KOCHI: The ActLab Studios at Panampilly Nagar boasts of a 2,500 sq. ft. stage space with AC facilities. The studio, a brainchild of Sajeev Nambiyath, who is also the founder of the Act Lab Theatre, aims to introduce a permanent space for theatre in the heart of Kochi. “The aim is to bring about a metro theatre culture in the city. Kochi, unlike other metros like Mumbai and Chennai, does not have a permanent stage where theatre can be presented continuously. Our aim is to promote the talent of theatre and film artists, through classical, contemporary and realistic plays and projects. We want to facilitate a shift in the entertainment culture and community engagement,” said Sajeev.
Thirty theatre actors have been selected to perform regularly. They will be trained and groomed to perform about 15 classical plays, which are adapted works exclusively directed by professional artists who have been trained at the ActLab. The themes will include gender equality, domestic violence, thrillers, issues of transgenders, comedy, human psychology and topics of social significance. “The plays will all be staged in Malayalam as of now,” he said.
Theatre Festival
As a precursor to the future programmes, a four-day theatre fest will be held in the city from January 18. Here are synopsis of the plays:
Sankadal (Joy Mathew)
Sankadal (1998) is a play written by actor and director Joy Mathew. This is a surrealistic play that revolves around the story of four characters: a husband Jayprakash, his wife Sunita, a room boy and a stranger. The drama takes place in a hotel which is strange and weird. Jayprakash, who creates a play inside a play, is a writer who mixes his real life with the drama he is working on. The writer tries to bring in different perceptions that exist within the marriage and focuses on the dreams, frustrations, agitations, fears and expectations of the partners.
On a Muggy Night In Mumbai (Mahesh Dattani)
Mahesh Dattani’s ‘On a Muggy Night in Mumbai’ is one of the first Indian plays that boldly deals with the subject of homosexuality. It revolves around the love, insecurities, pretensions and even the homophobic mentality of youth in a materialistic world. The story focuses on the partnership, trust and betrayal of homosexuals who get together in a Mumbai apartment.
Lights Out (Manjula Padmanabhan)
The play, written by Manjula Padmanabhan, takes the audience through the minds of a few upper-middle-class individuals, who witnesses a sexual assault, harassment and continuous exploitation of women at their neighbourhood repeatedly. A true and gritty description of the society that talks but never does anything is highlighted in the drama.
Deathtrap (Ira Levin)
‘Deathtrap’ is a play written by Ira Levin in 1978 with many plot twists and portrays a play within a play. It is in two acts with one set and five characters. This drama holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. In Deathtrap, Levin has taken the basic components of thriller and horror stories -- murder, deceit, innocent dialogue with hidden sinister meanings, plot reversals, and unexpected turns of events twisted and rearranged to create suspense and murderous violence.