shakespeare in bengal checklist.pdf

7/23/2019 Shakespeare in Bengal Checklist.pdf

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I

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENGLISH

(A)

PRE-1850:

UNLESS

OTHERWISE

STATED,

Ry

LOCALBRITISH

COMPANIES

ATIACHED

TO

THE

THEATRES

IN

QUESTION

23-30 December

1780.

Othello.

Catcutta

Theatre

Advertiscment

h

The Bengal

Ga.ete,

no_

49

'The

Managers

of

the Theatre

having

generously

offered

ro

give

a

Benefit play

ro

Mr Soubise,

towaids

the compterion

of

his Manage,



l6

7 Decembe.

1786:

Excerpi

frofi

The Calcuto

Cazette:

'Wc

canflot

avoid

suggeslin ,

though

with infinile

deference

to

the

Director,of

the

[Calcutta]

:Ihealre'

who

is

indefatigabl€

in the

depati-

ment

which

he so

ably fills.

lhat

the

Tragedies

of Hamlet'

Zara.

Venic€

Preserved,

and

Macbeth.

staod

very high

in

public

estimation,

and

thal thcy,anxioutly

hope 10

seehim

fiU

some

ofthe

principal

characters

in these

TragediEs

dunng

the continuance

of,the

cold

season'

IPoddar

25

^Ienuarr,

I

Februsry

f88.

Richa III-

C'lcutta Theatrc

k<m

rf{E

Calanta

Gd.elre,

5 Feb

l78A:

'we

agr6e

i6

,the

gensrd

64ra

ion diat

the

whole

perfonnance

went

off

,vith

l

idl ilrerited

€dat.

'Thc

p '1

of Richad

was

given

in

'lh[l

masterJy

style

which

characrcrizes

'oln

Roscius-

atd though

the

character

r'equires

all the

exe{ions

o{ a

ffrst-rarc

perf(rmer

in

lhe

full

possessio'

of

every

facujty,

it

was

impossible

f6r the

mosr

ffirical eye

to observe

the

srarllest

want

of

activitv,

even

in the

mosl ti{$

iog sceics.

nolwith_

sQnding

the

lale

severe

illness

under

$'ltich

the

genll€'nan who

represented

il,

had so

long

labourcd

and

fIonl

the elIecls

of

which

he is

yei

but

imfJerfeclly

recovered.

."

'Thc

eldest

of the

Princes

spoke

distinctly

and

collcctcdly

but

the

youngest

was

rather

too

young to be

heard.

The scenery

in

general

was

excellent,

particul.rty the

camp-scene

in

whichRichard's

pavilion

was

Yery

ingeniously

contrived.'

[Das

Guptai

Sen

GuPta

gives

dale

of

premiere as

24 Jan,

citing Cal

Caz

of

3l

lan

8

Febr$ry

1788.

Henry

IV

Pa

l. Calcu'la

Theatre

22

February

fiAa.

Henry

IV

Part

2. Calct't^

The'tre

'The

representalion

of

such

a

characler

as FalstalT

requires

vely

uncom,non

and

eccentric

powers

..

The

gentleman

who

perfornred the

part

on

Friday

nighl,

though

he

gave it almost

enlircly

after

a

manncr

of

his

o*n.

conveyed

the

humour

of his

author

Yery

irresislibly...

'The

Prince

o[

Wales's

veNatility

was

well-portrayed'

Hotspur

was

the

character

lrc

represeotei:l

and i0decd

the

whol€

play

was

SHAKESPEARE

ON TI'E

CALCUTTA

STAGE

PRODIJCTTONS IN ENCLISH

t1

more

correctly exhibiled

than

any we have

seen this

season. The

house

was

$in:

scarce

any

ladies. and oi

the few who

did honour

ihe rcprcsentalion

wilh thcir

presence,

several

quilted

the

house

before

it was

half

ovcr,

Irom which

il may be

presumed

thc

"Fat

Knight"

is no favou.itc of

lhe

fair.'

lcal

Gaz

28

Feb

1788.

See

Das

Gupla

19

Nolemb€r 1788.

The Mercha

t

of Venice, Calcutla

Theatre

[Sen

Oupla

1189.

lulius

C&sat, Brisfow

Th€atre

Frcm The

Calc a Ca.ette,7

May 1789:

Mrs

Bristow

won

acclaim

in the role

of

Lucius.

FBncis

Rendell

The key figure

of

the Calcu(a

lheatre

world al lhat limc

was

Dr

Francis Rendell,

who

had ahcady

earncd

somo

reputation

in London

as

a

foUower

of Carrick.

This

handsome

young

phys;ciar

in

the scrvice

of

the

Company.

thc

first to introduce

acresses

on

lhe Calcutta

slage,

organized several

shows oI

Hdrtler, Ki,tg

Leat, Othello,

He t-\ lV an(' Richa

lll.

lsen

Gupra

WiUiarn

Hickey

records

lhal

williarn

Burkc

considered Rendell

the eqlal

of

Garrick

jn

the

presentalion of

Hamlet,

though

nol ()t othello.

1797.

Catherine

and

Petucrrio

(Garrick's

adaptstion

otThe Ta,ni

g

of the Shrew).

Whe€l€r

Place

Thealr€

lchakrubari,

KLLLkatar

NotJachLlft

ha

1812-1814. The same.

Athenteum

Theatrc

lal2-tau. He r IU

Athenaeum

Th€atr€

l.irst

Beek

of

Aprit

1814.

Macbeth.

Cho$ringh€e

Theatre

The

llrst

significan

Shakespcarc

performance

of

the

cenlurv

in



18

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STA6E

Calcutta.

The critic

of the

Calcu

a

Go<ette

pftised

practicallv

all

the

actors,

and

was speciaUy

impressed

by thc

night

scene'

'Ofthe

niSht scene

it

is impossible

o

give

a

j

usier

commendalion

ftan

by

saying

thai

i rominded

aU lhose

who

had

seen Mrs

Siddons

rn rhe

pafl oi lhe

magic

loJchcs

uI

hcr rr'

"'

'We shall not

forget the marked

efltct

and

dcep silcnce produced

in

the audience

during

the

scene

in

which,

after

ending

ihe

bloody

deed.

lMacbelh]

camd

before

them

admirablv

picluring thc

horid

workings

of a mind

unaccustomed

to

guilt,

and

terrorslruck at

i1s own

cvil

acts. trf

the

truth of

the

picture

could

be

judged

by

the

elfccl

it

produced, it

was here

tully

declarcd

by

(he

elecric

ttcling

which

ran

through

the

assembly.

..

'...all

who

like

ourselvcs

wenl

10

thc Theairc

with

no

small

apprehcnsions

of a

failure

in the

undertaking.

left

it with

a conviclion

;;1

it is

at lasl

possiblc

for

a deep

tragedv

to

be

attempted

without

being

murdered

by

a bodv

ot

anuteurs

in

Clllurtra''

rcal

Aa.]

LPt

iSl4

See

A'

Mitra

23

J

r

1814.

Henry

IU Chowringhee

Theatr€

lDas

Gupta

1815

(dare

uncertain).

Cath'erine

a

il Peiuchio

Chowringhee

The'

Frcm

The

Cabutta

Mo

thb

Jol' aL'

March

l8l5:

'Wc

cannot

say,

that

we have

any

great rclish

or

respect

for

trny

oi

rhcse

mangled

cditions of

thc works

ofour

immorlal

poel

which

seem

to have

obtained

possession of

the slage.'

1816

(datc

uncerlain).

Il?no

lz Chowringhe€

Theatrc

Bencfit

performance

for the

la

ilies

of soldicrs

killed or

nlaimed

at

the

Batlle

of

waterloo.

[Sen

CuPla

25

September

1818.

The

Mefft

Wives

of

Witdsot

Chowringhee

Theatre

lDas

Gupla

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENGI-ISH

7 Mry 1819. He'|ry

Iu.

Chowringhee

Theatre

(sce

also above,23 July

l8l4)

'The

play

ol Henry Mas been so fiequently

pcrlormed

al lhe

Chowdnghce Theatrc,

thal

splendid and

powcrlul

as the

exhibilion

wus, no

particular

degree ol

intercst was

cxcitcd

by

ils

announcernent

lor

rcpresentation

on

Friday

Iast.

Therc

was another

reason

why

it

was not hailcd

wilh

pleasurc.

The Falstaff we

have been accustomed

10 see, and whom

critics

admired, was to

be

supplied by another

person.

eminent indeed in other walks ol drama, but

whose

success

in rhis

particrlar

character could not bc imagined even by those who

knew his talents the besl-

...

The

King

was

repilsented by an amateur

who

had

distinguished himself in olher

characters

of a widely different

dcscriplion..-.

'OfFalstafTmuch nright

bc said.

Thc

conception

of the charrcter

dillcred in

some

degree from lhe

one

given

by the

lb ner

represen-

tative. He

was

less

a

laughter

loving knighl.

and

lhere

was

lcssjollity

in his

composilion. His

predecessor

lvas remarkable fo. his clear

cnunciation. .-. The Falstafl

ol'last Friday night had not this natuml

advantage. but he undelstood thc characrer

pcrfeclly,

and

in

spile of

indisposition went

though Ihe most conspicuous sccncs

oi

thc

play

wilh admirable

success.

Nor a single

point

of

wit was losr.'

lThe

Cdlcuttu

Jo

al

15

May 1819.

quoting

the Covernment

Gazette

ot'

13

May

ITiI

1833,

the

so rce

fot

the

foUowing formation

is

Se Guptaj

18

January

1824. CorioA rs. Chowringhee

Thcatrc

27 February 1824,

Macbeth. Chowringh€€ Theatre

19 December la2a. Riclnftl

II.

Chowringhe€ Theatre

2

January

1829. The

Mercha

t

of

Ve

ice. Chowringh€€ Th€atre

27

February 1829. Othe

o. Chowringhee

Theatre

The

cast included

Mrs

Esthcr

Leach rnd

J.

H.

Stoquelcr.

1830

(date

uncedain). also Nvicc

morc

between

1830 and

1834,

accordin '

to

Ahsan. Ma.,erl' ChowriDghe€

Theatrc



10

SHAKESPEAI{E

ON

THE

CALCUTTA

STAGE

{,:il}H:

t ff

#il

l:;;,ii

-itti:"

iiii

'i)"ii

,lii.

ru'.-i,*

"*r'sr

rAct

v)

cho\tnnshcc

IIlilT".

,,

tr"

",nr

incluried

Mrs

Lcach

(Tilinru

Lotr

ilJ;, ;;;;;".

""ricc

sharrow

Mlrvorio

Pro\nero)

5

April,

15

Mav

1841'

?-i

e

Tani

g

ol

the

Shft$"

Town

Hall'

Salis

souci

il,l'J*"*,""'o'

"n'

n'd

nr:

c

J

nrme

tor

hcr'clr

on

rhe

Autrnlian

-^".

olxved

Katherine'

'''-';[;;;;;;,;i;" de'cribed

het

rurr

cnd

cornm0ndins

apr.ar-

""..'

lif

1,;;;;;,;";

*"",

*",1,:,,[:"1;,

:::

:fiilll#,

.lisnlrv

Inore

ltlacitv

thrn

grace

in

nrton

'

F

i;i;

:;;:,,.J,;;

',".,

r'cen

u'cd

ro a

much

r,rge.Iusc

,han

,hal

nl

(he

Town

Hrll

Theute''

""

#;,,,i;,,

"^""cd

lhar

:hc

$ould

be

J

grear

a(qui'ition

t"

'."

"::":';;;J

sat,'

souct

rheJn{'

rn

nornr

or

rucr'

(he

did

ioin

i;:

;;;.'J*,'""'r'

hut

d'|ed

:rr

er

"

''"t'',I

illT,l"il;,

",r,"

l0 Norembcr

la4r'

Ua'bcth

sans

So

ci

Thealre

i'i.:i:I'J;.#.:

;r:ix:

.y: ::l :,."::^Ill.,$:T;L[":

''1i"ll1ll'iill."llii*olii"

'

n"*

''

'*'*d

'hc

$rorc

we

'J;l:ilT:l;,ii#;;'oertr

-

'

mta

atenrnt

$e

werc

urhc'r

:;';,;;

il;;.

*"''"

ror

rr

was

remrrt'ahr)

wcrr

n(rcd

Mr'

D-

ll ., *" ,*i

t*,

N4r(berh

and

I

muq

\av

Mr

M-

trl'o

cr\

f:i'i:i

il;;';.,

roo'

or

Mucbcrh

is

arwxvi

Prcrtv

anr'

'n

lhe

;il;";;,.

r\n

Erc

r

mzgnrnimir)

in

hu\rn'r

sone

rhcrc'

rhc

house

w35

over-l'ull"

'fhe

B('trnl

H?t'

J

tl4

NovemDcr

rd4l

I

\riJ

of

N4r\

Dcr(le

s

""."*:;l"'il;

,',""'fl

$a'

ndced

Jn

)nthitrou'

'l':]ll,

l::

::::"Ji;;il"

';;;.',"".,instv

nohre

uer

rrrrruaes

$erc

\omerrrncs

:::;";';.,

.

picrures

ana

rull

oi

lruh

and

heJut)"

Mclnuttc

'

[:il;,,;;;;:""''

\rac

arso

crid

'o

h"

"'"rr"n'

,n

Mi,,.

