The Company Theatre, a theatre company based in Mumbai, is all set for its upcoming national tour of British author and playwright, Ronald Harwood's Taking Sides. Atul Kumar, who is the producer and director of the play, describes the play's idea as a sort of satire on the debate between the arts and politics. It questions people's morals in terms of whose side they support and what is ethically wrong and right. The play reveals the Nazi regime in Germany in an effort to combat fascism. "We all encounter a lot of fascist forces in our reality," says Atul on the relevance of the theme.
Atul, who has about three decades of theatre under his belt, has drawn inspiration from renowned playwrights like Eugene Ionesco and Luigi Pirandello ever since his days as a student studying English and foreign languages while doing his bachelor of literature. This play is in a straightforward, realistic genre, as opposed to his earlier pieces, which were absurdist, comical, and larger-than-life, with visual elements, clown performances, music, and body movements. “I am exploring realism for the first time in this one and I’m acting in this myself - which is a new thing because this is the first time in 30 years, I have directed a play in which I am acting myself. I am exploring the nuances and layering of the written word, putting more emphasis on the spoken word. A big battle is already won when you are making an ensemble - I am not only looking for good actors but also people who vibe well and get along well with each other in spite of diversity and differences,” he says.
The plot of the play is based on a true story - that of German conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwängler who was the subject of a denazification investigation by the United States after World War II on suspicions that he had aided the Nazi state. This idea was covered in Ronald Harwood's 1995 drama. Among other sources, Harwood relied on a thorough journal Furtwängler kept of his interrogation sessions. Furtwängler was officially charged following the investigation at the centre of the drama, but the tribunal ultimately found him not guilty. The play was turned into a movie with the same name in 2001, which was helmed by Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó.
The cast includes Sukant Goel, Mallika Singh, Richa Jain, Kashin Shetty, Kenny Desai, and Kashish Saluja alongside Atul.
At Rangbhoomi Spaces & Events, Gachibowli on November 5 and 6 at 8 pm.
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Twitter: @PaulChokita