TALES FROM THE OTHER SIDE:UNTOLD HISTORIES AND HIDDEN TRUTHS Review
"Times are changing and so must we".
Humans have evolved and continue to. Over many, many years, humans have evolved into intelligent and creative beings, but there have been casualties. One of the biggest of these is our environment. Other social problems abound such as corruption, racism, drug addiction and so forth.
Stories have always been a good way to communicate moral truths, lessons and messages by which we may become better people striving for the good of our collective humanity. Stories are also capable of being re-invented as this production shows. This is a wonderful compilation of 6 classic stories adapted to address our modern day issues.
The Little Red Riding Hood in the first futuristic story, encounters a new breed of killers as she travels through "sunshine world" and "cloneworld". An agent follows to get rid of her. The agent is willing to kill her and he is disguised as a hovercraft driver. Red Riding Hood in this story is depicted as the average millennial and a typical teenager who is lazy and wants to avoid the trip to her grandma’s house.
The new adaptation of the ugly duckling passes on an important message. Emphasising the duckling’s dark colour, the story hints at racism with an additional twist. As the duckling at the behest of his colour conscious mother undergoes surgery to whiten itself, not only does the duckling’s colour changes, but also it’s attitude. Now the duckling has an ego. However the story could have included more characters reacting to this change. Maybe the duckling might have learnt that it is best to be one’s self…one’s unique self.
The next story, an interpretation of the Hare and the Tortoise, is about competition, social media perception, and drug abuse. The shocker arrives when the tortoise dies due to a lethal drug given to him by the hare. The hare understands the importance of a friend as the turtle collapses to the ground, but it is too late.
The fourth story with its futuristic/modern interpretation of the crow and the pot delivers an engaging performance and hinges on a group of reporters concerned with exaggerating news and their reputations instead of saving the crow. The crow is struggling to move and is in desperate search of water in the huge wastelands of plastic. The reporters, cold and distanced, leave it to die.
The Three Little Pigs’ story had a Municipal Officer for the wolf and we were reminded of how officials can bog us down by bureaucratic procedures. Each of the little pigs strived to build their own house.
Lastly, Hansel and Gretel was reinterpreted to make the witch a caring person interested in the welfare of children, wanting them to lead healthy and active lives instead of being stuck to their smart phones. The house in the forest is made of vegetables and not candy.
This is an actor-focused production with minimal props. Subtle humour and sound effects enhance it further. All in all, a good watch.
Aryan Verulkar, a Grade 8 student from Nahar International School, secured the second place in the review writing competition that was held by The Pomegranate Workshop, an Arts Education Company in collaboration with Mumbai Theatre Guide.