PRODI

CTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

2I

2 November

l&13.

The

Matchant

of

ue"ica

Sans

Souci

Theatrc

James

vining.

newly

arliled

frcm

England,

was

commcnded

tbr

his

interprctltio;

o

I

Shylock.

Other

membcrs

of

lhe

cast

wcrc MLs

Dcrcle

(Por;ia). Miss

Cowlcy

(Nerissa),

Mrs

Leach

(Jessica),

Claudc

Mclnotte

as

Lntonio.

Captaio

Copp

(Bussanio).

Colonel

Brilon

(Gmriano)' Mr

Bartolo

(Launcclot

Gobbo)

drd

Jamcs

Barry

As

Duke/Tubal

lscn

CuPta

The

Cdlcuta.ttdr,

4 November

1843'

gavc

l

dclniled

accounl

of

James

Vining's

coslume

and acting:

He

dtcssed

lhe

Jew

sontewhat

alter

tlre

laJion

adopled

hv Kcan,

nanrely,

the

red

gabardine

and

'We

should

nante

the

scene

wilh Tlbal

as above

(bc

levcl

ol

the

gcneral

perfonnance,

high

as

it

undoubtedly

was' His

reccption

oi

tie

news

of

Antonio's

losses

was

verv

{ine'

and thc

sudden

'lall

on both knees

at thc

words

I

thxok

Codl

I lhank

Godl"

well

nrannged

as i1

was.

was

exlrcmely

ctTectile

rnd broughl

down

a

round

of

applausc.

His

cxit loo in

tha

scene

was

cxcellenl'

and the

words'I

*i]f

rrur" trr"

hea.t

of

him'

were

delilercd

wilh

an

eamcstness

of

purpose that

miSht

make

lhe blo(xl

of

a Christian

crcep

"

'Col

BLiron

as

craliaflo

fairly

emned

lhe

applausc

he

rcceived

on

the delivery

ol each

lriunrphan

tauni

ol

lhe

discomfitted

Jew'

and

thc

part

throughout

was

plaved with

vivacily

and

point' Ba(olo

was

hintself

as

Launcclot

-

whlt nrorc

can

wc

sry?

"

'Of

thc

ladics

we

ntighl

say

rll we

sxid

beiore'

but

as we

could

not

bestow

morc

praise' and

would

nol

bestow

lcss'

therc

$ould

be

no

originalily

in

our

remarks.'

lA.

Milra

20

Deemb€r

1843,

Rotueo

and

Jutiet

Sa,ns

Souci

Theatr€

The

casl

included

Jamcs

Vining

(Romco)' Mrs

Deacle

(Julic )'

Miss

Co$ley

,

LJLI)

C.,pulcrr'

M^

Br

rv

r\u^()'

lsen

Gupla

The critic

of

the

C.lLtita

.t/., said

hc

could

nol

Lrgrec

wilh

Vining's

interpretalion

ol

the charactcr

ol

Romco

Thc

citic

sit'v

no*eo',

mosi

Pronouncc.l

lrait

to hc

wcakness

and

'total

want

of

cnergy',

but

Vini

g

had

po(rryed a

characier

of

passhn' lhat

is

10

say

oi

fove

conrtincd witb

energy,

conkary

to whd

i1

rcdlly

is "'

oilove

coNbincd

lvith

wcakncss.

Howe\cr,

he

praiscd the

qualitv



72

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STACE

of

vi8ing's

acting:

'his execulion

was maslerly"

Hc also obse.ved

that 'The

admirahle

m$ner

in which

he

perfbrmed

Shvlock

induccs

us to think

that

he

will

always be

morc successful

ir

charactcrs

of

loitiness

and

cnergy

than

in

scenes

ol lenderness

and

scnsibility.'

Mrs Deaclc\

acling

was also

highly

pmised

bv thc S/ar'

lA.

Mitm

December

1843. Ha

el. Sans

Souci

Theatrc

Claude

Melnolle

as

Hamleti Mrs

Omonde

as Ophelia.

tAhmed

21

Lpril

1841.

Othello.

Sans Souci

Theatre

17

August,

12

September

1848, Otltelra

Sans

Souci Theatr€

(scc

also

Appendix

D)

Baishnav Charan

Addy

as

Olheilo;

Mrs Ande^^n

ns

Desdcnrona'

A landmark

pe

bmance.

For the tirsl

tine in Lhe

history of

English

professional thealre

in

tndia, an Indian

appearcd

on the

slage

among

a

predominarrtly

whirc

casl.

Kiroomoy

Rcha

w

tes

in

BetrgaliTheate

of

a

lctlcr in

The CaLcutta

Stur

in

which was announced

the

'debut

of a

real

unpainied

nigger

Othello'

which set

'rhc

whole

world of

Calcutta

agog'.

'Othello

...

was the

Srcat

attraction

on

Thursday

nighi .. ihe

player

however

and

not lhe

play

Performed

by

Bahoo Brsronr

Churn

Addy ...

all expectations

werc

ofcourse

centercd

in

lhe

young

aspiranl

for dramatic

fame,

who

has

gallantly flung down

the

gauntlel

to

the

res of

rhe members

ol

the nalile

connnunily.

. . Shakespeare,

exiled

liom

fie

counlry he

honours

so nuch,

sceks an

asylum ol1 llrc

Calcu(a

boards.

...

51im. and

symrnelrical

in

person,

his delilcry

was

somewhal

cra

ped, brt under

all

circunstances

his

prununciation ol

English

was for

a native

rcmarkablv

good.

.. The

perlorrner had

subshnlial

demoDstratlon

thal

the feelings

oI thc

audience

werc

fairly

enlisted

lcal

Stagc

on

his side.'

Itse

gal Hlrkarc,

19 August

1848

'In

the

dclivery

the

clTects

of imperlbct

pronuncialion

scrc

bul too

lThe

E

elishnrc

,

19 August

1848. See

Mukhc{ec

PRODUCTIONS

IN ENCLISH

2]

From the

review

in Sambari

Prublaka\

2l August

1848

[lranslated

irom rhe

Bengalil:

'Local

periomer

[e/adlatri)d

,arrai]

Babu Baisnabchand

irr.l

Adhya

pleased

evcrybody through

his rendering of

Olhello's

spceches

and

geslurcs.

He

was not at

rl1 nervous nor did

he neglect any

potential

of

style

or

gcsture.

and words

of

praise

werc

showered

oll

him

iiom

all

sides.'

IRilari

Jatra

me

Enslislt,na

,14

Seplember

1848, also

expressed disappointment

atier the

repeat

perfonnance on

12 Septembcr.

fMukherjee

20 May 1849.

The Merchant oJ

ven

:e.

Saos Souci

Theatr€

The hsl major

production at the

Sans

Souci bclbre

the theatre

closed

down the same

year.

lscn

Gupia.

Das

Gupla

gives

dale

as

2l

May

(B)

EARLY PRODUCTIONS

BY

BENGALI AMATDARS

llt

is EkeU

that,

)here

o specifc

iltfonnqtio

is

availablo,

ottlr

&ttain scenes xtere stagel

rathet than

complete

plofs.l

December

1822. R€citations

from

English.

Drummond's

Dhurrumio[rh

Academy

'fhe

hldio Gdzete rcpotted on 3l

December

that

the English recita

tions f.om

various

autho$

by sludenls

of

this school

were 'extremely

meritorious

and

rcflect

great

crcdit

upon the scholars

nnd teachers

A boy ol the namc

Derozio

gave

a

good

conceplion of

Shylock.'

A

lew

yea$

laler,

Henry Derozio

was to read

thc

plays

of

Shakespeare

rlith

the sludents

of

Hindu

College,

whose

slaff

he had

joined.

A

pioneering Indian

poet

jn

English. he

wrote

a

couple of

sonrcls

on shakespearean

subjecls-

lsen

Gupla



24

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

STACE

27

Jrnuary

1827.

Scenes

fmm

Jalius

Cd€sa,t

Hindu

Coll€ge

(later

Presid€ncy College)

Kashiprasad

Chosh,

later

1i:)

bccome

the

tirst

Bengali

poet

in English,

paficipalcd in

this

perfornunce.

lCal

Gaz

I

Fett

1827.

ciled by

Ahmed and

Ahsan

12

January

1828,

The

Ttial Sccne

from The Mercha

t

of

Venice,

CoYemment

Honse

Acted hy

thc

boys

of

Hindu College:

Kashiprasad Ghosh

as

Shylock,

Atulchandra

Ganguly

as Antonio,

Krishoadhan Milra

as

Porlia,

Harishchandra

Das as

Bassanio, Harihar

Mukherjee

as

Nerissa,

Ramchandra

Milra as Gratiano,

Kalikumar

Bose

as

Salario,

Krishnahari

Nandi

as

thc Duke.

FrcIn

The

Calcuta

Ca.ette,

11

Janujry

1828

'Surely

lhen,

this may bc

called

a

remarkable epoch

in

thc

historv

oi tndia,

secing

as

we do,

the

Dative

youlh

of

Bengal

coltiYaling

Lhc

dramalic literalurc

of

the

Wcsl

and even

cncountering

the

diflicullies

ot

theatrical

.epresentations.'

JSen

Cupta

27 February

1828, Scenes

from

IrenrJ v

School

socieav

Studcnts

of

(he

School

Sociely

reciDd

podions

ol-I/€,?D

y.

Madhusudan

Scn

and Harimohan

Mullick

gave r

playreading

oI

the

dialoguc

between Henry

and

thc

Lord Chief

Juslice

lcal

Caz

2a Feb 1828, citcd

by

Sen Cupta

1828.

Performance

oflfmm

The

Mercha,tt

of

Venice.

Rcport

in

Cdl."rra

Mo

thlt

JournaL

1a28.

'I have

now

to

remark

the singular

phenomenon

of a Hindu

nnmcd

Kissen

Chund$

Dutl ...

only

fourlecn

ycal's

of

agc ... his

co.r'cct

pronuncialion and

acLion

in lhe

character

of

Shylock

. drcw

forlh

the

most enlhusiastic

adnrhalion

ol-

the whole

audience.'

lAhmcd

l8 Feb.uary

1829.

Recitations

from

various

Shakcspeare

plays.

Goeernm€nt

Hollse

The

plays

were

H",r,l

y,l

P.I tt 2.

Han

Let

,

Troilut

nnd

C

'"\\irla'

J

ulitts

Caesar.

Macbeth

and

C)t

beline

i it-ll

rarert

,

,'l

I

'n***

r

l.i

i

i,rfl4irffitr

i

J

,.

-,

__

..

r-

I

.p.

---

-.

.



Rnnpo

a d.ltli.r, Litd.'lhcatrc Cio p,

196.1

./rrn6-

Cr.nrt

Thcua udit.

l9(r.1

e

2

ts;

;

€t

o:

4

E

F

=

a



,

,'x

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENGLISH

llr.rl\rsl,

,,

rh.l,i:,1,{n

rn

t.rd

t.r,

Pcrfbrmed by the boys

of Hindu Collegc:

Krishnamohan

Banerjee

as

Horalio. Ranrtanu Lahid

as Brutus,

Ramgopal Chosh

as Malcolnl,

Shik-handraDcb

as

Beiarius. Rrdhmath

Sikdtr as Guiderius,

Digambar

Minz

as

Cassius. Maheshchandm

Sioha

as Ross. Dakshioaranian

Mukherjcc

as Macdult.

lcdl

Gd.

19

Feb

1829, Sen GuPta

Fcbruary

1830. Recituaions

from Shakespeare.

Hindu

College

Reporred

in

Sand.idr Darl,ar,

20

February

1830.

iAhned

13 Mnrch

1810. Scen€s from.rrifirr

a'aesdr.

Gopimohan Dcb's

hous€,

Sobhrbazar

Acred

by

studcnts ol-

thc School Society

on the

occasion

ol their

annual

lunction: Gangunarayan

Chandm

as

Octavius,

Unracharan

Basu

as Antony.

Madhusudan Pramanik

as Bru(us. Bularam

Scn

as

Cassius.

Ftum

fhe Calutto

Gd-??re,

15

March

1830:

'The

wholc of lhese

werc

dclivcred

with

good

cmphasis and

discre-

tion, and in some instanccs

wilh

a corrcctness

of

enuncialion,

erergy

ot' manner

. rd

graccfulness

ol deporlment

which

would have dooe

credit

to

any

school in England.'

t2 februrry

la3l. The Merchant

of Ve.tice,

III.i.

Town

llall

Acled

by the boys ot

Hindu Collegei

Kdlash Chandra

Dalta as

Shylock,

Rangopal Ghosh

as

Tubal.

Taraknath Ghosh as

Salanio,

Bhubannrohan

Mitra

as

Salarim.

