Drama time: An excellent calendar of plays
Editor’s note: Anthony Schaffer’s ‘Sleuth’ finds its Indian home in a Goan villa, a table aids a physical theatre performance, and an all-night shadow puppetry performance from Karnataka. These five plays and three festivals—from the capital to far-flung Auroville—will make you skip the screen for the stage. FYI: This is a calendar for April. We’ll return with a summer calendar with plays for children.
Written by: Prachi Sibal, Advisory Editor
Saanp Seedhi
Shubhrajyoti Barat has directed the Indian adaptation of the play Saanp Seedhi, based on Anthony Schaffer’s Tony Award-winning thriller ‘Sleuth’. The crime novelist (in the original) is a yesteryear filmmaker here, who is as fascinated by gameplay as in the original. He meets his wife’s lover, which starts a series of thrilling but dangerous events.
Prachi’s take: Writer Akarsh Khurana presents a great reimagining of the setting and characters in a Portuguese villa in Goa. Actors Kumud Mishra and Sumeet Vyas are a hoot to watch.
Where to watch it: On March 29 and 30 at Kamani Auditorium, Delhi. Tickets on District.
Mezok
The play, directed by award-winning performer Jyoti Dogra, is centred around desire and its various explorations. It uses real events, lullabies, and language to tell a story of yearning and distance. In the ruminative storytelling it also speaks of definitives like markers of identity and addresses such as passport numbers, Aadhaar cards, and house addresses.
Prachi’s take: Jyoti Dogra builds a fascinating world with the use of movement and a single adaptive long table. It turns into a house, a ladder, an office, and sometimes, the seat of the lovers’ escapades.
Where to watch it: April 1 to 3 at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai. Tickets on BookMyShow.
Ghatnaayein
In this imaginative play written and directed by Saurabh Nayyar, the characters of his story break free. They will not be stooges under the hegemony of the writer, and intend to write their own story. This produces a series of hilarious situations that also talk about the role and the constraints of a writer in this day and age.
Prachi’s take: Nayyar’s writing is sharp and witty. The ensemble of performers adds heft to an already wonderful idea with minimalist production design.
Where to watch it: On April 17 at Rangshila Theatre, Mumbai. Tickets on BookMyShow.
Kadambari
The play, written and directed by Meghna Roy Chowdhury, delves into the life of Kadambari, Rabindranath Tagore’s muse and sister-in-law. It uses performance and poetry to question how history remembers her, and build a probable narrative of love and longing. Through its scenography, it attempts to portray the final conversation between the two, with death at their doorstep.
Prachi’s take: In addition to its lesser-known story and characters, the play features great performers like Ipshita Chakraborty Singh, Hrishabh Kanti and Aditi Arora.
Where to watch it: On April 5 and 6 at The Box, Pune. Tickets on BookMyShow.
Seize her, the Clown
In this clowning performance, directed by Alistar Bennis, a young clown is commissioned to perform Julius Caesar with her troupe. Marco the clown, in a twist of fate, ends up having to question the tenets of freedom, power and politics in her own life. Written and performed as a satire, it features a group of young actors.
Prachi’s take: The premise is as promising as this bunch of young theatremakers. Plus, the use of clowning and Shakespeare, make it a compelling watch.
Where to watch it: On April 6 at Harkat Studios, Mumbai. Tickets on Alt Shows.
And now for the festivals…
PuppeOscope Festival
Puppeteer and performer Anurupa Roy’s Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, is back with the second edition of PuppetOscope, a puppet film festival. But, this time, it features three live performances including an ‘All Night Shadow Puppetry’ show of Togalu Gombeyatta from Karnataka by puppeteer Gunduraju and family. The theme this year is ‘Out of the Shadows’, and the line-up has films from around the world including award-winning ones. There’s also an international puppet micro-film challenge that is open to puppetry students and everyone else!
Prachi’s take: This is a rare opportunity for those who love the performing arts, especially theatre. The all-night show sounds like an absolute treat!
Where to watch it: On April 3 to 6 at India International Centre, New Delhi. Entry is free.
Manch Festival, Mumbai and Pune
Bhasha Centre, a theatre institution got into the business of theatre co-production over two years ago. Now, they are hosting a festival of all the plays they have produced across two cities. The Pune leg will feature the shows — Mallika Shah’s ‘I Killed My Mother/ It Wasn’t My Fault’, Neel Chaudhuri’s ‘Rihla’, and La Compagnie Dramatique’s ‘The Open Couple’. The Mumbai leg will have Aasakta Kalamanch’s ‘Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta’, Gillo Repertory’s children’s play ‘The Ghost of the Mountains’, Abhay Mahajan’s ‘Asymptomatic’, and Tadpole Repertory’s ‘After All’. There will be talks and workshops, too!
Prachi’s take: It’s a great time to catch plays travelling from other cities. ‘Rihla’, ‘Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta’, and ‘I Killed My Mother/ It Wasn’t My Fault’, are especially wonderful.
Where to watch it: On April 11 to 13 at Shriram Lagoo Rang-Avkash, Pune and April 24 to 27 at G5A, Mumbai. Tickets on District.
Remembering Veenapani Festival
For a week every year, Adishakti, a one-of-it-kind theatre lab in the country, pays tribute to its founder, Veenapani Chawla, in the form of a festival. The Remembering Veenapani Chawla festival is in its 11th year now and has an array of theatre and music performances. Catch the plays, ‘Bali’, ‘Urmila’, and ‘Bhoomi’, by Adishakti’s own repertory, Mallika Taneja’s META-winning ‘Do You Know This Song?’, Vishwakiran Nambi Dance Company’s ‘Yele Oota’, and some music performances including ‘Qawwali’ by the Warsi Brothers. There are also hands-on workshops such as the Khartal by Zakir Khan.
Prachi’s take: Adishakti’s campus in Auroville is green and pristine. Added to that is the electric atmosphere of a performance festival. It’s quite worth making the trip!
Where to watch it: On April 13 to 19 at Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts Research, Auroville, Pondicherry. Entry is free.
