UK-based thespian Tim Crouch has made a name for himself by exploring themes and subjects that buck the trend of normal theatre conventions. One among them being producing plays based on the stories of lesser-known characters of Shakespeare — a popular example being the soothsayer in Julius Caesar, one of the earlier roles Tim had played in his career. He feels that playing such roles earlier helped him understand the importance of smaller characters in a play. “We are often subjected to the ‘great man’ theory of history. The idea that history is explained through the impact of ‘great men’ -—leaders, rulers, kings, heroes,” he says, adding, “It’s possible to look at Shakespeare’s plays like this. I think that history is made by the ‘small people’, i.e. the minor characters too.”
It is with this approach to his trade that Tim (54) comes to Chennai to present his fourth Shakespeare adaptation, I, Malvolio, a solo act play that tells us the story of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night through the eyes of the play’s steward, Malvolio. Tim explains, “His is one of the great unfinished stories. His last line in the original is: ‘I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you.’ But then you never find out what his revenge might be. In my play I explore what it could be. He’s treated very badly in the Twelfth Night and yet we all laugh at him. He’s a carrier for lots of themes — from cruelty to bigotry, from repression to release. He’s not in the play that much, but he is perhaps the most memorable presence in it — as both a tragic hero and a clown.”
Speaking about how much the audience can play a part in this play, he says, “I wrote this play in the hope that I will be constantly wrong-footed by the audience. I want the audience to misbehave, to arrive late, to keep their phones on, to scorn and trick me. In China, recently, one audience member destroyed a rather key prop while I was off stage. This was a little more that I had anticipated, but the audience were all in on the individual’s act and it led to some strong interactions!”
India is one among the 18 countries where Tim has staged this play. “After Chennai, I go to Pondicherry,” he signs off, adding that he is working on new plays, which will be staged in Edinburgh next year, and a TV series for the BBC. December 2. At Adishakti Theatre. 7 pm. Entry free.