[a:a/

6d.

t4 Feb 183t.

Darpln l9 Feb

l83l; Sen GuJ,ra

28 December

1831.

"/.rli

s

Caaar Act

v

(along

\rith

Bhavabhuti's

Utta&-Ro,idcharita,

A.ct

I).

Hindu Thcatrc

A rhcar.icxl

lroupe was

fbflned by

Prasanna

Kumar Tagorc

at his

garden housc al Sura

speciiically

to stagc Shakespcare

plays.

The

casl

lir thi

pcrlormance

includcd

Gangacharan

Scn.

Ramchamn Mitra

and

sludcnls

ofHindu

Collcgc

and SanskrilCollcge

l

vited

audicnce.

lDarya"

7

lar 1t332

F_Loiz.l r d I'ciditr

in

I/? Wnrl/ r ,1,/r

Engllsh

ShalicsIcxo Conrp.ny.

l9rl

7h.

(\htl\

t)l ltt1,r

RoyrL

SLik.sNrL._ C.mnu .

i 997



26

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUI-IA STACE

March 1833.

Scenes

from

The Tvo

Genlene of

Ve.ona and

Othello. Ilindo

College

Ramlanu Lahid was among

the

actors.

Ltvlo

thb March 1833,

Sen cupta

7 Marth 1834.

fsrrr)

Y1.

Town

Hall

P

ze-giving ccremony

ofHindu College

ar rlrc Town Hall lolkrwed

by

recitations. Madhusudun

Dutt

(hen

a

boy of

l0)

playcd

fte

Duke

of Gloucester, Ishwarchandra

Ghoshal

Hcnry

Vl.

IDdrya

12

Mnrch 1834. Mo,/fli

March

183:1

29 March 1837.

Recitations

from

Shakespeaft,

and

Trial Scene

fmn

The Merchant

ol Uenice. Gore.nmcnt

House

Prizc-giving ceremony

of Hindu

College.

Umacharao

Milra

as

Shylock,

Kali

Kdshna

Chose

as

Anronio. Abhay

Charan Basu as Po(ia, Rajendranath

Basu

as Bassanio, Rajendm

Narayan Mirra as Ncrissa, Rajendra

Dartn as

cratiano. Gopalnarh

Mukheriee

as Salarino, Rajendranath

Sen as lhc Duke-

LDarpa

) Aptil

1837. cited by Das

Cupra

1838.

Sofiloquies

from Hatrr

y,

Riclru

III

and

Eanlet-

Hindn

Coll€ge

Shyamacharan

Basu

as

Henry

Y

Rajcndranarh

Basu as

Richad

IlI.

Abhay

Charan Basu

as Hamlct.

[Sen

Gupt]

Msrch 1840, HentJ IU Pafi 2.

St Xavier's College

From lhe repon ;n he Be

s )l

CathoLic

Expositor,

March

1840:

'The

sludents and

scholars of the Collcge

of Sl Xavier's had the

gmtiiication

ol

cxhihiting

(heir

dramatic lalcnls

ir lhe second

parl

ol'

King H€ru) IV

(sho.n

ol its imperleciions)

on Tuesday

evening

lasr.

1o a delighled and respcctxblc

po(ion

ol the communily.

among whon

we

obseNed

{hat

talenled

and

scientillc ofiiccr.

Sjr

Fl.

Jerningham, who

Nppeared

ntuch

pleased

with

thc

d

$,ning

mcrits ol'the

juvenile

actors

'We

havc it

on

the aulhoity

of

I'trtrdtorn that

Jzlirrr Cr€rar

was

sraged

ar the MetropoliLan

Acadony in 1852 by fie ex-sludents of

the

Orienlal

Scnrinary

lbrnrcrly trained by Jcilroy

and Reshi

{i.e..

Geofliey

and Richie, according

to

Sen

Guphl,

thnl

Mcssrs.

Clinger

nd

RoLrerts, lomrcrly

ol

lhe Sans Souci,

gave

lhem

iraining,

and thal

tickets

wcrc sold at lhe

perlb.marce-... Pandit Mahendm Nath

Vidyanidhi in his "Sandarhha Sangraha"

and Pandit Saral Chandra

Ghosh

ir "Namyana

asse the

same.

... From all

sources

we

hrle

in

hand

we

rhink

that Jttids Caes

was playcd al

Mctropolitan

Acade

ry, and The ll,Iercha,i of

ue ice nl thc David Hare Academy.

and

rhar sale

of rickets

ar the

Orienral

Thealfe in

1854

lvas

mistakcn

h\

pc.plc

l.,r 1h.,,

i r,rc

Mcrropolrrrn

A(-dcrn).'

lDas

Gupta

15,

24

Febnrry

1853. Scencs

froon

Tlre

Merchant

ol Uenice. Da\id

Dircctcd by David Clinger,

English

teacher

al

thc Calcutta

Madrassa-

Acred by

boys ot

David

Hare

Academy.

S.,,/r.r.1

Pnbllakl\

tl)

Februar)

1853, says il is lhc first such

pcdo

naoce by studenls

ir

an

educational

inslitution.

Notice

in

lhe

Bensal H rkaru,

15

l:ebruary 1853:

'wc

arc rcqoested 10

mcnlion lhat lhe tirst

public

cxaminrtion

ol lhe

pupils

ol

rhe David

Harc Academy will

takc

placc

this

rorning

at

the

Town

Hall.

...

InsEad ol

lhc

customary display

of

pyrotcchrics.

ihe

pupils

have resolved

to celebrale lhe examination

by enacling. at thc

school

ptenriscs, a iew scenes

fionr

thc Merchanl ol

Venicc.

Reporr

in

Sd/rrd./ Prabhakar.

26

Februao,

1853,

on

the

second

pcrio

nance

llranslated

lionr the Bengali]

'l-an Wcdnesday evening,

thc students ol' Hare

Acadcrry again

regrlcd a large audicncc

by thcir

perlbrmance

oI

Tha

M?rcha

t.f

yai.c,

thc

work ol the

greal

English

poel

Shukerpcarc

Sahib. About

6U 700

lcamcd, establishcd and

wcalthy Indiuns. and

rn.rn) high-

ranking

Englishmerr and

E

glishwonen lvere prescnr. A1l

ol them

pl.aised

lhe sludcnls highly.

... Sccing lhe

sets

ftr

lhc courtroon, and

hearing

the dialogue.

nranl

rnistook

the

Hare Acadcmy

fbr

the

Sans

Souci

Thcrlrc.'

lDas

Gupu

PROD

'IIONS

IN

EN(iI-ISH

1a52-

Julius

Caesar.

\letropolitan Academy

lNambcldiry



23

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCIITTA

STAGE PRODUCTIONS IN

ENCLISH

lMa

r

of the

foltowins

productions

nal be ca ed

tamtteut-

com,nercinl'

productio,rs:

thef werc acted bf a tatew lndia,8, but

entry

vos bt

pal

e t. Thej represent

a anefipt b

E,tglkh-

educated Bengalis to set

up an

Engli blang age

theatre.')

26 Septemb€r 5

Octobet fi53. OtheUo. Oriental

Theatre

If we

discount

Julius Cdesff

(1852).

lhis

was the

tirst

publjc

perfomunce

of Shakespearc in Calculla exchrsivcly by an lndian

troupe, under the

general

sul)ervision' of Mr

Clinget

fbrmerly of

the

Sans

Souci Thentre. Thc actors wcrc

young

Hindus,

lbrorcdy

pupils

of

the O

ental

Seminary.

They

were

lrained by Mr

Roberts,

formerly

of

the

Sans

Souci, and Mr

Pa*er

and

M.s Ellis, tbanerly ol

llrc

Chowdnghee

Thcatre.

Dinanalh

Ghosh as

Othcllo,

Priyanarh Dalta

as

Iago, Khagcndr.ualh

Mallik

as

Brabanlio, Rajendralala

Mitra

as

Desdemo,ra,

Radhap.asd

Basak

as Emilia.

fto.n the Be'$,1 Ht'^ora. .?8

Setrcnrher

lE5.r:

'The characler

which we

h:rd feared

would

be rhe

wor$ represcnlcd

,"as ftc

bcst

lcprcsentcd- /a8o hy Baboo Prconath Dey

hi.l,

was

aclcd with nn evident knowledge ol lhc ch:t.acrer, ... the mode in

which ahey

acquitted themsel es, musl havc

givcn

much salislaclion

ro cvcry

member of the audience who carcs lbr rhe intellectual

improvcment

ol his

nati e lcllow

citizens.'

[Hx*a.a

28 Scpt 1853. citcd b] Bnrcrii and Ahnled

2, 17

N{arch

1854, The

Merchant of Veni.e.

Oriental

Theatrc

From ildverrilemerl in Tlrc Citi.e

.2

Mrrch 11354:

'The

Odcntal

Theatre /

No.

268, Gurrarhaita,

Chilporc

Road, /

nre

Merch.

t of U? iu lWill be

pcrlbrored

at rhc rbovc Theirc / On

Thu6day,

thc 2nd March. 1854, /

By

Hindu Anratcurs / Doors

open

8

p.m.

/ Perlbnnance

to

commence at 8

l/2

p.m-

/

Tickcls 1o

bc

had of

Mcssls. F.W. Brown & Co. / and Baboo Woorncsh Chunder

Bnnerjcc,

Cashier.

/

Spcnccs

Horcl /

Pricc of'Iickets Rs.

2/'

each. /

Thc Tickcls dislributed will avail on thc above cvening.'

Priyanarh Datta

as Shylocki Ridhapnsad

Basak

as Pol1ia

on 2

March.

Mrs Griggs on

17

March.

Frc]m Tlle tlontils CTrronn'lr, 2 IIarch 1854:

'Those

who are

desirous

of seeing

how

young

native

gendemen

can

wear

{he buskin

[rr.]

should

ane

d

lhc Oriental

Thcatre lhis evcning

and

we

promise

them

ltut

they

will

come

away

with a higher

imprcssion

of

,]alivc

lrlgic

lalent

than

(hal

wilh

which lhcy may

possib,y,

al

prescnt,

be

imprcssed We rccollect somc

nronths

ago

witnessing

al

lhe

same

Theake

a

perlbrmaoce of Othcllo

and

tlc

prcsunre the samc

company

will

appear

to_nighl

Wc have no doubl

that thcy

will be

well

worlh heaing.'

lAlso

Hurkar|

16 March

1854

Das Gupla

1853,

3

Ivlal

t854.

Julius

Caesat

Jorasanko

Thentre

Brajanalh

Bas

was lhc

nrosi nolablc

actor in

1853.

lsen

Gupta

Mohendunath

R,rsu

as Caesar,

Krishnddhan

Dutt as Brutus,

Jadunath

Cha(crjee

as

Cassius.

According

to

, d,,/rdd

Prabhakrlt.5

M^y

185'1, there

was

an audience

of so

c

400.

including

I

oumberof

Englishmen and

ladies. The

paper

appealed

fo.

rcduction

in

admission

l-ee-

The

HnnLtu

P.nriot

^dvised

boih thc

Jorasanko

Theatrc and

the Oriental

Thealre to

slage

plays

in Bengali.

Frolr,

The

Hitiloo

Panitr,

ll Mav

1854i

''Ihe

sccnery

and stage decorations

were

exlremely creditable

. .

with

rhc exception

of

Cassios

and

Cnsca

the \Yholc

of

lhe

Prrlbrnrcrs

sang

orblustc cd

tbrough

theirparls

in ulter nranglcmcnl

ol

Will

Shakespeare.

...

The

young gentlem

n

{playing

Cassiu$l

seemed lo

fecl what

he

acled

and having

by

nnturc

thc advantagc

(l)

of

a

'lean

and hung.y

look" hc did

very

well

indeed for

ihe Roman conspiralor.

we

could

wish that

the other

aclo$

kncw their

parts

as

well.

Brutus,

though

acled

shockingly

cnoush

by a burly

young

man

with

a

v€ry thick

muslachio,

was ncveihelcss

nol

so

grating as

Caesar

or

Calphurnia

Thc

former

roftcd anr.l Bvcd

likc eithcr

a maniac or

a d.Llnkad. lhc

lancr

ho

ibly

coated

ovc.

with

painL

anC

varn;sh squeakcd

likc

a

pig

or

r

ninny.

A1

iir lvlark Anlhony,

by Ji'go

he looked

n)orc like an

unJcrrJ\fl

rhrn .r

rltrtr Rorrr n ,nd

hi'

.pccrtio,r,

rhc

dcrd

hod)

of

Crcsar

so

thoroughly

disgustcd

us liut

we

left

thc

lhealre belbrc

the

weepirg

and

wailing was over.'

lBcnc.ji



30

SHAKESPEAIiE

ON I-HE

CALCI]'MA

STACE

15 February

1855. Henry

/y

Oriental

Thearre

Keshabchandrr

Ganguly

$

Henry

ly

priyanalh

Data

as

Falstaif.

Nrityanath

Ray as Horspur.

Fn\r

rL,

B"ranl

H,/l

,/d.

t5

Frbruxr)

1855.

