THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city-based contemporary theatre group Abhinaya is all set to make its debut on the international stage with its Ibsen-inspired ‘Sagara Kanyaka’. The play will be presented at the World Theatre Festival 2012, in collaboration with the Brisbane Power House Arts, said D Raghoothaman, founder member, Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre, in a press meet held on Saturday. Also present were Andrew Ross, director, Brisbane Power House Arts and music composer Robert Davidson, who is doing the live music for the play in its revamped edition.
Andrew Ross, who travels to drama festivals across the world, in search of “Outstanding theatre productions”, was fascinated by the unconventional adaptation of Henry Ibsen’s play ‘Lady from the Sea’, at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the annual theatre festival organised by the National School of Drama, New Delhi. “It was totally unlike a conventional play and we plan to rework the music and change the recorded track to live music which will be composed by Robert. We are also looking at how the play can be developed further,” he said.
Robert Davidson, composer and faculty in music at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and director of the post-classic music ensemble Topology, has a learned Kerala’s ethnic art forms like Sopana Sangeetham and Kathakali Sangeetham during his intermittent stays here.
The composer said that he had a deep respect for Kerala’s musical genres and they are bound to have an influence on his compositions in a larger sense. But, he would adopt a universal style for the play as director Jyothish M G wants to avoid local references, he said.
“The music would be evocative of the sea and the focus would be on sounds rather than melody.
Music in this play would be more like the scenery,” he added.
Expressing his happiness at the play’s outing, director Jyothish added that he considered it a testimony to the possibility to create a theatre language that has an universal appeal. “Theatres in India are often constrained by shoestring budgets and cannot aspire to produce live music. Besides, there are the physical constraints which do not allow a band to be travelling around with the troupe. It was always my dream to have live music for my plays and I am very happy with the way discussions are progressing.”
He added that music was very important in ‘Sagara Kanyaka’ and it will be treated like a sub-text of the play.
A seven-member team will head to Australia for the rehearsals, which will begin in October. After the play is staged at the World Theatre Festival in Brisbane, it will tour the world and will probably be staged in Bangalore in May next year, said Ross. Raghoothaman said that he looked at the opportunity as a fulfillment of the vision the founders of Abhinaya had for the theatre group. He also expressed hope that if the production succeeds in generating interest in the international audience, it will open new avenues for theatres in India.