Delhi's buzzing theatre scene

Delhi is fast emerging as India's cultural hub. From art to theatre (more than hundred productions staged every month) there is a lot to watch and Delhiites couldn't have asked for more.

Mandi House (near Bengali Market) is home to  the finest performing art  institutions -  Triveni Kala Sangam, National School of Drama, Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra, Sriram Centre, Kamani Auditorium, LTG, (Little Theatre Group) and Habib Rahman's - Rabindra Bhawan. India Habitat Center and Alliance Francaise in Lodhi Road Institutional Area are also active on the theatre front.

Even though I live close by but of late I hadn’t been catching up on the theatre scene. This hiatus ended recently when Atul Kumar staged "Noises Off” and for watching this West End hit even the hubby took time out.

 "Noises Off" is a play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. It was staged in Delhi by The Company Theatre at Kamani Auditorium.  In fact, this play was staged ten years back and has now again been revived, retaining some of its original cast. It's a farcical comedy of an ambitious director and his troupe of mediocre actors who are trying to make a sex comedy-"Nothing On".

It's a play within a play- and explores the on and off stage doings of a theatre group as they flounder through the rehearsals. It's about fiascoes that happen backstage when the actors are not in tandem with each other, about their conflicting love interests, and how all this disharmony spills on to the stage in a slapstick comedy.

 

The stage for "Noises Off"

The first Act begins with dress rehearsals in which you see actors forgetting their lines, missing cues, a lot of talk of sardines and countless entrances and exits and banging of doors, and the actors really have their hands full, and not just figuratively (holding  plate of sardines)

For the second Act the stage is turned around so the audience gets to see the drama that happens backstage. This is more hilarious than the comedy on stage. It is a total laugh riot with the human emotions of envy, revenge and backstabbing coming to the fore. It looks at the relationship between the cast and crew with all their foibles and eccentricities.

In the third and final Act, the play is being performed at the end of its ten week run, and by now the relationship between the crew is at an abysmal level but they go on spiritedly, determined to put up a good show. As actors forget lines and situations, the play goes on contrary to the script and with impromptu improvisations becomes maddeningly comical.

This play has been a resounding success in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and has had a sellout run. The director, Atul Kumar has already received a lot of critical acclaim for 'Piya Behrupiya', and “Noises Off" is another feather in his cap.

Another interesting play that I caught up with was Merry Go Round Entertainment's much acclaimed "Khabsoorat Bahu", written by Late Nag Bodus and directed by Tarun Dangwal. The play is written in Brij Bhasha (dotted with Bundeli flavor).

It is a satire on the superstitious beliefs that foster in our villages and how it affects relationships. The play was about the society's emphasis on looks when finding a bride. It had its light moments of buffoonery when the village's flirtatious youth spend their time fantasizing about the beautiful 'bahu' who has just got married to a local boy.

It was a well enacted play interspersed with folk songs sung by the characters.  'Chachi' (aunt) and 'sutradhar' (facilitator) characters were well etched out and the actors performing these characters gave a fine performance. It was a hilarious and enjoyable play and one lost track of time ... and the two hours went by in a jiffy.

The cast and crew of "Khabsoorat Bahu"

Both the plays would definitely make the cut for any theatre enthusiast for their quality of production and are worth a watch. Delhi's theatre scene is livening up and makes for a good alternative to some of  the inane bollywood offerings.