'The

O.ienlal

Theatrc

is

purety

rhe

ofi\pring

ot

native

cxertion

and

allitrds

rhe

best

evidcnce

oi

rhe growing

perse\emnce

ol

onr

counlry'nen

in l.rudable pursuirs

and

rhen..rpprecifltion

of narional

amuscmcnrs.

Thc acbrs,

ii

is

we

known,

had

acquilred

ficmselves

on

thc lasr

tlvo

occasions

whcn

lhey appearcd

on

thc

srage

wirh

Lhe

lragedy

ol

Othclb

and

Mcrchanl

oi

Venicc...

to

rhe

sarisfacrion

of

lhe

public

and

won

nrcriled

rpplnuse

irom

individuals

from

whom

a

word

ol

favour

is

an honour

We

sirccreJy

wish

lhem success

thir

The

llifldoo

Ptt'.iot,21

Febfua.y

1855. pmiscd

the

pcrlornrancc

bul

,egrcLted

lhc hck

of

publ;.

enrhusiasrr,

and

rcpcnlcd

its

sppeal

for

{agjng

ol

Bengali

plxys-

Mafth

1857.

flrnlet

Resid€nce

of

Keshnb

Chunder

Sen

ar

C,nuribha vithSe

in

Hooghly

Distrkr

Kcshub

Chundc,

Sen

as Hamlet.

praup

Chandl.r

Maiumdar

as

Laerres,

Akshay Kunar

Maiumdar

as

Horalio.

Mahcndnnar.h

Scn

as

Ctauilius_

Bholanalh

Chakraharri

as Polonius,

Narcndranarh

Sen

as Ophetia.

Coslumes and

lcls by

KeslNb

Chundc.

Sen.

lchi.anJib

Shalnla,

KeshabLrnrit,

p_

5

M^y

1810.

The Me.chant

rl

yerri...

Sahityj

parhhad,

Krishnanagar

Thc

Srhitya Prrislrad was ian

associadon

of

otd and ncw nrddrrq

lE.lu.atio

Ga.e

e an.t

Sd .ttik

&tiahnhhk

29

Juty

1870,

Scn

Gupt:r

1880?

Thc

Merclnnt

of

Ve

ice. Lity

Corlage,

Keshub

Chunder

Scn's

house on

Upp€r

Circnlar

Road

Nagcndixnath

Guptd

as Shllock

und

Launcebt

cobho.

Karun.r Sen.

Sxr.rl

Sircar

Fr1,Ir lhd reminisccnces

of Nrgendranalh

Guprr:

'Aorong

thc young

cnthLrsiasls

who

look

tad

in

the

plny

were Kamnn.

thc clden

son

oi Kcshub

Chundcr

Scn.

Saral.

fie

youngc$r

son

ol.

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

]I

Tarak

Chandn

Sircar, ...

a

son ol

Pcrry

Charan

Sircar. and

seveml

othcrs.

Thc

doublc pafis

ol

Shylock

and

Lancetor

[ri.l

Gobbo were

assignod

(o

mc. Wc

zealously memodsed

our parrs

and

vigorousty

irhcarsed

and

allitudini/-ed

ar

home

belbrc

our

astorjstrC

and

scandalizcd young

rclarions.

One cvcning we

wcrc

having .r rehearsal

.t

the house

oiTamk Chandra

Sirca. in

Beadon

Slreer in Sa.:rl

s room.

Sonreone

was

declaiDring his parr

with aJ,|ropdarc ge(iculaiion

whe

the

door was

qu;etly

opc.cd

und ir

carne

Bankinr

Ch.rndra Chalreii

accompanicd

by lhe nrasrcr

ol the house

... Bankim pusscd

our

oi

the

rooin

with

a word oi

encouragcnrent.

Wc

p.oduccd

rhe

play

ar

Lily

Coltrtgc.

...

There

$as a lairly

largc audience

and our

prcscnrdion

ol the phy

w.rs well

receivcd.'

IMuch

.rf

the

infornatio,t

b.ton

tiat

derived

fro'n

Se Gupta

a d

M

hedee.'Ihe

pefon

antes

i

the

lrti'e6it

I'tnitutu

Hatt

ven

thietlt

bj

co

cge

stude

ts,l

27

JaDuary

1899.

Juius

Caes

University Insritute

Ha

Pe

brmed by

a

group

ol

studenrs

who larcr

lbmre.l

rhe

.shakcspearr

Conrpany'.

tgtttl.

Macbeth.

University

tnstitute

gall

Jnan Basu.s

Mrcbclh,

Kiron Dulr

as Macdull'

Ttu

Shakespearc

Socie(y

A

Shakcspearc Sociery was

sct

up

i,r t90t in

his horNc

al

l0 Ananda

Cha(c{cc

Lane

by Salishchandra

Muthopadhyay

r.nJ 1

rrc

\ohri.ru.{

J.

Irnn\rn.'r"lhcsn.,el)

$r.r",ve

lill

lhc l9l0s.

Ir

ef.ucd

ptrys

rr

rhe Enrpirc

und Corinlhian

Irrom

Prrbharch ndra

Grngopadhy y

s lrlictc.

.Thc

'Shalicspcalrr

Sociely

at

Ananda

Chauc cc I-une

.,rf.,rrdr,

l9

Apdl

196.:l

llrrrslltcd

tioln

lhc

Bcngalil:

'L.n

nc linrlly mcntion

a ncarly

Jbrgo[cn connoisseur

He

slnNld

hc

r€nrcrrbcrcd

nol

only ior

his

Iirc

acling in

English

but

ii,

his unlning cllal1s

lo scr

up a Shnkcspcare

Socicrl

ii

lhis counlry.

... Hc

clearud

lhc

parh

l'o].

lhc yourh

ol

the



12

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CAI-CUTTA

STACE

countrl

to cultivale

Shakespeare.

His chief

suppo er in this

project was

my

clder brother

the lale

PraPhullachandra

Cangopadhlay.

Premankur

lPremanktrr

Alarlhi. the

well-

known

wdterl and

I

would oftcn

visit

the Socicty,

though

we

wcre no1 members,

io lislen

to

lhek

discussion.

We also

had

lhc

good

fortune

to

sec

their

producdons

in

the

auJiloriun

of fie

Sangil

Samaj

lKailash

Bosc

Srreel]

and

fte

Emph€

and

Corinthian

Theatres.'

In

the same

article. Gangopadhyay

also

mendons a

pefbmancc of

Or,€/1.,

by

s(udenls

of

Scottish

Church

Collcge

inspired

by

lhe

productions of Matheson

Lang

and

Alnn

Wilkie.

See

bclow. seclion

(C),

eDries

lbr

l9ll,

1912.

IMailra

Da*n Soci€ty

(1902-1910)

The Dawn Society

was

lounded by

Salish

Chandm

Mukhedec

(no|Funnyman')

nnd

his associates

srrch as

Brahmabandhab

Upadhy^ya.

Rabindranath

Tagorc

and Sister

Nivcditr

werc

amoilg

the

patrcns

ol fie

sociely.

Keshav

Chandra Gupla,

Hriday Lal

Bane{ee,

Salish

Chandra

Baneriee

aid

others

were

fte

cnthusiasls

in lhe

nratter

ol

putting

on

boards

Shakespenrc

plays

in lhe original.

Thcy usually

gave

lhcir

perlbmanccs in

thc

Ove(oun

Hall or in the

audilorium ol

lhe

Sociery.

which allerwards

came to

be

known as

thc

Univcrsity

trsritutc

Hall.

Alerander

Thomas.

a lecturer

in

English

at DuffCoUege,

trained

the membcrs

and

olcasion'

ally

Prcfessor

Benoy

Sarkar

taughl

thcm a

geslu'€ or two

[[4Jiri

25 tr{arth

1905.

Tvelf

,

Night, University

Institute

Hall

Kanti Mookerjee

as

viola. Rajendm

Prasad. iuture

Prcsident ol

lndia'

took rhc

fart

of a

Cou(ier

From an

inrcrvicw

with Kanli

Mookerjcc

irr O,t]'.(sn

Nrlvr. Jan

Jun

1964.

'Sir

Alexa der

Pedlar

(theo

Direclor ol

Public Inslruction)

was so

sccptical whcn

lold

that

it

was a boy

who

did

lhc

part

that

hc

came

inN

fte

grcenroom

alier

thc

pcrtbrmance to nuke sure tbr

himsell'

PRODIJCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

1906.

lutius

Caesar"

Univcrsity

Institute

Hall

1l

l9{ts.

.lulius

Caetar.

Acred

by

the

sudenls

ol

Gcneral

Assemblies

Instilution

(later

Scottish

Church

College): Sisir

Kumar

Bhaduri

as

Brutusi

Ananda

Krishna

Sinha. Sachindranath

Basu. Jalindranath

Ganguly.

The

lulure

scholars

of

English

language

and

liieraturc, Suniti

Kumar

Cha(crjee

and

Sree*umar

Baner.jec,

were

involved

in

the

production.

suniti

Kurnar

Chatterjcc's

reminiscences

in

Pdri.rd)

[t.anslatcd

tiom

1he

Bcngalil:

'sisir Kurnar's

actiog

was

wonderful. Men

oljudgment

laughed

al the

costumes,

bul that could

not impairour

enthusiasm

And Sisn

Kumarh

acting

was

oo

a differenl

plane altogether.

We ioo slood

among the

ludience

to scc

him acl

aod hca. hirn

dcliver the

lines.

...

The English

prciesson

and o6er

elders

praised

him highly.

This

was

Sjsir's

firsr

triumth

at

college-'

l9$9,

The

Merchd,tt

of Venice.

Acled

by the students

of

General

Assenrblies

Innilution:

Sisir Kumar

Bhaduri u.

Anronio, Nare.h

Virm

ar Shyl.ck.

17

Mrtch

1909.

Hanlet.

University Institut€

HaU

sisn

Kr

rar

Bhrduri acted as Claudius

and

lhe

Ghost.

lThe

fo\otti,rg

ptoductions

at

ot haw bee',

a ateur, but bclo

g

to this

pefiod

of

e actne ts

of

Slrakespearca

seenes.l

I

NIay 1910.

Recital

by

'Mr

Jno.

l. Wenyon'

of

scenes fmm

shakespe6re

(Md.reirr

I.\;viiiRicha

III

ActY;

Roneo

ad

Juliet

Act

V). Star Thcatre

lBhatlacharya

27 Septcmber

1916. Sclected scenes

from Macbeth. Star

Theatre

Advefised as

'The

Dagger

Vision

and thc Blo(rly Acf.

Monmohan

Goswanri as Ma.bcth.

Kusumkumad $

Llldy

Macbelh.

2,

8 August 1917.

Macr?rr, Ivturder Scen€;

Richard lll,

wooing

of

Lady

AnDe.

Star Theatre

Monmohan Goswami

as Macbelhi

Kusumkunrari as Lady

Anne-



u4

SHAKISPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STAGE

From

the

adverrisemcnt

in

Atnrita

Bazat

Patrika'

8 August

1917:

'The

rcndering

of

a

Shakespearean

scene

in original

English

by a

Bengali

aclress

is

a wonderful

thing.'

lBhaltacharya

(C)

BY'

TOURING

COMPANIES

1870s,

Lewis

Th€atre

Company:

Public

perfoffnnces

of

Shakesp€ar€'

calcuttaMaidan

rsen

Gupta

1882-85.

Maurice

E

Bandmann's

Companv:

Ilamk',M@beth,Ro

eo

a d

Juliet,

Richa

III, Oth?[o.

Theatrc

Roval

Review

of

fidrl€l

in

Reis

dnd Rd)'ret.2l

January

1882i

'Mr Bandmann

is undoubtedly

a considerablc

actot

but his

Hamlel

was,

lo our

thinking,

somcwhat

of

a disappointmcnt'

Thc

tumult oi

a

great

passion

...

even

the slrnggle

of

conflicling

resolves

'

was

hardly

jusiificalion

enough

lbr

the encrgv

of

vociferalion

which he

exhibilcd.

He

actually

shrieked

lowards

the

close,'

From

lhe

reminiscences

ol

Nagendranath

Gupia:

'tBandmannl

drew

crowded

houses

in Calculta

by

stagitg

somc

Shakespeare

plays al

the

Corinthian

Theatre

on

Dhurrumiolah

Street'

I

went

to

see

Macbeth

perfbrmcd bv

his

companv

'

I

saw

Kcshuh

Chunder

Sen

and

Bankim

Chandra

Chattcrii

in

the

audienc€

kecnlv

following

the

play

Her

Bandmann

himself

appeared

in

the

role

of

Macbeth.

He

was a

splerdid

looking

man,

big and

blond

as a

Mking'

wi(h

a

Iincly

modulated

voice

xnd a consummate

power

ol

producing

stage

effect.

In

the

murder

scene

... the

whole

house

was thrilled

by

the realis

ofllte

actirg

and the

intensily

of ttte

horror

The

toollights

had

been

turned

down,

leaving

the stage

in

€omparatile

darkness'

but

,i strcam

of

lighi

tiom

the

wings was

skilllully

turned

upon

the

iwo

figures

on

the

stage.

