Curtain Haze Productions' play, The Guardian Angel, arrives in Bengaluru

What if the voices in your head refused to stay inside your mind? That intriguing premise sits at the heart of The Guardian Angel, the latest production by Curtain Haze Productions, which arrives at Ranga Shankara, following a successful run in Mumbai. This contemporary english play is by Dumpy Sharma, founder of Curtain Haze Productions, who wears three hats on the production as playwright, director and actor.

“It’s a fantasy psychological play. It follows the lives of two artistes whose paths become entangled in a way neither they nor the audience would expect. Although they exist in two different timelines, their stories are deeply connected. Shaistha is an aspiring dancer whose life seems to be falling into place. She is enjoying her journey, clearing auditions and moving steadily towards her dreams without facing many setbacks. But all it takes is one unexpected accident to change everything. from that moment on, the story begins to unfold,” Dumpy begins.

Shaistha’s world is upended after a tragic accident — a canon event that shatters the future she had imagined for herself. Consumed by grief and the relentless negativity in her mind, she loses her battle with mental health and dies in an impulsive suicide attempt. But death is not the end of her story. instead, she wakes up in Neutral Lok, a cosmic waiting room where eternal peace is not automatically granted but must be earned.

“We witness Shaistha’s struggle through the different facets of her mind — her subconscious self — as she tries to come to terms with the loss. after the accident, her career begins to unravel. As a dancer, she depends on physical ability for her livelihood, so the impact is devastating,” the director reveals.

The unexpected assignment to attain eternal peace is to become the guardian angel of Chelsea, a 21-year-old aspiring musician struggling to find her footing. What begins as an obligation slowly transforms into a journey of healing, as Shaistha discovers purpose and fulfilment only after losing the life she once longed to hold on to.

“Chelsea is very much a girl of today. her personality is shaped by contemporary culture, social media and everything that comes with living in the digital age. Shaistha, on the other hand, belongs to an earlier time — around 2011 or 2012 — so her tastes, choices and even the music she connects with reflect that period. the two characters also express themselves through different art forms. Shaistha is a dancer, so audiences will see contemporary dance during her audition sequences, while movement choreography is used throughout the play to portray the passage of time and the emotional shifts in her life,” she shares.

The play balances its themes with humour, sharp dialogue, live music and dance. As Chelsea’s dreams of becoming a musician evolve, songs are woven directly into the narrative, shifting the mood effortlessly from reflective to uplifting while becoming an extension of her journey.

“Most of the songs are original compositions written specifically for the play. They carry an underlying sense of hope, exploring how people often find purpose and healing in the most unexpected ways. They also reflect the emotional walls we build around ourselves and the struggle to break free from the thoughts that keep us trapped,” Dumpy elucidates.

Rather than treating anxiety and depression as invisible battles, The Guardian Angel gives them a physical presence. Shaistha’s intrusive thoughts step out of her mind and onto the stage, embodied by actors who crowd around her, taunt her, question her and, at times, even comfort her.

“Audiences witness how these characters move, interact and evolve alongside Shaistha, mirroring the darker and lighter phases of her emotional journey. This visual language extends to the costumes, as well. Purple is the dominant colour because, for me, it represents spirituality, the afterlife and the idea of eternal peace. Alongside shades of white, Glimpses from the production black and other darker tones, the palette gradually transforms into reds and brighter, more vibrant colours as the story progresses, reflecting the emotional evolution of the characters,” the playwright tells us.

The production promises a theatre experience that is as emotionally resonant as it is thought-provoking, reminding audiences that sometimes the hardest conversations are the ones happening inside our own heads.

“The play is divided into three acts and follows a linear narrative. Although it is rooted in realism, many of the characters on stage are not human. Several theatrical devices help convey the passage of time and Shaistha’s emotional journey. Movement and choreography are used to transition between moments, whether it’s a nightmare sequence, the comfort of a familiar memory or the lingering echo of a favourite song. The story unfolds through a combination of movement, music and stylised staging, allowing realism and fantasy to exist side by side,” she concludes.

₹500. July 10, 7.30 pm. At JP Nagar.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.