Youth theatre Nabokallol is back with its first production series for 2024. Named Theatre for Peace, the event showcases three plays that highlight three different aspects of war and society. Grab yourself seats to Niranjan Sadan on January 14 to witness the power of group theatre through adapted and original works – Antigone, Matongini, and Nishaan. Indulge takes a closer look at the curation of the plays and talks to the directors to know more about them.
Antigone
The first of the productions is the globally acclaimed and famous play Antigone adapted from the original text and re-written to reflect today’s society and conscious concerns. Sayan Ghatak who adapted and directed the play comments, “Antigone is a story which protests against war and misuse of power. Today when people are afraid of talking out against the wrong, Antigone is a symbol of consciousness. It’s a story of courage and an inspiration to speak for the right.” With Antigone having been performed several times globally when asked what novelty the play showcases, Sayan says, “We have designed the music to the set and even the costume as per the contemporary times. We have used yesteryear's language and put together a performance for today. We are also curating the Antigone theme music by Debarshi Ganguly.”
Matongini
Based on the life of freedom fighter Matongini Hazra comes the second production of the evening directed by Atreyee Sarkar. The play portrays the love and fight of the sexagenarian for her country. Sarkar says, “At 60 when people move back from their responsibilities, Lady Matongini fought for her country following Gandhi's path of Ahimsa. It’s tough to recall how much work has been done on her and that is why we have tried to work on her life. Also in the play we have compared pre-independence society with the current situation.”
Nishaan
Written and directed by Arijit Sen, the Bengali play Nishaan highlights a crucial topic of war and how it continues to affect the lives of those involved in it even after the action is over. He says," Nishaan is an anti-war drama that describes an individual’s delusion of war. It discusses the internal and psychological battles a person goes through beyond the battlefield. It is inspired by a quotation that loosely translates into a war-going man who has nothing to do in a peaceful situation and begins a war with himself. War destroys everything including mental peace.”
Tickets are available at 8910451498