Mncbe$

and

Lady

Macbelh,

and

playcd

upo,

itr"it

r.otr...

with

a starlling

elTect.

The

poniard

in

th€

hand

oi

Macbeth

had

a

hollow

handle

filled

with a

iew melal

pellels

and

linkled faindy

as

(he hand

of

thc

actor shook'

The

eyes'

widc

and

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

35

wild with tenor,

were

rcving

in

every

directior,

while

the

hands and

lhe

whole

body

quivered

as an

aspen

leal

'Lady

Macbelh

stood at a li$le

distance,

cool and cynical,

ilasbing contempl

from her magnificenl

eyes

at her husband, un'

manned by

the

bloody deed

he had done. We

realised

lo

thc

full

lhe

penelratile power

of

a

siage whisper

whe,

Macbelh

said:-

''Glamis

halh murder'd

sleep,

and therefore

Cawdor

Shall

sleep no

nDre,

Macbelh

shall sleep no more "

'The voice

was no

louder

than a

quaking

whisper. bul i ran l;ke

a

long

drawn sibilant

hiss through the

remotesl

paas

of lhe

theatre

and

elery

word was

as

distinclly

heard

as

if

il had be.n

shouted

out. Again when the aclor

cried,

'will all

greal

Neptune's ocean wash

lhis

blood

Cl€an fiom

my hand?

No:

this

my

hand

ryill

rather

Thc multitudlnous seas incarnadine

Making the

green

onc

red."

and

spread

oul

his

palm

with

ultcr

hopelessness stamped on

his

face,

it

was

a

great gcsture

ol tragic

despait

'In

the

sleep-walking scene

Lady Macbeth, lighled

taper

jn

hand,

somnambulistic,

with

her eyes

wide

open,

glassy,

and

wilhout

a

flicker

of

the

eyelids. was

vcly dramatic. As

she

put

down

the lighl

and

rubbed hcr hands as

if

washing them,

she declaimed,

"Here\

the

smell

of the blood slilli

All

the

perlurnes

ol

Arabia will

not

sweeten

this

liltlc hand.

oht

oht oht"

The opening words were

utlered

in

the colourless monolone ol

a

person

ialking in

sleep,

bur when the

final

exclamalion

was

reached

and

rcpeated

three limes,

fie

voicc of

the aclress rose

to

a cresendo

ol

agonized

despair

and

brought down the

house

in

repealed rounds

of

tempesluous

applause.

1898.

Henry

Drllas's South African

Dramatic Compan]:

As

Yo Like

It Corinthian

Theatre

IBilati

Jatra

23 Sept€mber 1909.

Hanlet. Star Theatre

Charles Vane as Hamlet;Miss Blanche

Forsythe as

ophelia.

Organized

by

Bandmann,

lBhatlacharya



36

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STAGE

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

l7

1911.

Alan Wilkie's

London Rcpertory

Companyt

Othe o, Roneo

and

Juliet,

Hank4

Julius

Aera\

The Merry

Wires

of Wi,rdsot,

Twelfth

Nisht. Opera

House

Leading actor:

Alan Willie.

Leading lady:

Miss Frederick

Hunler-

'A

triend

had writtcn

ro

nre while I was

al Bhagatfrur

spcaking

in

eulogislic

lems of Wilkie's

perfonnancc.

[So]

I spenr allof

that

X,mrs

at Calcu(a

axending Alan

Wilkie

s shows

nighl

afler

night. I

rcad

up

ihe

plays

in

the dayrime

10

get

thD full

benetli

of the

pieccs

as

J'resenled

by wilkie

ar

night.

'Wilkie,

rhough

by

no

means

one

of the

.1ops.'

in

llre

Shakespearean

scroll,

opened

a

new world

lo me; and

I

was

quire

lost

in

the

wondedand

of

the

Mastcls fanrasies.

I

moled

about

mentally as "Shybck',

or "FalsraIf'.

or "Othelld

through my

daily

rouline

of

College

and

home

lives.

In

lact,

I

did

not

get the

fcvcr

off till.

atlcr my return

to

Bhagalpur,

I had

presenred

somc

of rhe

selected scenes on

the College

srage.'

lAsudc

(Asu

De),

Antrito Bd.ar

potrita,

3 May 1964

1911, 1912. Matheson

Lang's

Company: rre Tarri,rs

ofthe

Shrew,

Hamlet, Roneo

a d

Juliet,

Mttch

Ado abo

t

Nothine. Empire

Theatre

Leading actor:

Malheson Lang.

t,eading ladyi

Miss Hutin

BritroD.

'In

lhe

s

inrer

of rtJr

)(Jr

I

Iv I I

'.

rwo

ShJke.pedrcin

.omtrnie,

camc

1o

Calcurta...

[Onc

was

rhe London

Repe(ory

Companyi]

the othcr

Iwas

ledl by

Mr

Marhieson

trnJ

Lang

wilh

his

wife,

Miss

Hurin

Britlon filling

a

similar rolc.

...

Later.I heard

rhat

Wilkie\ shows werc

no1 a

patch

on fie

performances

of Shakcspeare's

dranras which

were

beingprcsented

by Mathicson

[ri.]

Lang simulraneously

ar the

Empire

tAsudc

(Asu

De),

Amrita

Ba&t Patrika,3

May

1964

Prabhatchandra

Gangopadhyay recalh

in

J

aaxldr,

t9

Aprit 196,1

ltranslated

liom

tlre

Bengalil:

'[Lang's

perforruances]

arouscd

such enthusiasm

in

the

tocal yourh

ha1 some

of thcnr wr

ote

letlen ro

Lang,

asking

him

for enlighrcnmert

on

all

kinds

of

martcrs.

Lang

was

plcased

ro publish

beaurilut

and,

charming

replies

in

rhc rewspapers

to

sarisly this thirs

lor knowt-

edgc.'

Prabhatchandra

remembcrs

how he

himselfwrote

to Lang, asking

lbr an interview

whi€h tnng

grantcd.

Over

lunch.

rhey discrssed

Shakespearc, the interpretation

of

Shakespcare,

and

cunenr critical

trends.

Of the combined impact

ol

Wilkie's

and

Matheson Lang's

companies on

rhe

local

audicnce,

especially

lhe

youlh,

Prabhalchandra

writesi

'Such

power

ro aroosc

emotion, and

such

flawless

acling,

created

a

stir

in

the

land.'

It

also nlade

the srudent communiry

of

Calculta

undertake

Shakespearc

performances

with

rcnewed

\igour:

'After

seeing

the

produclions

olWilkie

and

Lang,

there was grear

enthusiasm

among

ihe

college sludents

of Calcufla to

perform

the

plays

ofShakespeare.

St

Xavier's Collcge and

Scoltish Church College

showed

greatest

inrercsl

in

lhis regard. The Europcan

reachers at th.

collcges

would

train thc sludents

in the

art

of

acting.

'A lilIlc

larer, when

I

was at

Scotlish

Churcllcollege.

rhere

was

a

collcge

periormance

of

Othe

o.

I

cle.fly remember thc

splendid

acting by Raghabendra

Bandyopadhyay

as Orhello and

a

student

named

Henry Khondakar,

the

son

of a Scotdsh

mother

and an Indian

Muslim iather,

as Desdemona.

... Nareshchandra Mitra

also won

considerable

acclaim

as

Shylock in

The

ll,lercha

t of Venice.

...

Wilkie

and Lang's

acting also had a

grcat

influence

on Sisirkumar

lBhaduril.'

lltfonation

about

the

performances

below

takefl

to

Bilati

latra,

ythi.h

cites Das

Cuptal

1912.

Alan Wilkie's London

Rep€rtory

Company: Much Ado abou,

Nothing, Ha

let. Empire Theatre

1918.

Charles

Hewitt

and

A. Phillips

Company: The Me.chant

of

Ye

ir".

Crand

Opcra

House

1918.

Richard

III,

Ihe Merchatlt

of

yenice.

Grand

Opera

House

Featuriog

the Shakcspearean

aclor Charles

Hading.

1919.

Ro

rco

a

d

J

liet,

Empire

Theatre

Fealuring

Charles Vanc,

al

the invitation of

Bandmann.



SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

STACE

PRODUCTIONS

IN ENCLISH

lThe

chief

source of informatio,,

fot

the Bitish

'tisiti

g

productiofis

belo\'

up to c. 1970

b Bilati

latt&,

i,hich

in tu t i,tdicates irs soar.e

ol i

lormanon

as tlv

Rritish

Council,

Calc tta. h{ornatio about

Geoffre

Ke

dal's Shakespeaftarru is

fou

d in his

book

The

Shrkespeare

wallah

fll i,

Felicitr Kendah White Crrgo.l

October

1947-J8nuary

19,18. Shakesp€areana: Ha let' Othelln,

lulias

Orcsat,

Old Garrison

Th€atr€. Also Ma.rert on

9 october,

scenes

fmm

The

Merchant of Venicr

and

Jutius

Cderar

on

l0

Octoher,

Othctlo on

I

January

and

Julixs

Ca€sdr

on 6

Ja

uary

at

St

Xavier's Collcge Auditorihm

From lhe

rcview by R. H. Lesser

in.Sl Xduieri Maaa.ir,p,

December

r917:

'The

plays, direcled and produced

by Gcofficy Kendall

fri.l

caused

a

sensation

in St. Xavier's,

the

acbrs

fully dcseNing

thc

greal

applause

accorded

them. Considering

thc

difficul(ics

regarding

scen-

ery, thc

effects

were

magnificenl

and

reflect

conqi'lerable

credit

on

the

adaptab;lity

and

ingcnuity of

the

stail --.

many

of us Iremblcd

at

fte

weird sctling of

ihe

wilches,

a

subtlc

lightning

cffect having

'The

acting. 1oo,

surpassed

anylhing

we had

cver

seen

with

Geoftiey

Kendall

tri.l

giving

a

masterly

rendering

of Lord

Macbclh

...

and Olheuo

the Moor

whereas

Miss L;ddell

iived

up to our highest

expectations

in her various

roles as

Lady Macberh

,nd

Desdemona.

Pe&r Meriton

also

gave

a

very convincing

displav

as Shvlock

the

The

Anrita

Baza, Pattika

of6January

1948 biuedJe/tur

Cd"ffr

as 'rhis mighty

spectacle

of ancient

Rome'.

From

the review

in

The

Snkimt.6

Jatuary

l9'{8:

'[The

pcrformance

of

Juli

s

Caesat

at

St.

Xavier's

Couege

Audito-

riuml

combines

nlorc than adequaie

handling

of

the

major

roles with

perfcction

ot

production which makes

some of

thc crowd

scenes

especially

in

the

lirst

Act, remain

in

lhe memory'

As Brutus,

Pctcr

MeriLon

gives

a supcrb

portrayal of'the ablesl

Roman

oi thcm

all".

In

the

hrewell

sccne

with Cassius

he

was rcally moving.

The

speech

to

rhe

crowd.

a loil

to

Antony's,

was excellendy

delivered. The

sccne

with Po[ia

was marked

by

aitraclive

acting on both

sides Geoflrey

K€ndal

gavc

Anlony's

famous speech

f-ull

value,

but

was even betler

in

rhe

earlicr

"dogs oll

war"

Inonologuc.

From the

masker and reveller

of $e

opcning

he dcveloped

through

violence

to lhe

magnificent

luneral oration

of

Brutus.

At

the

close Cacsar

himself is

a

minor

part

perfomred with suitable

indolent digoi(y

by Frank

Whcallcv who

was

good

bu

whose

enunciation

la(er

was weak. Ol thc

conspirators,

Geotliey

Rich,trds

as

Cassius

gave

his usual

accomplished

rcndcfing.

Carlo Basil

(Casca)

is rapidly

developing

into a useful

and rcliable

member ol thc

company bcing

especially

good

in

describing

lhe

rcIusal

ol the Crown.

Ulpal

Dutta

[sI.]

was

also

conlpete t. Tbe

large

cast,

cKNd

and

batde scenes

required help

frc'n morc

ainalcurs than

usual to

whom

Mr.

Kendal

at the end

gnre

deservcd

credk. This

producrion must have meant

very hard

work. The resuk amplyjuslifies

',

lSikdar

ShakespearcaDa

Thc

company

Shakespeareana

was

born

ou1

ol

a lravclling

lroupc fbr lhe entertainmenl ol'fie

forces

during

World Wa.

IL

As

part

of

the Entenainments National Service Associa

tion

(ENSA).

Geolliey

Kendal

and

his wilb Laura

lrad

alrcady visited

Darieeling

and

Calcutta.

Now, after

the

fornution oflhe

company, thcy went on a tour

ol Daieeling

(St

Paul's School

and t-oreto Convenl) and

Kalinrporg

(Dr

Graham

Horres),

playing to

audienccs ol

rapt

schoolclril-

dren.

By

Oclober

1947,

dre

oupe

was staying

at

the

Fairlawn Hotel in Calcutla

and

drawing

adult

audiences

as

well.

