This World Theatre Day, Tisted Twales from Masquerade returns with three bilingual short plays adapted from contemporary Tamil fiction, where the thrill lies not in who did it, but in how the story unfolds.
For director Krishna Kumar, this return is a recalibration. “Some of our regulars have been craving for these shorts to come back,” he says. “Also, the change in demographics of theatre-goers… there’s a strong headwind of bilingualism across the theatrescape now.”
For actor Bharathy SS, who plays two contrasting roles, the experience has been as layered as the narratives themselves. “This is my first time playing characters that actively shape the narrative,” she says. “Sundari is bold and expressive, while the village girl is more timid… finding that balance was the challenge.”
That balance extends beyond performance. The bilingual form itself becomes a space of discovery. “Moving between Tamil and English isn’t just about words,” adds actor Jayashri Ramesh Sundaram. “It’s about staying anchored in the character so the shift feels organic.”
The worlds themselves are delightfully off-kilter. An illusionist who swallows razors. A railway station where no train stops. A Mediterranean bookie in conversation with a Triplicane ex-cricketer on the eve of a high-stakes match. Three seemingly disparate narratives, all inching toward a shared reveal.
He places these stories closer to the social, twist-in-the-tail tradition of O Henry and Guy de Maupassant, rather than the suspense-heavy worlds of Alfred Hitchcock or Agatha Christie. “There’s a fair amount of laughter, humour and earthy wit,” he adds. “So there’s never really suspense; neither are there dull moments.”
But if mystery is the hook, humour is the engine. “In general, there are different types of mystery narratives,” the director explains. “Some hold back the reveal, others let you in on the solution early and focus on how it unfolds. Ours is the kind where the last line, or even the last paragraph, holds the surprise.”
At its core, Tisted Twales invites laughter and discovery. As the director says, “We want an immersive experience… with a feel-good takeaway.”
Rs 300. On March 27. From 7.15 onwards. At Medai – The Stage, Alwarpet.
Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels