JUST THEATRE

FIVE GRAINS OF SUGAR

2009-09-03T08:54:00.001-07:00

We come back this month with six shows of Five Grains of Sugar. The play has been reworked to some extent. Munish -the lead actor has relocated to Mumbai. He comes back to Bangalore just for the shows.
We open the shows at Grasshopper, followed by another show at Kyra before we go to Ranga Shankara for the weekend.
Details:
ON the 24th , September, at 8 PM: Grasshopper-call 9845452646
ON the 25th, September, at 7:30 at Kyra-Call-080-43419999
On the 26th and 27th September: at 3:30 and 7:30 PM at Ranga Shankara call: 9845602265

Reviews of past performances and details of the last 12 shows in Bangalore are available elsewhere on this blog.

PARK

2009-07-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

Just Theatre presents

Park
Written and Directed by : Manav Kaul
Language : English
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cast: Vinod Ravindran, Sachin Gujrale, Ravindra Vijay
Lights and Sound Design: Sujay Saple
Lights: Anil Ramachandra
Sound: Bharavi
Park opened at Kyra Theatre on the 21st July to a limited audience
Our next show is on the 14th August 2009 at the Rafiki Workspace
Synopsis:
A Park.
Just about anywhere.
Three benches.
And three men.
A squabble for the choicest of seats.
Each man’s claim is the most fundamental.
And as always, there’s never enough room for everyone.
About the play: A seemingly funny play, Park focuses on three men in a Park fighting for their individual benches. The playful banter turns into a serious squabble and questions of ‘space, territory and ownership” become fraught with tension as individual quests display traces of larger and more serious conflicts. Marking territory is often considered an animal trait. And yet, man is the only animal that has created conflicts over territory!
Writer and Director: Manav Kaul is one of the most important emerging voices in Indian Theatre and probably the only one writing in Hindi. Manav rose to fame with his first play Shakkar ke paanch daane which has been performed across the country. Aranya, his theatre group in Mumbai has been instrumental in producing all his plays. He subsequently wrote Peele scooter wala, Bali aur shambu, Ilhaam, Park and Aisa Kehte Hain, all of which he has directed. All his plays have been performed extensively at Theatre Festivals across the country on invitation. Park(in Hindi) premiered in 2009 and has won great critical acclaim since it opened at Prithvi Theatre Mumbai. Manav was in Bangalore in June and July 09 on a work assignment. He adapted and directed Vijay Tendulkar's Hakki Harutide Nodidira in Kannada. Jean Paul Sartre's In Camera, which he also adapted and directed in Hindi as Antaheen and his own play Park in English.

Butter and Mashed Banana in Bangalore

2009-03-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

BAMB will perform 3 public shows in Bangalore at Ranga Shankara on the 11th April(7:30PM) and the 12th April(3:30 and 7:30PM. Ticket are priced at Rs. 100. Call Anil to telebooking: 9845602265.

Critical Acclaim for Butter and Mashed Banana

TEHELKA:
I was very struck by the inventiveness and an authenticity of purpose which I find quite rare in Indian theatre in English. Butter and Mashed Banana is a play about many things, not really a structured story but rather a bubbling pot being vigorously stirred by the three performers. Butter and Mashed Banana has won several awards across the country and places Ajay (Krishnan) very firmly on the map of contemporary Indian theatre in English.
Neel Chaudhuri , June 07, 2008.

Goergo.in
Butter and Mashed Bananas is about many things. Freedom of speech, censorship, politically active parents, confused children and sex with a capital S. Chennai has not yet seen this much it took this group from Bangalore to achieve that. The play just features 3 actors, and their movement and transition from part to part is accomplished with graceful movements and a modicum of fuss. The non-stop laughter in the audience just goes to laud the very tight script which runs for 70minutes. This is one play that shouldn’t be missed.
Mithra Suresh , January 2008. Chennai.
THE HINDU, Hyderabad
The production, direction, composition, choreography, performances and the music was flawless. It was a joy to be part of the dramatic experience.
Lingaraj Mahapatra; October 15, 2007

The Hindu, Chennai
Apparently our dhoti-clad desi boys can stir things quite a bit too! Four men, a pair of ghungrus, a metre of white cloth, a guitar, and well, a remarkably ingenious script make great ingredients of a recipe to entertainment. You will Enjoy every minute of it and then spend the ride home thinking of the many deeper meanings.
Padmini Raghavendra; October 15, 2007

Deccan Herald
Ajay Krishnan, the playwright has infused brilliant spoof with humour that is refreshing and original. He has a versatile cast moving from topic to topic with seamless ease without getting pedantic or preachy. The action on stage is embellished with singing, graceful dance movements and a clever use of the few props used in the production.The emphasis was on acting, delivery and good timing and the three actors Gulshan Devaiah, Vinod Ravindran and Vivek Madan were successful in generating that on the stage. They kept the audience in splits. The play is entertaining and topical
Jackie Pinto. June 30, 2008.

Five Grains of Sugar Again

2008-08-06T04:07:00.001-07:00

Five Grains of Sugar will perform at Ranga Shankara on the 16th, 17th and 18th December.
Earlier shows have been at Ranga Shankara, Opus, Ista and at the Alliance Francaise.
Tele Booking NO: 9845602265

Harami Theatre and Butter and Mashed Banana

2008-07-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

We've been flooded with calls asking us about future shows of BAMB in Bangalore. We hope to be able to do some shows in August and maybe some in September and definitely in December. The problem is that the cast and crew are now spread over two cities-Bangalore and Bombay. Which makes coordinating that much more expensive and difficult. We will also be travelling a bit from september to december to perform on invititation in various cities. BAMB completed 30 shows in june 29th 2008. The 30th show was at Grasshopper. We were invited by Sonali and Himanshu to perform there. This is the poster.

