Alone on stage: What does it take to make mono acts successful?

Last November, Irish theatre personality Declan Gorman staged The Dubliners Dilemma, based on James Joyce's first book, The Dubliners. Set in pre-World War I Britain, the play focuses on Joyce's self doubts after his book was rejected by publishers and the dilemma of publisher Grant Richards, who had initially rejected the manuscript fearing that it would breach obscenity laws.

Around an hour long, The Dubliners Dilemma is a mono act with Gorman performing 23 characters — the publisher Richards, Joyce himself, a narrator and a host of characters from the short stories such as a young musician, a tippler in a pub, an unpleasant boss, an English circus artiste and a bass singer. While a few of them have two or three lines to speak, most are quite vital to the play. It is a challenge, Gorman says, especially when two or more are conversing at the same time.

"I look for distinguishing physical and vocal characteristics even for the smallest walk-on characters. The comic figures are easier — 'Hoppy' Holohan, for instance, walks with a limp and has a catch in his voice — but the challenge is to make them sympathetic and not offensive caricatures. More earnest figures like the publisher require empathy — what is the dilemma of this publisher who loves literature deeply but is concerned about reputation and financial survival? It helps to understand each character," explains Gorman, adding "As to placing two or more characters together, it helped to recall how children play — watch a little girl with six dolls. She will give each a voice and a place instinctively. I learned a little from admiring my own daughters' inventive skills!"

Mono acts are challenging and several actors have attempted them. Mumbai-based director-actor, Yuki Ellias, plays nine characters in Elephant In The Room, a quirky and poignant reinterpretation of the myth about Lord Ganesh's head. English actor Joanna Purslow played 10 characters in Ursula: Queen of the Jungle, based on the story of Ursula Graham Bower, a young Englishwoman who travelled to Nagaland in the 1940s. Purslow also played a Naga character, though she'd never met anyone from Nagaland.

"I think for actors, it's a challenge. The process of transitioning from one character to another is emotionally and physically exhausting. I have been performing since I was 18 and have trained in voice modulation as well as physical expression, which helps stretch the body to adapt to characters and give each a distinct voice," says 39-year-old Ellias. Music, too, can be of help, adds Purslow, whose production had a different background score for each character. The use of props such as the glasses Purslow wears when she turns into the narrator, a hand-held moustache and pipe, also help.

"I use props if they are germane to the physicality of the person or scene. Joyce is instantly recognisable by his straw boater. The publisher reverts often to his desk and pens. A boy is signified by his catapult — but only if he makes real use of it," says Gorman.

While for actors, mono acts are a challenge, the audience could find it disorienting too, and may be unable to follow what's happening — as was the case for The Dubliners Dilemma, when some left the auditorium midway.

Gorman, candidly, blames it on lack of focus. "I have lost audiences for a few seconds, even minutes, when I have been distracted. You sense this, get your act together and calm yourself. I warm up physically and mentally for a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour before a performance — even after five years of sporadic repeats of this show. Focus is everything," says Gorman who has been performing The Dubliners Dilemma since June 2012.

The essence, say the actors and directors, is in the writing. "I wanted The Elephant in The Room to be a multi-starrer, but the Park Festival required a solo act. The form became the premise for the writing since we knew there wouldn't be time to change costumes," says Ellias who has also directed the play.

"To do a mono act, one really needs to believe in the writing. The script needs to be well written for it to hold the attention of the audience," says theatre actor and writer-director Makarand Deshpande, who wrote and performed the monologue Patni along with musician Niladri Kumar early last year.

"While a strong script is essential, it is equally important to have an actor who can do justice to the writing, someone who has the training to essay multiple characters," adds Arvind Gaur, founder of Delhi-based Asmita Theatre Group, who has written and directed several monoacts such as Untitled, A Woman Alone and Ehsaas. "Although it seems like only one actor is performing, the backstage work is the equivalent to of a multi-actor play or more," he adds.

Theatre veteran Sarita Joshi believes that artists should go for a solo act only after they have created a niche. "There should be a demand for the artist among the audiences. It is not that a new person can't do it, but if someone has done 15-16 successful acts, then there is a support system in place," says the 77-year-old, who has been performing her mono act Sakubai since 1999. "In a play, film or serial, we have costume, makeup and body language with which to perform the character but in a solo act, the costume or makeup remains constant. We have to transition using voice, tone, expressions and body language. How well you portray these characters determines how big your show can be," she elaborates.