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Behind the facade

Mindscape “The Physicists” explores the workings of the world and the mind.

Born in 1921, Friedrich Durrenmatt, a Swiss dramatist and novelist, portrays a dark future for humanity, which is threatened by nihilism and power hungry politicians. Hindi theatregoers are familiar with his plays, especially with “The Visit” (1955) and “The Physicists” (1962). We had one more occasion to watch his “The Physicists”, which was presented by Chhaon Art Group at Poorva Sanskritik Kendra this past week, under the direction of Sunil Rawat. Despite some flagging patches, the production offers the audience engrossing moments.

Chhaon Art Group believes in the necessity of connecting the masses with the arts. To achieve its objective, it stages street theatre to focus on social malaise and highlight the power of theatre as an instrument of social change. Now it is using proscenium theatre to stage artistically valid and socially relevant dramas. Through its presentation of “The Physicists”, translated into Hindi by Mahesh Dutt and Renu Dutt, it seeks to explore the contemporary relevance of this complex play and the danger of nuclear proliferation to world peace.

The play is set in a sanatorium with three inmates. One of the inmates is George who claims he is haunted by King Solomon who talks to him. Another declares himself to be Newton but secretly believes that he is Einstein, and the third one is known as Einstein. There is an elderly psychiatrist who attends to them and each patient is provided with a female nurse.

Gradually, it is revealed that all three are physicists who are normal and feigning lunacy with different motives. George has discovered a new formula of atomic energy, which will revolutionise the world of physics. If the discovery is disclosed and if it falls into the hands of unscrupulous politicians obsessed with the grandiose vision of ruling the world, it will destroy the human race. So he feigns madness and takes shelter in the mental asylum, hiding his discovery from the world. The two other inmates belong to rival international espionage agencies wanting to steal George’s thesis.

The nurses serving them are able to see through their facades. They fall in love with their respective patients. Afraid of exposure, the scientists strangle them. An inspector frequently visits the sanatorium to investigate the murder cases. The psychiatrist describes these murders as mere accidents.

Director Rawat has previously worked with Arvind Gaur. The main flaw of his production is the inadequate sets, which result in the absence of the required ambience of a high-profile mental asylum. The use of off-stage music appears lackadaisical. The scene where George’s wife meets him after divorcing him and remarrying a priest has strong elements of irony and black humour. In the production under review, it tends to be flat. However, the climactic scene is powerfully enacted. It has a stunning impact on the audience.

In the original, the psychiatrist is a female. In the Brechtian Mirror’s production of this play, staged a few years ago, the role of the psychiatrist was played by Noor Zaheer in a convincing manner. In Rawat’s production a male plays the role of the psychiatrist with a view to give a more masculine thrust to the character who is the embodiment of evil and out to destroy the world with nuclear weapons.

Shailender Bisht as the inspector offers some amusing moments. Girish Pal as Newton, Rahul Vohra as Einstein and Sunil Rawat as George impress the audience. Hemant Raipuria as the owner of the sanatorium and psychiatrist is the most convincing of the cast.

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