Their warm reception during this tour led 1()

a

pdongcd

Indian

sojourn lio June 1953 to

Deccmhcr

1956.

During

this lime. they

performed morc than oncc in Calcultn.

and

also

al Burnpur.

Asansol

and

Darjccling-

Thcy

visiled

Santinikeran

in

I954. Thc

plays

they oflcrcd during lhis

tour

werc

Othelh,

Tlle

Methant ol

Uenice,

Hal

et,

The Toni,lg

of e

Shfth,,

Mocbeth, Roneo

a,d.luliet

antl

Ttrelih

Nisht.

Thc troupe

gradually

dwindled,

but

a small

core

group

went

on

visiting

Calcuua and

othcr Indian lcnues

till

the

late

1960s.



40

SHAKISPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

STAOE

FrcrJl

The

Shakespeare

Wallahl

'By

October

it seemed

safe

10

go

to Calcutta'

where

we stayed

unlil

January

1948,

playing at

the

old Garison

Theare

in

Park

Streel'

:

Two

pronrising

young

actors.

Utpal

Dutl and

Pratap Roy'

ioined

us

for

a while.

The Calculta

audiences

and cdlics

were enthusiastic

The

.tlar€rfla,r

critic

wrote

ol

O,lcllo:

"Nobodv

appreoialive

of

good

acling

and

fluent stage-managemenl

should miss

this

periormance. .

'

We

came

away fronr

fie

Garrison

Thcalre with

a

feeling ofintegration,

which

no

olher

available

form

of amusement

is able

o

provide

lor

the

residents

of

lhis

cilv,

and

haviog oncc

enjoyed

it

^ve

ca,not

but

wish

that

thc

English

Repertory

Companv

would

prolo,ng

thei'

slav

here

indeiinitelY

'

"Their

presence

in

Calcutta

has raised

the cultural

level

ol'

the

city,

and ooulil

they be

persuadcd to

makc

their home

at leasl

durirg

every

winter.

CalcuM

would be

lcss

cut

ofl

irom

the

rest of

thc

world." '

IKcndal

December

1950.

Norman

Marshall's

ComPany:

Scen€s

from

Shak€speare.

New

Empire

5-10

December.

Scenes

from Maebeth,

Henry

V,

The

Mercha't

o

Venice,

Romeo

a

d

,Iuliet,

Julius

Caesar

12.16

Decemb€r.

Scenes

fmm

Hamlet,

As vou

Like

It' Othello'

Anto

j

a il

Ckopatra,

Henry

VIII, The

Tempest

David

King-wood

as

Ha

let;

John

wvse

as Othello

and Polonius:

walter

Fiizgerald

:L

Claudius

and Iagol Judith

S1o(

as Ophelia

and

Desdemonar Frances

Clairc

as

Genrude, Cleopatra

and

E,nilia;

Jonathan

Meddings.

Deirdre

Doon.

But see

below

on

possible

variations

in

casting.

A

review

ol

the second

seleclion

of

scenes

appeared

]n Anrita

Baur

Prtrik on

15

December

1950,

entitled 'Dramas

llom

Shakestearc

-

New

Programnre

ol Coorpressed

Rccitals':

'At-ter

a

week's

progmmne conrposed

ofausterily

Lricl

selections

lrom

'Hcnry

V",

"Macbeth",

"Julius

Caesar".

"Romeo arid Julief

and

"Merchant

of

venice",

Mr

Norman

Marchall

..

treaEd

us to

a

thoroughly

new

bill of

fare.

...

Ii

cornprised

dramatic

r€citals

of

colleclivc

[s/c]

scenes

from

"Hanlef'

and

"Olhcllo"

and

an excerpt

each Irom "An(ony

2nd

Cleopara",

'Midsummer

Nighfs

Drcam"

and

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

'As You

Like

lt".

lTbis

does

not agree

with

the

list

above'

which

i$

takm

from

the

adxertisement

in

Anrba

Balnr

Patika

on

16

December.

Perhaps

$e

sciection

varied from

day

to

dayl

'Bu

ihe

crearn

of

[thc

periormance] was

reflected

in

the

scenes

from

the

lwo

deathtess

lragedies,

"Hamlef'

and

"O$ello"

Being

shapely strings

of

composii€

scenes

rathd

than

stray

abbreviations'

ih"y

"iry

tro-ugrt

o*

,tt"

compact

reptesentative

calibre

of

fie

plays-

...

indeed,

both

the

plays are condensed

to

suit

the

small

compuy

lThere

follows

Praise.

in

emphalic

but

somewhal

general terms'

of

fie acling

ol

King_Wood,

wyse

and

Filzgerald'l

'fhe

troupe

is.

however,

nol

so saong

on

its distaff side

'"

The

decor

crcated

by

a simple

stage

contented

itself

efficiently

with only

slight

suggeslions

of tl]e

diftcrent

periods through

Elizabethan

cos_

,u*"r.

n"r",

bothering

aboul

any

insistence

on

naluralism'

'Mr

Marshall's

introductions

were

a

lively

foil to

the

reperloire'

January

1954.

Shak€speorcana:

Macbeth

^nd

The

Merchant

of

Y?rdce.

Santiniketan

From

the review

h The

Statesnlan'

15

January

1954:

'shakespeareana,

the traveling

repertory

company

under

the

direcdon

of Mr.

Geofliey

Kendal

gave

two

highlv

appreciated

performanccs

ot

Macbeth

and

The Merchant

oJ

Venice

to capacity

crowds

al the

Santiniketan

open

ah

theatre

last

week'

lSikdar

12-19

Februery

1954.

Shakesp€areana:

The

Merchant

of Venice

(12

Feh),

Macbeth

(13

F€b),

r,,e

Taning

of

the

Shrcrt

ll4

Febt'

Othe

o

(1,5

Feh\,

The Taning

of

the Shrcw (17 Feb

by

special

request),

Rorre.,

a d

.tutiet

(18,19 feb)'

New

Empirc

Aciors:

Geollrey

Kendal.

Jennifer

Bragg,

Laura

Liddell'

Nancy

Neal'

Frank

whearley,

wendy

Beavis,

Conor

Farrington'

John

E Day'

Brian

Kellelt,

UDal

Dutt

Anwar

Mhza

Istatennn:

advertisemenls,

2

and

14

Feb

1954

1954

(date

unceriain).

Norman

Marshall's

Company

Othello'

Tonr

of

Santiriketan

llrnrl Dutl

$orkcll

sirlr Norma'r

Mrr\hull

in

thic

lroducrion'

lB.

K.

Bhdrrachdrva

Shul'c\pcare

lrdn'lrrion'



,12

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STA6E

D€c€mber

1956. Shak€spearesna:

details

lrncertain.

N€w Empir€

The

repertoire

included

Shaw

as wcll

as

Shakespearc:

'[Owing

to a misrakc

on

rhe

parr

of

the rnanagemen{.

rhere

had

been

a

doublc

booking.l

Prilhviraj

lKapoorl

and I

arrived ara

compromise:

we

would

both

perform

during

rhe season.

On onc

day &ere

would

be an

Inditrn play performed

by

the Kapoor

acbrs,

and

on

ihe other

the

Shakcspearcan

or

Shavian

of

ihe

Kendat

actors. Each

company

would

remove

rheir scrs

ard

hand

over

the srage

ro the

orher

at the

end

of

the

day's performaooe.'

IKendal

14, 15,

20j

21

March

t958.

The

Erglish

Comediar6t

Shakespearc

ot What

Yoa Wir,

(cxceipts

lrom

urious

ptays).

New Empire

The

Shakcspearean

seleclion

was

compiled

and p.escnlerl

by

Marius

Godng

togclher with

anorher

compilarion

cnritled

rre

Mnrot

oJ nne

or Rtiel

Chrunicles.

'Inrroduced'

by thc Bdtish

Council.

Actors:

Marius

Goring,

Yvonne

Furncaux,

John

Lauric.

Rachel

Curney,

Jenniler Wilson,

Roger

Gage.

[.t

a,errun,

adverrisement

on

t8

Fcb.uary

l95g

From

the

revicw

in The

Statesman,

15

March

1958:

'The company

s litle

derives

from 1503,

when

one

John

Engtish

axcmpted

to

rival

abroad

the con(eorporary

tdumphs

of

the

Itatian

Commcdia dell

Arle. But.

whereas

rhe

talter

rclicd

prinlarily

on nlinre,

Englisfi prcscnred

lue

drama

in

his

native

language,

apparen

y

eked

out

for

overscas

audiences

by rhc

actor-manager,s

runl]ing

commcn

tary. When

in 1957

rhe Theatre

Nationat

populaire

in

paris

invjred

a

Shakespearean season,

ir

occuned

ro

Mr

Goring

thar

sinlitar

merhods

might with

advantage

be

adopted,

and such was

the

success

in France

and elsewhere

as

late.lo

suggesr

tbat

the

cxperimcnt

might

be equa

y

successtul

evcn wirh

English-speaking

audiences.

'Brilliantly

successlnl

indeed

it is, tor

thc mclhod

does much

to

conveft

whal

nighr

otherwise

appear

a

disjoinred,

however

compelently

prcsented,

series ofexcerprs

inro

a rounded periormance,

and to

peanil

a small

company

wilh

the limiled prope(ies

which

alone

can

be ranspotted

by air

ro

act

as

true conrempo.ary

succcssors

ro

the barnslorming

tradition,

whethcr

ol

rhc

Lord

Admiml,s

Men or

of

Mr

Crummles.

...

'In

grcat part,

no

doubl,

this

succcss

is

due 10

ihe

hriliiance

of

Mr

Coriog

as comperc. .-.

With

gaiety,

wit

and irony bc

glides

irom

aspect lo asp€ct of

the

genius

which

ir is

his business to

prcsenl

and, nevcr

ovcr-playing

yet

seldonr

miss;ng

a dramalic

poinl,

however

subtlc, into

and

out

ot

(lre

parLs

he

himself

lakes.

I(

was,

lor

inshnce,

an

educalion

to

watch

hi,n

ease

his way into thc

part

of

Richard

Crouchback

-

and at thc same

time

the

crilic

had never

prcviously

realized

quile

how uproariously tunny is the

great

scene with Anne

of

Warwick. Again,

as Caesar

he

conveyed lhe

pomposity

evidenl

in

thc

parl.

wilhoul,

as

do

so

many

actors, carlsing the

a0dieice

to

wonder

how

such

a

pas{eboard

colossus ever came

to

bestride

rhe

'But.

il

Mr

Goring

was

able

to

oarry the continuity of the

perfbrmancc

on his

shouldcrs, rhis was becarsc thc supporting roles

seldorn

lell

below a high average ol excellence, and

in

some inshnces

reached indcpendenl

sunrnils

...

the

whole

conrpany perhaps

appeared

to

best

collective advaDlage

in

the

Tirelri NArt excerpls.'

l-3

January

1960. Oxford Playhouse Company:

rre$th

NighL Neln

EmpirE

Organired

by

the

British

Council.

Cast: Brian Haffison as Orsino, Harokl Lang as Malvolio.

Frank

Windsor.rs Sir Toby aclch, Nicholas Amcras

S;

ADdrcw Aguecheek,

Eric Thompson as Fcste. Patricia Heneghan as Viola.

Fron

the

rcview

in

Th?

Stdes

ntl,3

January 1960:

'In

the

thea1rc

abundance may

be

a burden and its

absence

a blessing.

.-.

Oi

necessity the

group travels

wilh

a minimum

ol

bolh

actors

and

equipment. In the

production

of Tnefth Night... the

result

of

this

austerity was that

delighled

audiences saw the

play

which

Shakespearc

wrote

wirhout

the disrractions

oi

elaborale scenery or extravagant

'l'rank

Hauser's

production

ir

a simple

settirg

was

able to move

'The production

was

chrmcterized by a licshness

and

joylulness

on thc

par

of

lhis

prcdonrinantly

young grcup.

Only

the costumes

l)ilcd

to cndorsc

the

general

inlpression...'

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH 43



4, 5, l0 February

196]- The Bristol Old Vic: Harrler. New Empir€

Organized by the

British

Council.

Cast:

Barry warren as Hamlet, Sarah Badel

as

Ophelia, Oliver

Nevile

as Claudius, Yvonne Coulette

as

Gertrude. John Ringham

as

Horatio,

John Morris as Polonius. Scbastian Breaks as Laertes. Gcrald Curlis

as

Rosencranlz.

Chrislophcr

Burgess

as

Guildenstern,

t-eonard Fenton

as Player

King

and Marccllus, Pat Kean

as

Player

QueeD,

David

Trevena as

Lucianus

and

Second Gravedigger

John

Steiner

as

Fortinbms,

Robin Culver

as Francisco.

Jon Laurimore as Bernardo

and Captain, Christophcr

B urgess as First Gravedigger, Hugh Manning

as

the

Ghost,

Kenton Moore as Priesl, Robin Culveras Osric. Directed

by

Denis

Carcl

designed by Patriok Robertson. lighting by

Brian

Freeland.

