Indian Ink bringing magical misfit fish
An ‘‘epic, comic, love story’’ will grace the Theatre Royal’s stage next week when the award-winning Indian Ink bring their latest show to Nelson.
The theatre company is known for its ‘‘magical’’ plays where actors wear masks. Their previous productions include the revered Krishnan’s Dairy, The Candlestick Maker and the Guru of Chai.
Kiss the Fish, Indian Ink’s sixth production opens next Wednesday. Acclaimed actor Jacob Rajan is one half of Indian Ink.
He is promising Nelson audiences will be entertained by this show, which is inspired by the true events on a Malaysian island.
Jacob says to prepare for ‘‘a village of misfits, eccentrics and dreamers all tripping up over their obsessions while vying for a better life’’. Audiences can also expect great live music and monkeys.
The play has received great reviews, with the writer for Lumiere Review saying: ‘‘ Everyone has an Indian Ink story, and with Kiss the Fish, I think I’ve found mine. It’s undoubtedly one of the theatrical highlights of my year; I fell entirely under its spell. It’s a magical, endearingly earnest piece of theatre.’’
Jacob takes two minutes from his busy life to talk to The Leader. You studied primary teaching and have a degree in micro- biology. What drew you to the stage? The first two qualifications were a direct result of being the son of Indian immigrant parents – I had to do something that was going to earn me money. I gravitated to the stage in teachers’ college where I was doing Theatre in Education – performing for children. From there I auditioned for Toi Whakaari: The New Zealand Drama School. That’s where I wrote Krishnan’s Dairy and I’ve never looked back. You created Indian Ink in 1996 with Justin Lewis. How did you two met? What is the key to the longevity of your working relationship? It was a planetary alignment really. I was acting in a show and Justin came in as an emergency stage manager when our stage manager got sick. We got to talking in the bar afterwards and discovered a common love of mask and interest in making original theatre. I had this play Krishnan’s Dairy which I’d written at drama school that needed a director. He was a director looking for a project. A handshake over a cup of coffee and the Indian Ink Theatre Company was born.
is the sixth Indian Ink production. Do you have a favourite character from all those colourful shows? No, they’re like my children. You can’t have favourites. I love them all. Why masks? I love that masks are so completely theatrical. They don’t work on film or TV. They are an amplification of the face but they amplify everything. The voice, body and I think on a good night they amplify the Truth. That’s Truth with a capital ‘‘T’’. A poetic truth. That’s what I want from theatre. In most shows characters use more than one mask. Has it ever gone horribly wrong? It’s definitely gone wrong but never horribly. The beauty of live performance is that those mistakes soon become gifts. The audience love it when you acknowledge a mistake – especially if you can keep in character. It makes the evening special and alive. Indian Ink has performed around the world. Have you had a stand out location? Is there anywhere you would love to perform but haven’t yet had the chance? Nelson. Definitely Nelson, followed closely by New York. I performed in India earlier this year, which was pretty special. London has still eluded me. I’d love to perform there. Tell us about the masks in
I understand they are specially carved by a Balinese carver? Can you tell us a bit more. Are all your masks done by the same carver(s)? Justin and I have been looking into Balinese masks for the last three years. It’s culminated in a collaboration in this show where a master carver, Wayan Tanguuh, was commissioned to make the masks for this show. Fifteen of them! They are performance masks which are quite different from tourist masks. Imbued with character and life. A whole village is brought into being through this man’s artistry. What do you think are three key elements to good story telling? Great characters, a vivid world, juicy conflict. What advice would you give to young people wanting to carve a life for themselves in the performance world? Film will make you famous, TV will make you rich, theatre will make you good. If you could invite six New Zealanders to dinner, who would you invite and what would you serve them? My six best friends (including my wife) – I’m too old to meet new people. I’d serve a Kerala Red Fish Curry with all the trimmings.
Jacob Rajan and the Indian Ink Theatre Company perform their latest work at Nelson’s Theatre Royal July 9–12 . For more info visit indianink.co.nz.