Tushar Pandey, an alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD) and the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), is an actor, teacher and a director. He also devises performances and has been associated with various projects from classical to site-specific. Among his projects, he has collaborated with Lyrebird Theatre in London with whom he devised, produced and performed SHIPS OF SAND that premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2011. He has been a facilitator at the Drama School, Mumbai (DSM) and has directed their student's production- THE DRAGON, which will be performed at the school on 12th, 13th and 19th February 2015.
By Deepa Punjani
Deepa Punjani (DP): It's the first time you have directed a production for The Drama School, Mumbai (DSM). How was the experience?
Tushar Pandey (TP): It was really an enriching experience. After having taught the students at the DSM, going into rehearsal was a whole new ball game. But the two fed into each other in a way. I had managed to build a rapport with the students as a facilitator which helped as a director in understanding their dynamic and each one's strengths. I could push them as actors to step out of their comfort zone and to explore what they're less familiar with. The idea is to push the students towards discovering their full potential whilst creating a quality production. I think we've all worked quite well together and as an ensemble, I'm proud of them. Once the core ideas and goals were shared with the team at large, especially the students, the main work was in bringing it all together keeping in mind the usual suspects that constraint - budgets, logistics, pragmatics. I think it's come together really well though.
DP: How did the idea to do the play THE DRAGON emerge?
TP: At the DSM, the value of the work for an audience is emphasised from the very beginning. In line with this, when plays are chosen, we ensure there's something in it that's a ''take-back'' for our audience. THE DRAGON touches upon various inter-related concepts - leadership, power, the mechanics of it - and while they are universal and timeless, we think they're especially relevant now as the world and our country undergo tremendous changes. That said, while we don't highlight any particular socio-political issues, we do hold a magnifying glass to the bare boned, larger-picture ideas.
DP: Evgeny Shvarts wrote the play in the mid 1940s and it is a political satire that was regarded as subversive in Russia post the war. What are the elements in it that caught your attention?
TP: What stood out for me in the play were the town's people, the chorus, and what they brought to the story in terms of a concept. This is what I've tried to build on. As a director, I don't see the fairytale as the most relevant or necessary format for THE DRAGON, which is the style Shvarts has used. But I do find the fantasy world Shvarts created, most engaging. My world in the play wrestles between the fantasy and today's world.
DP: You have been exposed to several styles of theatre and are interested in exploring new expressions vis-a-vis performance. What kind of a production will the DSM's be?
TP: I love experimenting with styles. The reason to choose any one style in particular depends on provocation. As a theatre-maker I'm interested in exploring performance language to create new expressions that go beyond existing theatre forms and this play had all the necessary stimulus to engage with that. It's through this lens, incorporating various styles of theatre, that I've approached the storytelling aspect of THE DRAGON. Dramatically, visually, and through design, we've tried to unravel the layers and ideas that are just underneath the surface.
DP: Is there any particular form or style of theatre that has engaged you? Why?
TP: My work has ranged from site-specific, acrobatic, and mask-based theatre. Each of these and others have something in them that can be harnessed depending on the demands of the script and the production. I try and approach each piece of work as an open book and then pull strands that make sense and resonate for it specifically, toying with styles, till as a whole, it comes together in a manner that is engaging, interesting, and also accessible.
DP: In your experience to date, which are three of the best productions you have seen? What was special about them from a directorial point of view?
TP: Two that immediately come to mind are PERCHANCE TO DREAM by Footsbarn Theatre and DOG'S HEART by Complicite. The way in which they managed to transform us all in their world was pure magic.
Deepa Punjani (DP): It's the first time you have directed a production for The Drama School, Mumbai (DSM). How was the experience?
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