Beware of rumours

In its debut production Rumor, city-based group Playtonik shows us what happens when people concoct stories to save their skin

Beware of rumours

In its debut production Rumor, city-based group Playtonik shows us what happens when people concoct stories to save their skin

Humour is one of the best ways to win audience adulation and the newly formed Playtonik Productions seems to know that. Their debut stage venture hence is a laugh-a-minute.u00a0

Written by American playwright Neil Simon, the English play directed by Tulika Majumdar will bring out all that lies behind the happy faces of married couples.
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Says Majumdar, "This city has a thing for comedies. When you have a strong script half the battle is won. With a strong set of characters and witty lines, this play has a lot of entertainment value."

Set in a posh locality in New York, Rumor takes us to the residence of the Deputy Mayor where he and his wife are holding a bash to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. The so-called happy couples from the highest strata of society are invited. However, when the first couple reaches the venue, they discover that there are no servants, the hostess is missing and the Deputy Mayor has shot himself in the head.
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The first couple decides to keep the mess a secret to evade public and media glare. More people drop in and follow suit. As a result, each couple tries to hide the turn of events from the other and end up making up stories about the disaster at the party.

"It is a farce. A bunch of people is in a comic situation and they try desperately to get out of it. It becomes a series of cover up events," explains Majumdar,u00a0 adding that the play takes place in an apartment and thus a concept-based set design with wooden panels are created to give it the 1990s look.

Majumdar stresses that the plot has not been improvised to suit time and space as the characters are people we meet in parties as well as professional set ups. According to Majumdar, the play has an underlying theme that shows every marriage is not successful and there may be a weepingu00a0 heart behind a cheerful face.
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She feels the play is relatable asu00a0 there are many such smart and sophisticated couples in the city that are successful in their careers but constantly make an effort to hide their marital tensions. However, she clears that Playtonik does not delve into the seriousness of the issue butu00a0 concentrates on the humorous rumours that evolve due to the mess.

Of all the characters, Majumdar's favourite is Claire, the wife of an aristocratic gentleman. "She has a successful career and is always looking out for juicy gossip. But she extracts the information in a subtle way. You see such people everywhere nowadays. We hopeu00a0 Bangalore is totally entertained," signs off Majumdar.

Where Alliance Francaise, Vasanthnagar
On November 19 and 20, 4.30 and 7.30 pm
Call 9886789076
For Rs 200