Home page Review Archives PresentReviewers .M.Couzens Review's Archive.Latest Reviews Kalapi Jani for Gita Productions and Sadler’s Wells presents A World Premiere
Mahabarata
Written by Stephen Clark
Directed by Stuart Wood
Music, Orchestration and Arrangement – Nitin Sawhrey
Musical Supervisor and Musical Director – Alies Sluiter
Sadler’s Wells
25 – 28 April 2007
A review by Mary Couzens for EXTRA! EXTRA!
In its original form, Mahabarata is the longest and oldest epic poem in world literature and a pivotal part of ancient Indian scripture. This theatrical version, intermingling Eastern and Western influences tends to dazzle the senses without reaching beyond them.
A long running feud exists between two groups of cousins: the five Pandovas and the hundred Kauravas, represented by their surviving eldest Duryodhana, who has been born of an enchantment. When the rivals compete in an archery contest, Arjuna, one of the Pandavas wins the hand of the beautiful princess Draupadi. However, when he takes the princess home to his mother, she informs him that whatever he has won must be shared with his four brothers. As the brothers agree to a compromise, their arch enemy Duryodhana plans his revenge.
The spotlight falls on a golden urn as black gloved hands slowly draw blue silken cloth from it while tinkling bells softly sound offstage. Krishna makes his appearance from behind the outstretched silk, as gold, scarlet and coppery lengths of cloth are drawn out behind him like a huge fan. Dancers interweave in the spaces around him, alternately spiraling and steadying, their eyes fixed straight ahead.
Katlak, a classical, ever-evolving form of Indian dance is employed to great effect in this production. The rapid footwork and spins blend the traditional and contemporary. Feats of balance are performed as acid house music, combined with gibberish and exotic sounds spews forth. The bells on the dancer’s ankles jingle as they twirl and stop in place. Drums beat in conjunction with their movements. Our heroine emerges.
Draupadi has been born to incite a terrible war and struggles to come to terms with her destiny.
Her mercurial mood swings, seems to epitomize not only femininity, as do the phases of the moon, but also, feminism. When she is humiliated at the hands of her rivals, her first impulse is to implore Krisha to take revenge on her behalf. But when faced with the fulfillment of her plea, she resolves to break the cycle of hatred with forgiveness.
Natasha Jayltileke makes a vibrant, lovely Draupadi. Her singing voice could feature in any musical, as indeed, it has, although her acting seems a tad melodramatic at times. Such is also the case with Medha Divekar as Kunthi, her husband’s (all five of them) mother. However, it was difficult to determine on the night whether the over stated nature of their acting was due to differences in staging, in terms of what is traditional, or directing. Marcas Jose James who plays Draupadi’s favourite husband Ayrida is athletic and handsome but somewhat stilted in his role, in terms of emotion. Eamonn O’Dwyer turns in a fine performance as Yudhistira as do Sujit Karmakar, Sandip Mallick and William Kenning as the other Pandavas: Sahadava, Nakula and Bhima. Elia Lotauro and Angelo Smimmo are also believable in their roles as Karna and Dushasana, respectively. Paul A. Meston is so effective in his roles of Deona and Shakuni that it wasn’t immediately apparent that the same person was acting both of them. And Garry Pillai is simply mesmerizing as Krishna . However, it is Michael Matus, in the role of Duryodhana, the plotting cousin who steals the show. His every movement, gesture and word is a study of what consummate acting can be. The musicians and vocalists involved with this production are, by all accounts, absolutely fantastic! Theirs was, by far the most enthusiastic round of applause at the conclusion of the performance.
It is adventuresome of this production to blend cultures the way it has. However, the attempt is not always a seamless one with songs which sound like they below in a West End musical appearing out of nowhere at times, making them seem more odd than uplifting initially, which is a shame as all of the music, when considered separately would be seen as being of a particularly high caliber. However, the instrumental and sung music that is more indicative of the storyline is undeniably sublime.
Despite its vital message of compassion in the face of one’s adversaries, this production of Mahabarata does not expend enough energy on an emotional and spiritual level to make its message felt. And after all, it is what one feels that leads to action or reaction, good and bad.
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