A heart-warming story centred around the dynamics of a family comprising a middle-aged couple, their daughter, and the young man she hopes to marry, Hold the Mushrooms! will plug at your heartstrings with its simple narrative that successfully conveys the complexities we often find ourselves entangled in.
Written by Binoy Mohan, whose debut work this was, Hold the Mushrooms! deals with relationships; sometimes complex and difficult relationships, which often lead to strange and curious situations. The play explores various aspects of family life; we meet a mother, a father, a daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend, and we see a beautiful story unfold through them.
In a time where relationships and emotions are less valued than our phones and the number of likes and followers on social media, this play seeks to take the audience back to the importance of having relationships and the dynamics of navigating them despite the odds. Explaining the same, Michael Muthu, who has directed the play, says, “What I think the play does is, makes you think about your relationships; your attitude towards fellow human beings and more specifically to your family members. It reveals a lot about human nature; our need to love, our need to be loved, the importance of forgiveness, the destructiveness of hate… the play has a lot to reveal.”
As a director directing someone else’s story, does it get difficult at any stage to have a complete understanding or do complete justice to the script, we ask Michael. “Well, you always hope you’ve got it right, that you are seeing it the way the playwright sees it, but people do see things differently. And have we done complete justice to the script? All I can say is that it’s not easy, but we’ve done a lot of hard work to get to where we are now; moving forward, it’s for the audiences to decide.”
Featuring well-known theatre actors TM Karthik, Roshan Poncha, Gibran Osman and Tanaaz Zoroofchi, Hold the Mushrooms! will hold your attention as it skillfully unravels the joys, struggles, and poignant moments that bind the characters together. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the playwright has woven a tale that resonates deeply with the audience, drawing on shared experiences and emotions. The humour injected into the script adds a delightful layer to the narrative, providing moments of levity that balance the more profound themes explored in the play.
As a director, Michael says he has weaved in his own understanding of the story to the play. “The cast and crew together, decide what the script is trying to say and we move ahead with what feels right. The play is very well written and does have a very strong storyline, the characters are very well defined, and so, finding our way through the script and its interpretation was not at all difficult,” the director shares.
With its deep meaning and relatable storyline, the play leaves the audience with a mix of emotions and a renewed appreciation for the complexities of family life.
Tickets at Rs 300.
March 1 & 2, 7.30 pm.
At Medai – The Stage, Alwarpet.
Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com
X: @rupsjain
