Photographs: Facebook Sheela Bhatt in Delhi
Magic, sheer magic!" is how Sunil Shanbag, director of the Gujarati adaptation of the Shakespearean classic All's Well That Ends Well, describes the experience of performing the play at the historic Globe Theatre in London.
Titled Maro Piyu Gayo Rangoon, the play was performed at the mecca of Shakespearean drama on May 23 and 24.
'It was an amazing experience to perform in open theatre'
Talking over the telephone from London, Shanbag told rediff.com, "We brought Shakespeare alive! It was an amazing experience to perform in open theatre. The ambience of the Globe theatre was cerebral and energetic. The theatre was every bit supplementing the drama."
He said the matinee show was 80 per cent full and the second show, on May 24, was enjoyed by a 1,000-strong audience -- a full house.
The play shows the trading culture of the Gujarati community interwoven into its story-line
Though the play was performed in Gujarati, there were many non-Indians in the audience. The play shows the trading culture of the Gujarati community interwoven into the story-line of the original, which is based in France and Italy.
A review in theartdesk.com described it as "Shakespeare's problem play solved by a buoyant Gujarati staging from Mumbai."
'People found that the play has warmth and honest narration'
The Facebook page of Arpana theatre group, producer of the play, was filled with compliments to Shanbag and his team. Shanbag is co-founder of Arpana along with Utkarsh Mazumdar who played Gokuldas, king of France.
Shanbag says, "People found the actors accessible. They found that the play has warmth and honest narration. Mihir Bhuta has done a marvellous job in adapting All's Well That Ends Well into Gujarati. In London, we had live music by Uday Mazumdar's team that added authenticity to the play."
'We ensured that the lyricism of Shakepeare's play is retained'
Shanbag, a veteran of the Mumbai stage, says that during planning and rehearsing the play "we had detailed discussions on how to keep the essential Shakespearean spirit alive in the Gujarati play. A Gujarati audience will completely identify with the mercantile spirit of the play.
"We kept two things in mind: We ensured that the lyricism of Shakepeare's play is retained. The element of poetry is in our play as well. Second, there are many moments where characters are showing their human side. Philosophical reflection comes alive through the dialogues. Mihir (Bhuta) has incorporated Shakepeare's way of expression beautifully."
'The theatre is open and without formal entry or exit'
Since much of the thrill of presenting the play was to do so in the very theatre (refurbished and rebuilt of course) where Shakespeare staged his plays more than 400 years ago, it is but natural that Shanbag found the experience "unforgettable".
"You know, when we reached the theatre, our artistes in just ten minutes felt at home. The theatre is open and without formal entry or exit. But Mansi Parekh, who plays Helena (the Gujarati character is named Heli), Meenal Patel, and Chirag Vora who plays Bertram (Bharatram) didn't complain. They adapted to the theatre as if they were waiting to perform here for years.
"There were no amplifiers. The sound of Gujarati was rich due to the super acoustic system. The music added a mystique. It is fantastic when you see artistes reaching home!"
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