From the review

in

?he Stotesntut\ 5 February 1963:

'The

difiiculty in

staging any

gcat

tragedy doesn't usually

arisc until

after

rhe

denouement ..-

this

happened

last

night

nt

the

Bristol

Old

Vic

Company's

presenlation

of Ad,nl.r at the

New

Empire when

all

the

principal

characters

had

perished

and thc

play

was lcit to

peter

'...

this

was

essentially

a

one-man

show. Suocess

hinged almost

entirely on

Barry

Waren

who

toured

the

Wyndham and

Lcwis'

circuit

in

England

in Fire Frrger f.vrcire some three

yea.s

ago and

brought

10 the

part

of

the Prioce

of

Der,mark lhe

same

gamin

charm

(perhaps

unconventional

in

a

portrayal

of

Hamlet)

and

lhe

same

*ility to

g.ip

rhe audience

with voice and

gesture.

An

aclor

of definite

moods,

his

failures,

if

any,

were the

f.mous scenes oi

indecisioo, but olherwise

he

gave

to

the

pan

a

coherence

thal

one

ofien

misses even

in

reading

the

play.

'The suppo(ing

cast, coping wilh restricted space and a slage

set that looked rno.e

likc a builder's

scaffold than aDything else,

wcrc

capable rather

than

good.'

Review in the Hr,,./trsrrd

Statdard. 6

Febr$ary 1963 by

'ROYNK'

(N.

K.

Roy):

'...

the

Bristol Old

Vic

Company once agaio

prorled

that aDy

programme of an

English touring

lroup€ will look shom withoul

a

Shakespearc....

'Mr

Dennis

Carey\

direclion

on a

practically

denuded slage lvas

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUT"TA

STACE

PRODUCTIONS

IN ENCLISH

very capable-

He

gave an

unexpurgaled

version

of

the

play'

lle'

requires

no apology

for

ltle

string

oI dramatic

caiuallies Dor

for the

lcngth

of

the

PlaY.'

Decemb€r

1963.

Harold

Lang's

El"ottr:

Ma'betl

(in

ca

era)'

Bbwarupa

From

the

rcview

in The

Statesrnn.

l5

Dece$t'et

1963:

'Mnrbeth

in

Cam?ra

is an eflbt

made by

Mr

Lang

1o

discuss

Shakespeare

or one

of

his

plays

from

the

aclor's

point

of

view'

'As

the

curtain

raises

[Ji.]

one

sees

a

group

ofplayers

'ehearsing

scenes

liom

Md.r"r?.

Thcirenrplover

who

is a

Shakespearean

scholar'

drops

in

and

is

horritied

io see

the

way they

a'e trying

lo

tactle

the

ioanidable

problem ol

producing Shakespeare

while he is interested

in the

play's verbal bcautyi

the actors

are

not satisfisl

wilh

mere

words

,nd fe;]

that thesc

cannot

be

given full

expression

without

appropriaG

action and

movemcnl As

against

the

academic

approach

lhcy

gi\e

practiced

tsrl

demonstmtion

to drive

home

their

point

that

in

their

ettorts

o

iaenL;fy

themselves

with

fte

chatacters,

they came

to know

things

abour

a situalion

or

dialogue

which

are

missed

bv scholarc

and

criiics.

'Wha1

lbllows

are

revealing

interpretalions

ol

the behaviour

of

Macbclh

and

Lady

Macbelh

in

difterent

siiuations

and

thejr

psysho

logical

problenrs, and

brilliant

performances

of

sevcral

kev scenes'

Ma&efi

can be

considered

as

nothing

more

than a

vcry exciting

murder

play written by

a

greal

poel

and dranratisl.

bui

the

group

s

method

is able

to

g

ide

thc

audicnce's

imagination

and

to

make a

deep

intpression

on

them-

'The

setling

was

typical

rehearsal

room

with

heaped

up furnilure

The

aclor's

casc

was

presenled

not

withoul

wit''

tSikdar

December

1964.

The N€w

Shakesp€are

Company'

New

Empire

19,

20, 21

December.

The

Tenqest

22,

23,

24

DecembeL

Richard

II

26,

27 December.

The Ta

ing

ol

the Shrei'

TIN Te

pest:

Cast: John )Vyse as

Prospero,

Amanda Reiss

as

Mirunda,

Edward

Arienza as

Ariel.

Wollc

Mo.ris

as

Caliban

John

Casde as

Ferdinand'



,16

SIIAKESPEARE

ON T}tE

CALCUTIA STAGF

Murray

cilmore

as

Conzrlo,

David

King

as Alonso,

Richant

Kane

as

Sebastian,

Chrislopher Burgess

as

Antonio,

Arrhur Howa.d

as Trinculo.

Ronald

He.dman as

Slephano. lohn

Cay as Francisco,

S,mon Carrer

as Adrian.

Henry

Manning

as

rhe Master.

Langton

Jones

as Boac

swain,

Maion

Desmond

as

Iris,

SheitaBa

anrine

as

Cercs. Zoe

Hicks

as

Juno.

Direclcd

by David

Witlian],

sers

designcd

by Henry

Bardon,

coslumes

designed

by David Walker

From rhe

review in

The

Staterna,t,20

December

t964:

'.-. though

the cosrumes

and rhe

use

otmusic

(roselher

with

some

efieclive

intemction

olillusion

and

rcatiry)

were

rich

and imaginarive,

their

eflect

was

dul,ed

by a harren

and cramped

set.

'... Edwad

Alienza's

Ariel was

beaurifut,

but

rather

too

tortured

and

reptiljan tbr

the spirit

of

rhe

air

he shoutd

be, bur rhe

writhjng

and loalhsomencss

were

supcrh

in

the bcstialily

ofCalihan,

biliantty

creared

bv

\ojlt

Mo

^

rnd

rhe.osl|lnp

delignur.

'I1 was

in Prospero,

howevcr,

rhar lhe tone

tell. _..

[On

thc island,]

John \ry'yse

wa-c

still thc

liail

unworldty

scholar

who was

so

easily

prised

out of his

dukedom;

he

lacked

the

nccessa.y

aulhorily,

and

lhe depth

of

character,

to bc rhe

nrastcr

ol the istrnd.

in conlrol

ovcr

both the baser

and rhe more

ethereal

spjrits.

He

came

iDlo

his

own

mosl

eftecrively

in the

genuine

sadness

wilh

which

he

abjured

his

magic, and

look

leave

of

the

island.

...

'

'...

Thcre

were

some

grear

momenls

.__

but thcy

were

isolared

monrcnts

-

the

play

as

a whole

coutd nor produce

rhe impact

il coutd

have done.

This is

not

just

anorhe.

Midsummer

Nighfs

Dream;

rhe

threats of

evil and violence

arc real

lhrears.

... Bul we

had

no

rcal

awareness

of

rhe

power

oI

iove and

hununiry

which

redeems

,ll

the

characlcrs,

excepl

in

Prospero's

momenl

of rruth

ar rhe realizaiion

that evcn

a

non-human

being like

Arlct

can

feel

pity.

It

was

a

pily

lhat a

production

which

contained

so

many fine

rhings

did

not

achievc

quite

the hcighls

that

thjs

compcny

is

otviously

capable

oi

Richard II:

Cast: David

Willianr

as

Richard

lt,

Dinsdale

Lxnden

as Bolingbroke,

John

Wyse

as John

olGaunt,

Amanda

Reiss

as

eueen,

Arthur

How.rd

as

Dukc

ol York. Zoc

Hicks as

Duchcss

of

Gtoucester

and

Duchcss

of

York,

Christopher Burgess

as

Nortotk

and Bishop

of

Carlisle,

Richard

Kane

as

Aumerle, Ronald

Herdman

as

Bushy

a.d ltre

Keeper

PRODIJC.TIONS IN

FNCI-ISH

John

Gay

as Bagot, Simon Carler as Green. Langton

Jones

as

Norfiumberland,

llenry Manning

as Lord

Ross and the Grcom. John

Caslle as

Hany

Percy. Gene Sandys as

Willoughby, Murray Gilmorc

as

Salisbury. Wolfa

Moris as the

Welsh Captain

and Firsl Gardener,

David King

as Scroop.

Michael Bland

as Second Gardener Edward

Alienza

as

Sir

Piers

ol Extor.

Drected

by

David

William,

sets

designed

by

Henry Bardon. coslumes designed

by

Robin Pidcock.

From the review in The Stt1teenn.23 Deienbet 1964:

'... an inleresting choice

[a

deparlure from

the

usual lbrmula of

visiling

companiesl but one that did not

quite

come

off

... Dalid Willian s

direclion was couplcd with elibclive design'ng for some slining

scenes ... but

poor grouping

and

lack

of

invenlion made some

parts

of

the

play

drag badly.

...

'David William's

ponrayal

of

Richard broughl

out

admirably

nll his

perul.rncc

,rnd

playacling, particularly

at the

beginning

and

in the scene of his rctum fron lreland,

bul collapsed

in the

big

scene

of

his

lbmul

abdication. ...

Dinsdale Landen's

Bolingbroke

was

n capable

rnd

efficient

porlrayal

of

a capable_ and efficient

'Again,

what rcmains

in lhc

mcmory is not

thc

Flxy

as a whole,

but

momenls of

good

llrcatre, and a number of bcaulif'ully cxccu{ed

small

parts:

Z)e Hicks's Duchess of Cloucester, which set the lrue

note of fbreboding and reference Io bolh

past

and lulurc in the very

el'l'eclive

opcningi

Arlhur

Howard's irresolute and inoompelent Duke

of

York;

Chrislophcr

Burgesjs

superb

tooent of

lury as the Bishop

ofCa.,is1e.'

The

Taning of

the

Sh.ev:

Cas(: Sheila

Ballantine

as

Kathcrina, Dinsdale

Landen as Pelruchio.

Dalid

King as Biptisla, Amanda Reiss

as

Bianca,

Wolfe

Monis as

Chrislophcr Sly, Zoe Hicks

as

I{ostcss and Widow,

Miohael Bland as

thc P.rgc,

John

Gay as

the

Lod, lohn

Castle

as Luccntio.

Richa.d

Kane

as

T.anio.

AnhurHoward

as Grcnrio, Ronald Heftlman as Gruorio.

Chrjstopher Burgess as Honensio, Edward Alienza as Biondcllo,

Henry Manni,rg

as Cu is, Mullay Gilmore as Pcdant,

Sinron

Ca(er

as

Taikrr

Gene SLrndys as Haberdasher, t-angton Jones

as Mn.entio.

Dirccled

by vladck

Shcybrl,

sets designed by Henry Bardon. cos-

tumes

designed

by

David

Walker.

Frcm rhe review in

The

Stotes

nn.2T

December

1964:



SHA(ESPEARE

ON IHE

CALCUT-IA

STACE PRODI]CTIONS IN ENGLISH

'In this

play

wi(hin a

play,

all is make-believe. and lhe tlirector,

Vlad€k

Sheybrl,

hcighlens

the illusion

of

illusion

by

making Christopher Sly

and the

other

viev/ers take

pan

in

dre

chief

action.

11

is

Sheybal's

triumph thal

e,rcn

aftcr Sly so rudely bursts in on the slagc,

thc aclion

goes

on

wirhoul any marked'break.

'A bigger

biurph forsheybal

is that

he has becn ablc to make

thc shrew and

tl}mercredible. sheila Ballantine's Katherina

is

no

slook

character of larcq

while shc

gets

no synrrrathy from anyonc

on

tbe

stage.

not even

her ththe., she

geis

i1

tiom

us. Iostead,

it

is

Bianca,

rhe spoilt

doll

who is

all

the

while

smirking.tnd

smiling and melting

over

like an

icecream

in

warnr weather,

whoin we find

decidedly

unpleasaol

.-- w]th such a sisler

and

tulhar,

it

is

no

wonder

lhal

Katherina

is

a shrew.

'The bouq eL

for

the

L,eslaclimg,

howevcl

fiould

go

to Dinsdalc

La]lden,

lorhir Peruchio,

and Edwald Atienza.

whosc Biondello l&il

long be remembercd

in

Calcutta.

'A

word about the

endiq.

Sheybal

has

t'een

kinder to

Sly

ll1An

the printcr

of

lhe

quario

in

lvhich

the

pla)

first

appcatcd;

but

he

sqould

have made

it

clear thal dre

Nords hc

has

pui into

Sly

s

moxlh

lwhich

the reviewer &es

no(

quoi€l

are his own,

aor

Shakcspeare\.

Even

without Sly's

pffting

words.

there

is

enougb

in

this

play ror

shrews

to

brand

Shakespea,e as a

woman halcr'

From rhe

revicw

in

Derr.

2 January

1965

08

Paush 1371,

trnslatcd

fron

the

Bengalil:

'Of

$e thrce

produclions,

fie one

which

gave

most

pleasure

to

the

audiencc

was The

thming of

th.