And, here is the link for reviews: After our performance at The Hindu Theatre Festival in Hyderabad. There are reviews by both critics as well as readers: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2007/10/15/stories/2007101550850400.htm

Reviews of Five Grains of Sugar

2008-07-06T03:59:00.000-07:00

Five Grains of Sugar was reviewed in The Hindu, and the New Indian Express..and the Bangalore Mirror....

Link to the review in The Hindu-http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/06/19/stories/2008061951140300.htm

The New Indian Express-http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE120080619003237&Page=1&Title=Bangalore&Topic=0

Bangalore Mirror-can't find the link - :(

BUTTER and MASHED BANANA

2008-06-18T09:11:00.001-07:00

Details on the next run of Butter and Mashed Banana

Play: Butter and Mashed Banana

Written and Directed by Ajay Krishnan

Cast: Gulshan Devaiah, Vinod Ravindran and Vivek Madan

Lights: Sujay Saple

Production: Nimi Ravindran

Telebooking No: 9845602265

There are tons of reviews on the net-We have performed at many theatre festivals across the country. At The Hindu Theatre Festival in Chennai and Hyderabad and the Prithvi Theatre Festival in Mumbai. The play also won five awards at The Thespo Festival in 2005. BAMB has done a total of over 30 shows

Butter and Mashed Banana will perform at Ranga Shankara on the 25th and the 26th June at 7:30 PM. And at Grasshopper on Bannerghatta Road on the 29th at 7PM.

For Enquires and bookings-call Anil on 9845602265

Post Play

2008-06-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

We ve had three hugely successful shows-damn good audience and super reactions.

We're happy with the first run-actually somewhat happy.. the idea is to rework and change some things.. and still retain the essence of what we've created... the next round is on 5th July, post which we have a run in Alliance Francaise on the 8th and the 9th August. One team picture and one performance picture.

5 Grains of Sugar

2008-06-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

This is the final poster of the play:

Credits:

5 Grains of Sugar-Play in English. Duration: 1 hour and 05 minutes. Written by: Manav Kaul. Translated by: Arshia Sattar. Directed by: Nirmala Ravindran. Performed by: Munish Sharma. Lights: Vinod Ravindran. Music: Sandeep Vasishta. Sound: Meghna Bhalla. Production Manager: Meghna Bhalla. Stage Management: Vibgyor Productions

Just Theatre would like to thank our title sponsor-Ohris Group and our Associate Sponsor Prestige The Man Store.

AND: Manav Kaul, Arshia Sattar, Atul Kumar , Sujay Saple, Akar Advertising, Pritham Kumar, Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Attakalari, Sandeep Vasishta and Sanjay Ramachandran.

REVIEWS of Shakkar ke paanch daane

2008-06-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

5 Grains is a new play and there won't be any reviews to post till the 16th June.
Here are some reviews of the same play in Hindi, written and directed by Manav Kaul and performed by Kumud Mishra, mostly in Mumbai.
" In 2004, I had the opportunity of watching a Hindi play “Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane” at Prithvi Theatre. A simple, one man show but something that will surely leave a lasting impression and make you think about the choices you made/make in your own life" http://sakshijuneja.com/blog/2006/01/12/shakkar-ke-paanch-daane/
Another review from Mumbai Theatre Guide
http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/reviews/skpd.asp
" Senior playwrights and theatre critics rated his(Manav Kaul's) first play Shakkar ke paanch daane as the best Hindi play written in the last twenty-five years. " The Hindu-29th December 2006.

5 Grains of Sugar

2008-06-04T08:54:00.001-07:00

At Ranga Shankara on the 14th and 15th June 2008. For telebooking : 9845602265

"Life is not a destination that he can arrive at; but rather a feeling that he needs to get in touch with"- Manav Kaul. The he in question is Rajkumar my protagonist. Manav's actually!

Synopsis: Rajkumar leads an unspectacular life in an unspectacular small town. His life is peppered with events that feature five people. A mother who is fixated on action flicks, an uncle who is struggling to write good poetry, a hero from school who charms the whole town with his style, an old Gandhian who is still reliving his single meeting with Gandhiji and an invisible long distance friend with whom he corresponds. Life is almost idyllic till it takes a strange turn. Rajkumar can no longer get away with being a simpleton-Will he rise to the occasion?

5 Grains of Sugar

2008-06-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

At Ranga Shankara on the 14th(7:30PM) and 15th of June(3:30 PM & 7:30 PM).
Background:
I saw Shakkar ke paanch Daane on 3rd November 2005. It was a very beautiful play. What struck me deeply was its simplicity. I didn't fancy the design too much, but I loved Kumud's performance. My thoughts then were that this play would work beautifully in Kannada.
Cut to 2007: Arshia works out a fantastic theatre translation workshop in Adishakti. And I assist her in putting it together. Ten glorious day-in Pondy! With shanta, vasanthi, vp, vinay, nimmy, prakash,ajay, gk, sadanand, naushil, sheeba and atul for company. Couldn't have asked for more. And, guess what? Arshia chooses to translate Shakkar ke paanch daane into english. On the way to pondy we read the play, and I tell her that once it's been translated to english, I'll get Jayant Kaikini to translate it into Kannada and that I'd direct the play. Arshia was most excited. End of the story!
Cut to 2008: The translation has been ready for more than six months.. i've read it many times, its fun, and i feel it works very well in English--Arshia agrees. And my English is definitely better than my Kannada-which is not saying much but still! After much hoo-haa... we decide to go for it. Munish's English works best.. i was also thinking of Rajeev(who is too busy) and Vivek ( who is busy AND too sophisticated) and we get on the floor. It hasn't been easy...but its done :). Here's to a performance that we hope will grow and evolve. :D