Theatre dynamic and thriving among expats: Playwright
Theatre is thriving and dynamic among the Malayali expat communities in the Gulf region where theatre practitioners are seen to be more committed and dedicated to the art form compared to their counterparts in India, said Thoppil Soman, a noted Malayalam playwright and director.
Soman, who is the son of Malayalam theatre legend late Thoppil Bhasi, arrived in Kuwait yesterday to attend ‘Thoppil Bhasi Theatre Festival 2017’ being organized by Kerala Arts and Nataka Academy (KANA Kuwait) on Oct 29. “Theatre practitioners have a bounden duty to protect and preserve theatre, an art-form of the masses which is currently being marginalized by the onslaught of films and TV channels,” Soman said.
“We had a lively theatre that had the power to directly interact with the masses reflecting their life. The theatre of the past was effervescent, poetic, and vibrant. However, thanks to technology and the emerging trends, the theatre has been gradually reduced to stage gimmicks and spectacles”, Soman added. Although efforts have been made to energize Malayalam theatre, it largely remains at academic levels, he commented. “My experience is that the theatre practice in the expatriate community has been more active than in Kerala,” Soman quipped.
‘Thoppil Bhasi Theatre Festival’ will be held tomorrow from 4.30 pm onwards at the Indian Community School, Khaitan. The festival will witness the staging of four productions by amateur Malayalam theatre troupes in Kuwait. Ayanam Open Forum will stage “Oru Sadacharakaala Pranayam”, Marina Moving Arts will present “Namenthu Cheyyanam”, Snehalayam will perform “Varoo Namukku Natakam Kalikkam”, and Kazhcha Kuwait will stage “Kazhcha” during the festival. The entry to the festival is free.