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THEATRE FESTIVAL
The Festival: Edition II
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The MetroPlus Theatre Festival is back with even more variety and a bigger line up. SHONALI MUTHALALY reports
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WHAT'S IN STORE (Clockwise from left) "Macbeth", "A Very British Affair", "Othello: A Play In Black and White", "Beyond Therapy" and "The Shadow Box"
For once, it's all happening right here.
The spotlight tends to leave Chennai out rather often, while people ooh and aah over theatre in other cities. However, over the past couple of years, this city has been quietly, but resolutely, developing its own theatre traditions. New groups are formed every couple of months, plays are staged reassuringly often and passionate students throng theatre companies for roles, even if it's just to play trees in Act II or powder the lead actor's nose.
The city now sees English theatre as a living, breathing art, rather than stuffy performances for intellectuals. Indian theatre in English is making itself comfortable on stages, masala chai, desi accent and all, while even British and American works are being adapted and `Indianised' by enterprising young directors.
It couldn't be a better time to stage The Hindu MetroPlus Theatre Festival. The festival, which was launched in 2005, and is set to becoming an important date in the theatrical calendar, was received with such enthusiasm last year that there was no doubt it had to come back: bigger and better. Auditoriums were packed, venues buzzed and, most importantly, Chennai became a gracious and enthusiastic host to the biggest festival of this kind in the country.
Going international
So, this year, we go international. Escape Theatre, a professional theatre group from Singapore will stage "A Very British Affair," a revue — another first for the festival. The production promises to bring together everything from Andrew Lloyd Webber to Kylie Minogue in one hilarious, musical, extravagant sweep.
We have also scouted the country to bring you an interesting selection of contemporary Indian theatre, resulting in a line-up that includes theatre groups from five Indian cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and, of course, Chennai.
Each of these groups is putting its best foot forward. The result is an impressively eclectic mix, which ranges from comic giggle-fests such as Q Theatre Productions' "Beyond Therapy" to thought-provoking entries like the moving "Valley Song" written by Athol Fugard, South Africa's leading playwright, interspersed with simple hymns.
Of course, there's Shakespeare, slickly reinvented. The thoughtful and award winning "Othello A Play In Black and White" translates and adapts the Bard's work into contemporary theatre, while adman Alyque Padamsee brings us a lush and extravagant "Macbeth", one that draws parallels between Tantric rituals and European witchcraft.
Appropriately enough, the collection also features the work of an Indian playwright. And even though Asif Currimbhoy's "Goa", with its political overtones, is set in 1961, it addresses issues that are still relevant to the socio-political climate of present-day India.
Local theatre plays an important role in the MetroPlus Theatre Festival. Naturally, we will be featuring The Madras Players — which at 50 is probably the country's oldest theatre group promoting theatre in English — staging "The Shadow Box." The Boardwalkers, which consistently picks and promotes young talent from the city colleges, will be putting up "Amadeus."
And finally, Theatre Nisha, a promising new entrant to the festival, has chosen to feature the Sri Lankan play, "Thicker Than Blood."
The festival is presented by Bose. Associate sponsors are Airtel and HSBC Bank. Lifestyle Associate: Royal Challenge Golf Accessories. Travel partner: Jet Airways. Hospitality partner: The Park, Chennai.
Festival Schedule
August 4:
A Very British Affair — Escape Theatre, Singapore
Directed by Mark Waite and Samantha Scott-Blackhall
August 5:
The Shadow Box — Madras Players, Chennai
Directed by Mithran Devanesan
August 6:
Othello: A Play in Black and White — Can and Abel Theatres, New Delhi
Directed by Roysten Abel
Directors Mark Waite, Samantha Scott-Blackhall, Mithran Devanesan, Roysten Abel, Arundhati Raja, Alyque Padamsee, Michael Muthu, V. Balakrishnan, Shuktara Lal and Nadir Khan
August 9:
Valley Song — Artistes' Repertory Theatre, Bangalore
Directed by Arundhati Raja
August 10:
Macbeth — ACE Productions, Mumbai
Directed by Alyque Padamsee
August 11:
Amadeus — Boardwalkers, Chennai
Directed by Michael Muthu
August 12:
Thicker Than Blood — Theatre Nisha,
Chennai
Directed by V. Balakrishnan
August 13:
Goa — Theatrecian, Kolkata
Directed by Shuktara Lal
August 14:
Beyond Therapy — Q Theatre Productions, Mumbai
Directed by Nadir Khan
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Kochi
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