Chennai’s thriving theatre scene is undoubtedly popular all across the country. Soon, the city could well turn out to be the platform that could launch India on the international scene. Evam Entertainment and Radaan Mediaworks, a television production house, are joining hands to adapt John Buchan’s The 39 Steps directed by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1935 film.
This play has been successfully running for more than seven years in the UK and the US. Karthik Kumar of Evam says, “Every theatre company wants to do something innovative and entertaining in order to reach out to the younger generation. When I watched the play in London, I immediately wanted to do the same in India and actor Sarath Kumar too shared his enthusiasm for it. So now we’re here with the play.”
Karthik also informs that the audience will get to see the ‘4D’ trailer of the comedy-thriller for the first time in Sathyam Cinemas. “An actor will be present during the screening of the trailer and will interact with the characters on screen. And yes, this is our 4D and ‘live interactive trailer’,” he beams. “We got the original rights from the production house in London, which is still successfully running the play.”
The 39 Steps will have four actors playing 140 characters in a duration of 85 minutes. Sunil Vishnu K, co-founder of Evam and one of the four characters, says, “It took four-and-a-half months for us to reach this stage from the pre-production. We rehearsed for three months and a group of 35 people worked in the creative team to make this play possible... The script was in our hands and we haven’t changed anything to suit the Indian audience. The play will be a visual wonder for the viewers.”
The play will be premiered in Chennai and then start touring other states. Sunil reveals that plans are to take it to Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. An excited Radikaa and Sarath Kumar of Radaan said that the production was a dream come true and expressed the wish to bring more international plays to India along with Evam.
If you think Hitchcock could only make thrillers, you’re wrong. Watch the play and you will realise that he can be hilarious too. The play will be staged in Chennai on October 29, 30 and 31 at Sir Mutha Venkata Subbarao Concert Hall at 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm. Tickets are available at all Landmark stores.