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A Look at Ramu Ramnathan's SHAKESPEARE AND SHE, Miro Gavran's ALL ABOUT WOMEN and John Donnelly's BONE. If the 90’s affirmed that the Indian English Theatre had arrived, the new century confirms that we can now sit back and be assured that we have created a niche that we can comfortably call our very own. In spite of attendant problems that have their roots in the historical and social development of this genre, the Indian English Theatre today has some compelling stories to tell. Take Ramu Ramanathan’s latest play- SHAKESPEARE AND SHE for instance.
Not only does the play resonate with the voice of one of India’s most talented playwrights and directors but it is also exemplary of the creative expression found in its script and staging. Structurally and stylistically the play departs from his critically acclaimed plays like MAHADEVBHAI (1892-1942), COTTON 56, POLYESTER 84 and JAZZ but by no means it is his first foray into exploring the endless possibilities of creative thought. His lesser known plays like ANGST ANGST… COLLABORATORS and again more recently, MEDHA AND ZHOOMBISH II bear testimony to a mind that is constantly seeking to present contemporary concerns in an intelligent and an exciting manner.
SHAKESPEARE AND SHE works at different levels but first and foremost it perhaps signals the playwright’s love affair with Mumbai- a city, which in its 21st century can be equated with Shakespeare’s 16th century London. Here four women find themselves seeking some answers and giving comfort to each other. These are brave, intelligent women seeking to move beyond the confines of biology, gender, religion and circumstance. Apart from Ayesha, the other three women are not named and interestingly enough the driving character is called Insomnia. It is Ayesha’s and her story that take centrestage and which makes references to both Mumbai and Shakespeare so special.
All four actors- Ahlam Khan, Medha, Akshata Sawant and Pooja Asher are good. Pooja’s performance is a pleasant surprise, Akshata is in command of her tune, Medha’s Ayesha fits the bill and Ahlam Khan’s Insomnia holds you. Lines like ‘Living is a dying art form’ converge with the legendary Shakespeare’s to create a work that is as modern as it is contemporary. Minimalist, bold, unconventional and never too obvious, this is clearly one of Ramu’s best.
In a very different light it is women again who make up for all the action in Akvarious Productions’ staging of Croatian playwright Miro Gavran’s ALL ABOUT WOMEN. Hidaayat Sami’s directorial debut is pretty entertaining even as some parts of the play are more interesting than the others. What begin to appear as separate episodes soon overlap to form a play. So you have estranged sisters, a relationship where one woman dominates the other (you are left guessing the precise nature of the relationship), ambitious and gossipy secretaries, old women living life to the hilt and playful kindergarten girls.
Even as it all appears a bit too obvious and simplistic, the play is funny. Its humour is what gets it going. Brief interludes separate the episodes and it in these alone that men make an appearance to ruffle the imaginative and simple set design as required. The device has its charm but it could have been handled more effectively. It tends to get clumsy and is not as stylish as it could get. Almost all the women actors deliver their parts well; some of them taking on more than one character. Amongst them there is Ratnabali Bhattacharjee who effortlessly shifts from playing a mother to a small child; Nimrat Kaur who can be as reticent as she can be bold and Prerna Chawla who looks and talks the secretary, desirous of climbing the corporate ladder.
In complete contrast to the effervescent ambience of ALL ABOUT WOMEN stands theatre company Fly On The Wall’s debut production of British playwright John Donnelly’s BONE. Directed by Raaghav Chanana and designed by Dhanendra Kawade, the play criss-crosses through three monologues of loss, loneliness and desperation. Helen is mourning her husband’s demise, Stephen cannot get over the fact that the woman he loves has married another man while young Jamie harbours a deep seated anger about his sister being raped by a foreigner.
They are constantly on the edge even as they go about their daily lives. Helen links her husband’s heart-attack with the foot and mouth epidemic that led to the killing and burning of their sheep; Stephen conjures up a deathly disease to woo back the woman he loves and sex addicted Jamie is worked up about facing the prospect of having enlisted in the army. It is only in the end that a sense of balance is restored as each of them have their moment of epiphany.
The three monologues, separate and yet linked to each other in theme and style are interesting upto a point. Sometimes funny but for the most part somber and dark the play seeks to delve into the recesses of human experience. But eventually this saga of existential angst tends to grate and begins to appear trite. The performances however make up for the limitations of the script. Zafar Karachiwala’s Stephen is particularly good and is very capable of turning in a nuanced performance. Hari Mina Bala’s Jamie is convincing. His brogue, which he sustains with remarkable ease enhances the character’s background without appearing forced or unnatural. Sujata Kumar’s Helen is also credible but lacks clarity in places.
Raaghav Chanana’s direction is able to capture the thematic inter-connectivity of the three monologues and even while the actors move fluidly from their space to the other’s, not for once do you feel they are imposing themselves on the other. When required they come within close proximity of each other and all in all the staging is fairly successful in giving the script the various dimensions it demands. Dhanendra Kawade’s set design is simple and effective enough and I couldn’t help noticing how perfectly it blended with the NCPA’s Experimental theatre space.
Indian English Theatre may no longer feel like an aberration but it still needs to develop insightful content and newer ways of putting forth the same. Experimentation does take place and some of it is indeed challenging. But it can’t be an end unto itself as it often turns out to be.
*The writer is Editor of this site, a theatre critic and an academic keenly interested in Theatre & Performance Studies.
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