Sunday 29 September 2013

Theater Show: Hamlet - The Clown Prince (Rajat Kapoor Directed)

A Pure Delight To Watch: 4.5 / 5

You must have heard enough about this play. How lovely it is, how funny, witty... etcetera etcetera. You would be happy to hear that all this is true and much more.

One of the finest plays I have seen.

At its start - I almost went like - Oh No - not another one which might border on gibberish without any layer to it. But I was soooo wrong... it evolves beautifully and quite wittingly.

The first thing that you notice is the attire. Beautiful costumes.... which add to the whole persona, ambiance, and sets the stage for the drama.

The cast Atul Kumar  - As Hamlet  - is sarcastic, spontaneous and simply wonderful. He engages the audience, has antagonistic attitude but humors them at every step.


My fav in play was Neil Bhoopalam - who plays the ghost and Claudius. He is a rockstar! He brings energy and fun to the whole play. Else the play can take only a sarcastic thread - as led by Atul. But the way Neil carries it off - he comes out as a real star - who is integral to the play and its delight factor.
With Neil and Atul holding the two ends tight - the play emerges as a winner.

Neil & Puja
Puja - as the Queen is quite a performer- she adds the zing to the play and flirts with the audience in most adorable way. She has a great voice and talent - and would want to catch her perform in some more plays.

Namit Das is average... he never rises above a certain threshold - and is passable. One really doesn't mind it a lot. He fits into the role but doesn't shine or sparkle or stand out like others. One really doesn't mind  - as you are so busy with all others....

Sujay Saple - is good and holds it all together. No complaints for him!

The one I saw had the last clown as Kalki - and she's so good. She not only adds to the visual appeal - but also blends in with the crew. She was introduced as "junior clown" to the audience - indicating that she is a recent addition. But the way she blends with the old team is wonderful - and carries herself quite well.

Cheers to Rajat Kapoor - some excellent work here.

Post play - it's a pure entertainer - yet one takes time to chew it all... and tends to mull over it. Its good if you know the story of Hamlet before hand - then you can make out the "Method in Madness" and enjoy it better.
Even if you don't - its not a big deal! (that's the beauty of good work)

As an English Lit postgraduate - some lines about Hamlet's procrastination,  about written play being a drag at certain points from literary point of view - were raised in the play - which made me appreciate it a lot more... as though some one was echoing my pain points when I had read the play formally.

It's a lovely cast - who has put together some intelligent humor - and tops it with good visuals and performance.
Not to be missed. Period.



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