Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Thank You, S&Prithvi; for the numbers

Yesterday was the first time i saw a play, thanx to my great friend. i stepped into NCPA without any preconceived notions or agenda for what i thought to be two hours by the clock on some firang's take on my fellow indian, srinivasan ramanujan and his math. two hours without a break seemed far, actually distant even by yesteryear bollywood musicals as i mulled about switching off my phone. two hours without a break for coffee or a leak!! yet, by the time lead actors took to the stage, i sat transfixed with the hustle bustle of madras ringing in my ears. am not going to narrate the play by the scene for it wouldnt do an ounce of justice, so i wont; but it would suffice to say that the play 'revolves' around life as such in past, present,future and the numbers of ramanujan.

the stage setting and production, if thats the right term were par excellence and near authentic for every scene and every period in time that the play traversed so often. the use of the props and looped back recordings very very innovative, the performance by every actor flawless right down to the rendition of some well researched carnatic songs and a script that was true to GH Hardy and the philosophy of mathematics must have taken gargantuan effort.

i had no clue about the name simon mcburney till i saw the play. i now hold him in jaw wide open awe for what he achieved on stage which guy ritchie, christopher nolan and their ilk might be doing in movies. a week later my only grouse is that the play is not scheduled in madras...ok, chennai!!! ironic isnt it?

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