QUEEN'S ROAD: In its final performance for the year, We All Live in Bhopal hopes to engage Bangaloreans to think about how the gas leak tragedy affects them.
The play, scripted after a year of primary and secondary research by Sudhir Selvaraj, has had nine prior shows in the city and more in the UK and the US.
After the 40-minute interactive performance, a discussion with the cast follows, where people are urged to draw parallels with their own lives. Hence the title.
"In Bengaluru, our audiences have talked about waste management, disappearing lakes and corruption," says Sudhir.
Produced to mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy, the play, which is inspired by actual experiences of victims, weaves statistics with stories obtained through research by an eight-member team.
"In 2012, we spoke to activists and survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy. So the play is a series of monologues, also imbibing the statistics we found in articles and reports, with five pivotal points in the narrative," he says.
The play talks about 'corporate irresponsibility' and environmental damage, and also gives CEOs of big firms a chance to express themselves through monologues. "These are based on what we've read," Sudhir says.
The script and the actors of this travelling production change with different shows. The play is an outcome of workshops conducted by Sudhir at different London universities.
Directed by David Selvaraj, who heads Visthar Academy for Justice and Peace, the organisation is working with Renegade Arts and Theatre as well as Standing Ovation.
While the gas leak, which has claimed thousands of lives, has provoked debate, Sudhir says theatre is a far more impactful means to reach people. "During earlier shows, people have been left dumbfounded," he says.
Actors are not professionals but members of a community trained by Renegade to become facilitators of discussions.
The proceeds from the show, like those from previous ones held in Bengaluru, will go to Chingari Trust, a charitable organisation in Bhopal.
*We All Live In Bhopal, today, Main Hall, ECA Club, 100 Feet,Indiranagar, 7 pm. The show is open to all. For details, call 9739373689