Mumbai Theatre Guide's Special 10 for 2015

Deepa Punjani

Deepa Punjani, the Editor of Mumbai Theatre Guide, picks her special 10 plays that were staged in Mumbai in 2015.

These performances reflect a variety of genres across languages and forms, and are not restricted to theatre from Mumbai only.


	RIPPLES, TRASHedy and BIN KAAMCHE SAMVAD

10. RIPPLES: An innovative and charming take on education. Devised by The Blind and The Elephant theatre group, and directed by Gerish Khemani.

9. KANHUPRIYA: Dharamvir Bharati's poetic and sensual classic adapted and interpreted by director Mitali Joshi and performed with text, movement and dance.

8. DAASTAN-E-BHOOKH: Delhi-based theatre group Third Space Collective's refreshing and relevant adaptation of Sam Shepard's play CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS. Directed by Dhwani Vij.

7. TARKACHYA KHUNTIVARUN NISATLELE RAHASYA: Jayant Pawar doffs his hat off to detective fiction. Dramatised reading by Atul Pethe.

6. BIN KAAMCHE SAMVAD: Dharmakirti Sumant's absurdist play underlying the hopelessness of words and talk within a larger critique of consumerist India. Directed by Alok Rajwade. 5. DEATH VARIATIONS: KK Raina directs Ila Arun's adaptation of Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse's unique and moving contemplation of death.

4. DON SPECIAL: Set in 1980, the play recreates and recalls a bygone era of print journalism, reflected by a journalist's staunch values of good reportage and ethics. Written and directed by Shritij Patwardhan. Well-performed by Jitendra Joshi, Girija Oak and Rohit Haldikar.

3. AMBU AND RAJALAKSHMI: Ramu Ramanathan's play about two sisters who share memories and Hindustani classical music. Talk is never incidental or innocuous in a Ramu Ramanathan play. Even the well-travelled sister's 'fabled' lands convey a moral, saying something more about humanity at large as do the stay-at-home sister's traditional wisdom and good old common sense. While performed ably by Padma Damodaran and Sadiya Siddiqui and directed by Gurleen Judge, the production somewhat lacks an atmosphere, and appears dull. More thumris may provide the key.

2. THE GENTLEMEN'S CLUB: A spirited, feisty performance harking back to the great tradition of a variety show. It is based on writer Vikram Phukan's exploration of gender dynamics and sexuality, as characterised by a Drag King. It is cleverly devised and deftly performed by Puja Sarup, Sheena Khalid and other co-actors. The production however plays on the surface of a more complex identity and needs a more studied and sincere engagement, especially since it is rooted in India, and the Drag Kings themselves are of a certain generation, finding resonance with heroes like Shammi Kapoor.

1. TRASHedy: This little German production toured a few cities in India, including Mumbai in November. Devised and performed by Leandro Kees and Martin Rascher, the play approaches environment and ecological pollution in a playful and creative manner, making it especially accessible for children. It might take its theme a little too seriously but its wry philosophy and style make the play humorous and telling without being didactic.

*Deepa Punjani is the Editor of this website.

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