Othello and Hamlet will walk into a Ballard Estate gallery as The Theatre Group Bombay blends theatre performances with the visual arts
Nosherwan Jehangir and Farrid Currim (right) as Othello and Iago. Pics Courtesy/Theatre Group Bombay
All art is conversation, they say. Even between art forms, suggests Raell Padamsee. The theatremaker is in the midst of preparations ahead of the showcase of Shakespeare & Alyque Live On tonight at the Pundole Art Gallery in Ballard Estate. The performance marks another step in the revival of the famed Theatre Group Bombay — the 84-year-old Mumbai theatre institution founded by Sultan Padamsee in 1941. “We are exploring different spaces to perform Shakespeare in,” shares Raell. An art gallery is certainly a novel choice for the venue.
Sabira Merchant as Lady Macbeth
In July earlier this year, the group opened their first showcase with a reunion performance. This show marks their return to the public space. Reimagined by Raell and Craig Dequadros, the performances feature excerpts from iconic Shakespearean plays, many adapted by the late Alyque Padamsee during the group’s early years. The choice of a gallery to stage the performances was to underline the cross-pollination of the arts. The director explains, “The decision to marry the two art forms was important because everything would exist in isolation otherwise. Also, to put up a performance piece in a fine arts space is an exciting approach, even for the artistes.” Audiences will get to witness Sabira Merchant donning the character of Lady Macbeth, Nosherwan Jehangir and Farid Currim take on Othello and Iago, Denzil Smith as Macbeth, while Kunaal Roy Kapur steps in as Mark Anthony.
MF Husain’s (right) poster for Alyque Padamsee’s Othello
The space of the gallery will also play a role in the experimental nature of the performance, she adds. “We will be using technology, and adapting it to suit the performances. Normally, the walls on the backdrop showcase paintings. But projections will be a different kind of visual art,” the theatremaker tells us. Actors will make their entries and exits among the audience, eliminating the fourth wall, adding to the drama.
(From left) Alyque Padamsee; Kabir Bedi and Vijay Crishna in discussion. Pic Courtesy/theatregroupbombay.com
This approach is a throwback to the tradition that was part of the group’s origins. Founded in the early 1940s, the group witnessed performers across the artistic spectrum move in and out. Including a certain MF Husain, whose poster for Alyque Padamsee’s adaptation of Othello in 1990 will be a centrepiece of the discussion. While Kabir Bedi might not be present to re-enact his titular role from 1990, the showcase will capture Husain’s own view of the Bard’s Othello. Raell says, “We are lucky to have a visual of an artist’s own interpretation of the work that is very different to how actors or theatremakers imagine it. It also shows how different people engage with the same art form.”
Nosherwan and Meher Jehangir as Petruchio and Katherine in The Taming Of The Shrew
The performances will be part of an attempt to engage a new generation through a different approach, and to understand the relevance of Shakespeare in the modern world. “We will also be hosting a post-show discussion on the relevance of Shakespeare in today’s context. It will be an insightful discussion, I hope,” she concludes. As the Bard said, play on.
Raell Padamsee
ON December 19; 6 pm
AT Pundole Art Gallery, Hamilton House, Ballard Estate, Fort.
CALL 9819076263 (for reservation details)
ENTRY FREE
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