Presented by the Tadpole Theatre Company, Open Slowly is interactive theatre, which involves the audience in its enactment completely. The play is based on Delhi, not the Delhi of big monuments nor of the high society or even of national politics. It is the story of common people, their idiosyncrasies their preoccupations and their dreams, as observed by the members of the cast with inputs from the writings of Narayani Gupta. Sohail Hashmi and Manjula Padmanabhan. As the Greek chorus-depicting announcer declares at the beginning “nothing is original, nothing is really true in this story about Delhi”.
The two-way communication is established at the outset when the cast asks the audience to open the paper bags given to each spectator. There are sleeping masks in each bag used in the first episode. One lot contains a marble and other a bottle cap, on the basis of which the audience is divided into two teams. Each team is asked five questions. like “where would you like to fall in love in Delhi” or “which car represents Delhi” or “what job would you like to do in Delhi” etc. There were six sets of questions. the most original answers were given points. The answers are added up in the end, and the winner is announced.
The intimacy of the space, a large room with the actors and the spectators at the same level permitted this sort of interaction. What is the viability of the group performing in another space? Does director Sukesh Arora, who has done a great work with the group, thinks it is possible to have this sort of interaction in another space? Granted it is work in progress, even so, certain norms of performance will have to be worked out.
All the characters onstage speak about their personal experience of Delhi and include some part of a text. It is done in a seamless flow with the two pieces becoming one narrative.
Gandharva, the slight young man who appeared to be dramatically on edge most of the time introduces himself as a spoilt and only child and breaks of to talk about how dump heaps are landmarks in locations in Delhi. “If the dump heap is removed no one would be able to find their way to my grandmother’s house,” he says. Then he goes on to describe the Christmas cake like houses that began to come up in the area where his grandmother lived. the style is called Punjabi baroque it seems but logical to draw on the text by Narayani Gupta, and speak of the enigmatic naming of the roads in Delhi.
‘Where do you come from?’ is a question one Dilliwala invariably asks the other. Actor Ved speaks about this phenomenon, “Why I was born here? A Dilliwala is my answer.” However, the other will insist “that is alright but where did your ancestors come from”?
According to Sohail Hashmi, Kallan Khan the old mithai maker in old Delhi has a keen eye and sharp ears for a true Dilliwala. Dismissing my claims outright, he indicated to Uncle Sohail and said he is not a true Dilliwala either. The emptying of Delhi and subsequent invasion by outsiders is ascribed to the mad king Mohammad Bin Tughlaq who wanted to move his court to Daulatabad. In his personal note, Ved describes a nightmare he had that his family has been transferred to Mumbai and he has joined the struggling actors. Then follows his commitment to be a theatre actor and only a theatre actor,
Swetataabh goes to the Lamborghini showroom with some friends. The woman at the showroom refuses them entry. She says, “this car is only for the rich, for diplomats and those in power.” Where in Delhi can you drive a Lamborghini he asks? “There is a driving club in Chanakyapuri. The members gather after midnight and race their cars on the roads,” she offers a reasoning, the group learns an important lesson in life as the big divide between the rich and the poor. The situation of being between those in power and the ordinary man confronts them.
The only female actor, Dhwani, takes a text from the satirist, Manjula Padmanabhan to take a dig at men urinating in public. The graphic observations of the writer are further physicalised by the actors leading to entertainment. The men, played by the three boys, demonstrate as she talks of the various stances and postures, she enacts some herself. Dhwani’s animation of how a woman copes with outdoor urination: clutching the many clothes a female has to wear in two hands with the purse clutched between the teeth, was a tour de force.
Not only is the group devoted to theatre but is also talented.
Until Life
Equally talented are the members of Thrissur’s Minnaminangukal Puppet Theatre Company that performed the philosophical Until Life presented by the Alliance Françoise at the M.L. Bhatia Auditorium. It was a visual treat with huge muppets in innovative costumes and vividly individualistic masks at the show, which is the work of French puppeteer and artist Brigitte Revelli featured some exquisite shadow puppetry.
The black bird is a beautiful concept into the act, like the a Sutradhar who keeps the action together. It is interesting to see myths emerge from the communication of the half-bird and half-humans who have generated the myths themselves inspired by the forces of nature. Not heeding the warnings from the fables, tales, myths and folk tales ,a cocky young man continues to exploit the environment.
The South Indian myth in Hindu mythology, Bali Vijayam was brilliantly enacted by an actor playing Narad Muni with a small Yakshagana like puppet portraying Ravan. He sings a hosanna in English set to Carnatic music, which had the house roaring with laughter,
His manipulation of the puppet was avant-garde in effect, and meaning, He convinces Ravan that Bali the monkey has said derogatory things about Ravan’s and to save his honour he must fight him. Ravan’s confident laughter echoes through the hall as he dances off with Narad Muni.
Cut to Bali, a huge muppet with a very long tail manipulated separately. Enter Ravan. Narad asks him to catch Bali’s tail if he wants to defeat him. The attempts Ravan makes are all futile.
Bali does not even notice Ravan until finally he catches the tail. Then with a little flick, Bali casts him off. A humiliated Ravan beats a retreat from the stage leaving the magnificent muppet of Bali to billow across the stage to his exit.
The shadow puppets are intricately cut from leather one. The figures of the old man and his sons in the story of how an old father on his deathbed plays on the greed of his sons to make them plough the fields saying there is treasure buried there. All the digging leads the land yield a rich harvest.
All the bad things humans have done to the environment haunt the him. Gradually, the water and air are becoming scarce. When he reaches despaired, the half-humans and half-birds creatures to whom he was unkind, return to bring him back to life. The black bird opens its wings of idealism and dreams for him. The finale is breathtaking as the huge translucent white wings of the blackbird open on the stage. A truly a magical show indeed.