As at every other Bharangam,the annual International Theatre Festival of the National School of Drama, there is always a revisiting of epics, both Greek and Indian. This year in the vast array of plays being presented, one can once again see interpretations of sections of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Iliad of Homer. It is from these epics that we have constructed our notions of good and evil, what constitutes a man and who is a woman, justice and loyalty, allegiance to tribe and nation, the individual and his/her responsibility to society, borders and boundaries.
By exploring these themes through the prism of today, new concerns and contemporary resonances emerge. Homer’s Iliad, the story of the kidnapping of Helen and the siege and fall of Troy is transformed into a riveting and haunting piece of theatre entitled An Iliad. It is presented by the Prague Shakespeare Company that, along with plays, offers workshops and lectures by a multinational group of production theatre artists working out of the capital of the Czech Republic. This production is carried entirely by Guy Roberts, who is the sole actor, supported by an atmospheric soundtrack, some of which is performed live on stage by a violinist.
The setting is the broken down ruins of a once great civilisation. It is as much modern Syria as it is ancient Troy. The script is fresh, bold, imaginative. Written by two Americans, Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, it makes this age-old epic startlingly relevant. The 90-minute piece is watched in stunned silence by a packed hall, which rose at the end to give it a standing ovation.
From Adi Shakti in Puducherry comes Bali that constructs its narrative around the story of Bali and Sugriva from the Ramayana. Over the years, under the tutleage of Veenapani Chawla, the group has developed its signature style of physical theatre, drawing from many Indian traditions, including Chhau and Kalaripayatu.Vinay Kumar of the group has been its main torchbearer, influencing young theatre practitioners across India through workshops and performance. For this production, Vinay not only essays the main role, he has also composed the music and designed the lighting.
Each local retelling of an epic often subverts the dominant version of the text, bringing forth a new interpretation. It is fascinating to see the interplay of many of our folk traditions, elements from classical forms mingle with contemporary dance moves, gesture and improvisation. The Mahabharata, for instance, is rich with stories of lust, attraction, sex and sexuality. If in the 80s we saw many interpretations of the Draupadi myth, last year saw important forays. A joyful, sexual ‘Shikhandi’ by Faezah Jalali and Aditee Biswas’s exploration of Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitrangada is a production simply titled S/He. Tagore, many moons ago, and now Aditee look at Chitrangada and how she must refashion herself as a ‘woman’ and move from being a huntress and warrior to be the ‘beloved’.
Nimmy Raphael, the director, is a trained Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi dancer, and has evolved a unique physical theatre style for Bali. The recognisable body stance of Chhau, clowning routines and contemporary dance moves create a unique vocabulary to tell this tale of sibling rivalry, deception and the lack of trust. The writer is a Delhi-based theatre directorfeisal.alkazi@rediffmail.com