Politics continues to engage the committed Bengali theatre, in original drama that reassures us that the flag of secularism and freedom of speech shall remain fluttering in this apparently no-longer-significant corner of the country. In at least three new plays, an artist/writer/intellectual forms the fulcrum upon which the conflict and
Happily, as women join theatre groups in larger numbers, drama becomes a liberating experience for them and a platform for presenting gynocentric material. On the flipside, several productions use the fashionable technique of patchworking their scripts from diverse origins, which often dilutes the intensity with which one play can develop
Calcutta Performers springs a most unexpected surprise with their latest production, Hrotsvitha. I cannot imagine any Indian troupe deciding to stage a biographical play about a tenth-century Saxon canoness — notwithstanding her dual importance as the first known dramatist in medieval Europe, and the first woman dramatist in the world
Bohurupee celebrated its 69th birthday this month with its customary annual festival, featuring a new production (which always premieres on this occasion) and two invitees from neighbouring states. We hope that next year’s unprecedented milestone receives worthy preparations well in advance on a grand scale, spotlighting the group’s pioneering contribution
Youth initiatives that outlast the first flush of enthusiasm deserve commendation if they keep growing with their years. 4th Bell Theatres, born in 2011, establish themselves among new Bengali groups with their latest, Chorus, which demonstrates their maturity while not leaving behind the exuberance of youth theatre. Whereas a fresh
Simple, straightforward narratives of the victimization of women in Bengali village life mark two productions based on the older work of famous authors. The new group Bahuswar embarks on its journey with the Ismat Chughtai story Chauthi kā Jodā (1946), translated by Sanchari Dasgupta as Chaturthir Jor, and co-produced by
Invitations to premieres rarely go out to proverbially grouchy critics, but I happily get my share. Yet I have forgotten the last time I received one to a preview — a much scarcer privilege. Broadway and West End traditionally call critics to previews and quiver in trepidation for their reviews,
Sima Mukhopadhyay has developed a deep interest over recent years in drama on matters of health, especially that of the mind, reflected in her two latest directorial ventures. For her own group, Rangroop, she revives Mohit Chattopadhyaya’s Takhan Bikel, one of the finest Bengali productions of the 1990s, adapted from
Poignant approaches to children encountering real-life trauma and disaster characterize two new plays in English and Bengali respectively. Young people’s theatre typically features fairytales, folklore or fantasy. But The Creative Arts’ When We Go Sailing struck me as one of the grittiest “children’s productions” in a long time because writer-director
Time to analyse the three Hindi productions from Mumbai that last visited the city. Let me begin with a technical detail that receives short shrift in reviews: the proliferating nuisance of remote mikes on stage. Ostensibly meant to aid our listening, they actually remove from the art one of the
Early August occasions the revisiting of Tagore. Productions of two of his most popular works raise interesting correspondences with and divergences from the originals. Jahnavi and Dakghar, founded by Manoj Murali Nair and Madhuboni Chatterjee, have made cutting-edge experiments with Tagorean drama, and continue on the dance-drama Chitrāngadā, where Santiniketan
Short + Sweet = Quantity – Quality this year, few of the 29 ten-minute plays leaving an impact, lacking writing skills or theatrical sense or both. The only original vision appeared in Who Knows What’s If It, a speechless performance devised by the actors, each in stylized, symbolical roles, all
