Rising above sudden crises to deliver hit shows

Let me talk today about some unexpected experiences in my theatre journey. Year 1978: Launch of Adi Marzban-Burjor Patel Productions. For our first venture we selected a hilarious American comedy called My Daughter Rated 'X'. It was about an old-fashioned censor board chief responsible for assigning ratings to movies.He angers a few of the libertarian breed of producers. However, when his daughter leaves her baseball-playing husband and decides to move back with her baby and when he finds out that her marriage was only common law meaning a live-in relationship and not legalised, his puritan ethic cracks. Adi suggested we call the play My Darling Daughter since he felt audiences of those times might not relate to the original title.

The play was an overnight hit and was playing to packed houses. We had a show at the posh 800-seater Bhulabhai Auditorium (now closed). The house was full. It was monsoon time and had been pouring since morning. In spite of that the crowds had braved the rains and were present in full force. It was almost time for the curtain to go up and Dinyar Contractor, who was playing the live-in husband’s father, had not yet arrived. He had phoned to say his area was flooded but that he was on his way. His entry being in the second act, almost an hour later, we started the play. The audiences lapped up the first act with full-throated laughter and applause. Interval and no sign of Dinyar still.He finally phoned to say he was stuck near Jacob Circle and there was no chance of him being able to come. He had just one scene. I was not in the play and Adi suggested I step into the role. I had watched Dinyar during the previous performances.Though small it was a gem of a part and Dinyar with his comic genius had made it truly memorable.There was no way I could match him but I told Adi I would step in but with the script in my hand.

Interval over, the audience was back. Adi explained to the viewers that Dinyar was still swimming in knee-deep waters at Jacob Circle, offering them the choice of refunding their tickets or my moving into the role with script in hand. No one moved out, we carried on, the audiences kept on rolling in the aisles with laughter. The final curtain and the audience gave us a standing ovation.They had thoroughly enjoyed the evening and seemed doubly grateful that their evening did not go waste.The play went on to complete a golden jubilee run.

It was 1983 and my friend Bharat Dabholkar and I launched our mega musical revue Bottoms Up about which I had written in this column. It was a hit from day one. We had a show at the Sophia Bhabha auditorium. The house, as usual, was full. Ten minutes for the curtain to go up and suddeny there was a power cut. We panicked. We were informed that the entire area had plunged into darkness and power  would resume in an hour’s time. The theatre put on their emergency lights but you can’t perform a play in emergency lights, especially a musical revue with songs, spectacular dances, comedy galore and a change of sets etc. It was a nightmare for us. The mega cast included Keith Stevenson as the compere.He told us not to worry. He explained to the audience in his humourous way, sought their patience for some time and then went on to entertain and interact with them. Shiamak Davar, a legend now, who was making his debut as a dancer in the play also joined in with songs, making the audience sing along. The lights suddenly returned, the audience gave Keith an ovation. Keith was our ‘man of the match’ and Bottoms Up scored a century.

The author is a well-known stage personality