Simon McBurney’s Complicite will perform a unique blend of the Bard and technology on November 3
"I hope that Measure for Measure will be unrecognisable by the time we return to the UK," wrote British theatre director Simon McBurney in an e-mail to Prithvi theatre's Sanjna Kapoor. Complicite, McBurney's 31-member theatre company, will perform a unique blend of Shakespeare and technology in Mumbai on November 3. The play will move from the technologically equipped Jamshed Bhabha theatre to meeker Prithvi theatre and then, the expansive Rangashankara theatre in Bangalore.
Kapoor's seven year-long dream to bring down the London troupe, has finally been realised. She says, "Simon McBurney's theatre tickles your senses and touches you very tenderly. Yet, he manages to stimulate your mind. But his use of technology is never overbearing." Michael Billington, The Guardian's theatre critic, has described Complicite's work as a "kaleidoscope of restlessness, clangourous sound effects, mimetic illustration and pervasive TV images". And all the technological acrobatics will be used on good old 16th century Shakespeare's unpredictable Measure for Measure, a 'problem play' which defies classification.
This year, the festival will showcase no full-length plays. Rahul da Cunha's Rage Productions presents 36 Ghante, literally, a collage of 12 ten-minute plays written by 12 city playwrights in 10 hours. On November 4, da Cunha will ring them with the single idea they must all write about. Then, 12 Mumbai directors will direct the plays with 24 hours in hand and 48 actors.
Da Cunha admits that the idea for 36 Ghante emerged from the British '24-hour play' which is created a day to raise money for charity. "The time element won't influence the writing process as much as hasten it and make the playwrights focus," he adds. The results could be stupendous or disastrous, says participating playwright Ramu Ramanathan. "There is a huge element of risk and no possibly of a rewrite or re-blocking (the play). You have to take a plunge."
For Mumbaikars who missed Pune's 'Ten' festival celebrating 50 years of Vijay Tendulkar's writing career is an entire day dedicated to his work. Tendulkar himself will read from His Fifth Woman, his only English play. His essays Mazhi Bahin and Janmadata, both family memoirs that expound on his relationship with his sister and his father, will be directed by Chetan Datar and Girish Patke respectively.
Gujarati theatre director Manoj Shah will present a bouquet of translations of Samuel Beckett and Anton Chekhov. Some pieces will be as short as 30 seconds, others have no words. Gujarati playwright Naushil Mehta's Lovin' Bombay will zoom in on Mumbaikars turmoil, from 50s to 26/7 against the backdrop of a public garden.
Dramatic Dose
Measure for Measure
Nov 3-6, Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, 7pm; Nov 9-11, Prithvi Theatre, 9pm
Dir Simon McBurney
Maestro - Master - Swami
Nov 4, Prithvi Theatre, 6 & 9pm; Dir Manoj Shah
36 Ghante, twelve 10-minute plays; Nov 5, Prithvi Theatre, 9pm
Celebrating Tendulkar
Nov 6, Prithvi Theatre, All-day
Tendulkar reads from His Fifth Woman, 11am
Lovin' Bombay
Nov 7, Prithvi Theatre, 6 & 9pm; Dir Amit Mistry
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