performing Arts programme at Pondicherry University and is serving as Head of Performing Arts at Babaji Vidhyashram School, Chennai.

Vijay has also played a significant role in identifying and nurturing emerging talent for the performing arts and media, having mentored numerous young artists who have gone on to build careers across acting, direction, television, radio and film.

His academic and artistic training includes an Associate Diploma in Theatre (ATCL) from Trinity College London, Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers & Trainers (CIDTT), a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Loyola College, University of Madras and training in Bharatanatyam under Padma Bhushan awardees Smt. & Shri. V. P. Dhananjayan.

At the heart of his work is a belief that theatre is not merely an art form, it is a powerful medium to educate, empower and transform lives.