Snru,r,

The

produclions of ri€

Tenpesr

ant

Richard Il

mighl

havc

bccn

richer

[However,

thc

later

had

their rewarding points.l

Atierza's

songs [as

Ariel]

wcrc

a

special

'Henry

Bardon's

sets

for l'he Ti

titg

efhe

Shrew

\|etu

rttxctive-

The

sets fb.

Ri.hard

II

]mlphr

have been

better.'

15,

17,

18,

l9

December

1969. The

labouts of

Low

(lo\e-s.eies

from

Shakespeare

and

oth€r dramatists).

The Shakespeare scenes

werc

The Tami,tg of

tlrc Shrew

ll,i,

AntonJ

a

d Cleopalra

l.iii,

He

ry

lv

Patt I

ll,iii, Macbeth

l.\,I.rii and The

Taming of the

Shrev

v-ii.

IGla

Mandir

Acled

hy

Barbara Jetford and

Jolrn

Tu

rer. Prcsenlcd

b)'

lhe

Bridsh

Couocil.

The

Shakespeare scenes

wcre interspersed amorg

sccncs

from other d.amatists

(Sheridan,

Wilde, Sbaw,

Fry).

From the review

in

The

Stateeta

. 16 December 1969:

'wearing

what looked

like an

ordinary

Nehrujacket and black trcusers,

John

Turner

acted

all

the roles

oi

the

husbandJover

j

us1

as

e{ficiently

as BarbaraJeftord,

drcssed

in a

simple

empirc-waisled black

gow wilh

loose. tossing

panels,

played hcr role

as the

female lover.

...

'... bolh

were

rl

their

besl

in thc

non-Shakespearean

plays.

...

Shakespearc

is

a ihr cry

iirm Sheridan, and

so

is Bcrnard

Shaw

from

Chrinopher

Fry. It

was

only likely,

lhereiore,

that thc

actors otade

it

a

point

ro break rhe 'illusion

of reality"

bcfore

the

b€ginning

of each

cpisodc, and both oi them

esprcially

Mr Turner

-

tried

to look

as casual as

possible

ar the slightcsl

oppo{unily. Mr

Turner

wore

a

dry

smile almost

like

a convcnienl mask

which

he

could

pur

on or

off

ar

his own swcct

will.'

9-l0December 1970.

Th€

London

Shak€spcare

GroUQ:AUIot

Your

,eligrl

(scenes

and

songs from

The Merchort oJ Venice,

The

Winttt's Tale,

OtheUoianlct,Tveryth

Night\.

I(,l,

Mqn.lir

Presenled

by

the

British Council.

'Dcvised and Directed

by

Peter

Poncr'

(adlertisemenl

in 7re Statesnan,

I

Dtc

1970).

Membe$ oIlhe

group:

Brian

Robinson, Robefl Swann. Helcn Dorward, Tonl Criddle,

Maria Aitkcn. Coslunrcs by

Annona

Slubbs.

From

Problcms of Staging Shkespeare'. Ir? Staisra?ar,

l0Dccember

1970r

'Thrce

people greeled

me as

I

entered

the

grccnroom

of Kala

Mandir.

One

ol

thcm, a

lall

man, was inspecling

a

sinistcr

looking

objecl which

I

laler

Iearnt was the

mask

of

the ghos

in

"Hamlef'-

He

\

enr on

rn mJkc J carclu, rnrcnrory of the

junure..

8i\

ing

tft

ci'c

instructionr as

to how

they should

be

iroDed.

By lhis

dme

I

had

guessed

his idenrily

...

tasl

Peter Polter. director

ol

rhc

London

Shakespeare

group-

'A lbrvenl admirer

of

Sir Tlrone Curhrie, anolhcr

director with

r

pxssion

lor

delail,

M. Po11€r

believes

in

leaving

nolhing

1l)

chance.

Once

he

intcrrupted

rhe

inierview to

ensure that the s(age

hands were

properly

fixing a carpet.

...

'Mr

Potler

teels

that sludents

are unlble lo

stagc Shakespeare

becnuse

of

shorrage

of

lunds. He

propoies

to demontuate

lhal

the



JO

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE

CALCUTIA

STACE

plays

can

be

effectively

produ€ed on a modest

budget'

Fr6m

the

review

il

Hinnusthan

Sta

dad.

I0

Decemb€r

1970:

'The team

comprised

live

anistes

and

they looked

a b

anced

set'

In

Maria

Aitken

the

group

has

an

ideal

Shakespearean

ackess

Shc

has

wonderful

poise

and

clarity

of

utlemnce.

Hel€n

Dorward

displaved

a chaming

tlair

for

humour.

One

would not

say she

was

ideally

cast

as

Desdemona.

...

Pcte.

Pottcr\

introduction

of

fie

slyle

of

immo_

bilizing

his anistes

-'back

to the

audience

-

when they

are

noi

speaking

proved

dramatically

significant'

3, 4

January

1975.

Thc

New

Shakesp€.re

Comp

nY Hanlet'

Rabind(l

Sadan

Sponsorcd

by the

British

Council.

Siephen

Chase

as

Hamlet,

Garv

Raymond

as Claudius,

Rachel

Herbert

as Gertrude.

El;zat'€th

Romilly

as

Ophelia,

Kenncth

Waller

as

Polonius.

Roberl

Lhter

as

Horatio,

Malcolin

Stoddard

as

tnertes'

Philip

Bowen

as

Rosencrantz'

Brian

Deacon

as

Guildensbrn, Mervyn

Will;

as

Fordnbras,

Dalid

Gillies

as

Bernardo,

Charles

Nowosielski

as

Marccllus,

Desmond

Stokes

as

the

Chosl,

Playct

King

and

Osdc'

Dav;d

Dodimead

as

Firs

Plaver

and Gravediggcr.

David

Ficlder

'ts

Player

Queen-

Directed

by Mcrvyn

Willh.

Se$

and

oostumes

by

Bob

Ringwood'

lighting

by

Brian

Beno,

movcmenls

arnrgcd

by

Michacl

Vernon'

i;hts

ar.anged

by

Robe(

Lister' Music

by

Marilvt

Galsworthv'

Kenneth

waller

Charles

Nowosielski.

Tony

Kilbane'

Paul

wltgar'

Mervyn

willis.

From

the

review

;1

nrc

Stutes,no,l,

4

January

1975r

'Asked

what

Cod

did

befbre

He

made

the

wodd,

St Augustioc

answered;

"He

cleated

a

Hell lbr

the

inquisiti c'"

Mervvn

wjllis'

who

direcls

lhc

New

Shakespeare

Conrpany's

"Hamlef'

a1 Rabindra

Sadan'

obliously

has

such

a

metaphysical

inlerno

in

mind

but,

because

he

forgets

thal

the

play

is

also

aboul

"animal,

bloody

and

unnatural

acts"'

the

production fails

to

get under

ooe's

skin'

EYen

the swods ofHamlet

and

Laeies

seenr

unreal.

'Mr

Willis

replaccs

$e

opening

scene

wilh

a

montage

sequence'

He

appears

to bc

pa

icularly

ibnd

of this

device;

for

the

viewer

is

irequendy

bombarded

with

mutliple

Hamlets

and

Ophelias

Sepa-

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENGLISH

5I

ration of the

"To

be

or

not

lo be" soliloquy

from

the

nunnery scene

ruins

the

dramatic

contrast.

More objeciionable

;s

Mr Willis'

praclic€

of

illustrating the

verse-

He

gains

hardly anything

by showing

how

Claudius

murdered his bro(her

or

how

Hamlet

appeared

befbre

Ophelia

in an anlic disposilion.

... Since

fte

Ghost

has been

reduced to

a

prologue, Desmond

Stokes

has

little lo

do

except

look

mysterious....

'The

pmduction

is

visually exciling,

thanks

to

Brian

Benn's

imaginalivc

lighting

and

Bob Ringwood's

tenebrose

setting.'

1976.

The Royal Shakespeare

Company:

The

HolloN'

Crown and.

Pleasuru

anil Repe

ta

ee. Rabindra

Sadan

Presented

by

$e

British Council.

The

HolLow

Crown

rar

'a

unique

enterlainment

composed

of

lhe

letters,

speeches.

poems,

songs

and

music fealuring

the

kings and

qucens

ofEngland'.

The

Shakespoarcan

clement

was

conllncd

to

the opening

item, the

hollow crown' speech

trcm

Richaftl

11. Il

was devised and

dirccted

by John

Barton.

Pleasurc

and

Repe"tance

was

a

lightheaned

look

al love',

deYised

and di.e.ted

by Teny

Hands.

Thc items

included

lwo Shakespeare

songs,

from

Trrelra Night

and The

i4ercha t oJ

Ue

ice-

l,

2

April

1976.

Watford Palsce

Theatret

The

Merclu,tt

ol Uenice.

Rabindra

Sadan

Sponsored

by Ihe

Brirish

Council.

John Savident as

Shylock, Jan Waters

as

Portia.

Barbara

Atkinson

as

Nerissa.

Christopher

Neame

as

Bassanio.

Arthur Cox

as Graliano,

Peter

Denyer

as Launcelot Gobbol

also Donald

Pickcring, Edward

Jewesbury, Margarcita

scotl

Margery

Mason. Directed by

Stcphen

Hollh.

From the

review

in

The

Stuesnnn,2

Aptil

1916.

'This

reviewer

rackcd his bmins rying

Lo

anticipale Skphen

Hollish

soiution

10

the

crucial

problem in

'The

M6rchanl of

Venice": how to

blend a tragic and

a

comic thenle into a

dramatically organic

wholc.

...

Bu1

lhe

pcrformance

at

Rabindra

Sadau

on Thurday

makes

a

mockery of

the hornework. Ooe finds

a

"funny"

play

prcscnted

\rith

no more compctence

than

can

bc

cxpected

o[

a

group

of college

'Shakespearc

is on the run

the

momcnt So,anio

and

Salarino,

two

gangsterr,

cmlc

to enrertain

Lheir

boss,

Antonio ...

lwithl

boistcrous



52

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUT-TA

STACE

movement

round

a

composite

statue ol a

swan

and

a lion. Instead

of a

fairyland,

Porlia's Belmont

suggests the drawing

room ofa

dcmi_

mondaine.

Morocco,

whose

"n slike

me

not lbr

my complcxion"

is

worthy of

Olhello.

receives the samc

slapstick rcatment

tts thc

conceiled

Arragon.

Bassanjo

wins

the

lreroine

simply because

he

has

grealer

S-A. ...

It

is

significant

thd

the

bawdy

episode

of

the ring

comes

out

besl

in

this

production.

Shylock

fails to

get

justice

and

not

only

in a trial scene.

...

'The

casl

does

not

follow Hamlet's

advice

to

"speak

aippingly".

There arc

too

many

realistic Pinteresque

pauses,

the

worsl

off€nder

being

John Savideni's

Shylock.

... He

has trouble coDrolling

his left

hand.

wears

a

villainous

smirk. and

dances

when

news comes

of

Antoniot

humilia1ion....

Jan Walers

brings Portia

close to

Eliza

Dooliltle

in her

flower-girl

days.

..-

Only Peter

Denveis

Launcelot

Gobbo

resembles

Shakespeare's

creadon.

The cosluncs,

especially

lhat

of Arragon.

dazzle

the

eyc.'

10-11

October

1977.

The London

Shakcspeare

Croup.

Roneo

a'|d

&lter.

Vidya Mandir

SpoNored

hy

the

B

tish

Council.

A snrall-cast

production

of an

adaptation'

ol

lhc

play.

Tercnce

Budd

as

Romeo.

Suzan

Farmer

as Julicl,

Richard

Howard as

Mcrcutio, John

Moreno

as Tybalt

and

thc Friar.

Sheila

Reid

as

the Nurse.

Directed

by

John

Fraser

Fron

the

review

]n

The

Statesnat\

ll October

1977:

'When

will

the

Brilish Cou.cil

lake the

pcople

ol

Calcutta

seriouslyl

The

London

Shakespeare

Group's

R,,rco atd

Juliet

is

oot

an unmitigatcd

disaster

like

the Watford

Palace

Theatre's

?lle

Merchant

of

Veniu.

brr

i

hardly

marks

an

advance over

local English

language

productions.

[It

is] costumed

oralory.

..

'Mr

Fraser

follows

the

'modcrn"

approach,

which mcans

that

the

dramalist

comes

on stage

uninlerpreled

...

One finds lhis

morc

objcclionable

lhan

the

co0descending

cho.us

givlng delails

oi thc

plot'

The

"add nothing,

subhc

nolhing"

atlilude lo Shakcspeare

invites

inmherence.

a babel

of

individual

voices.

Melodrama

gobbles

up the

lyrical

ragedy,

reducing

the

"staFcrossed

lover("

r^

'mon'rq

'o_eds'

Petting

would

be a

polite

description

of their

"holy

palmers'

kiss"'

The balcony

sccne

is

vinlage

Marx Brolhcrs.

..

Even

thc

Friar

leels

PRODUCTIONS

IN ENGLISH

53

obliged

(o

crack

jokes

with

Romeo

'Things improve

after

the marriage,

although

Schopenhaucr

would have commended

Romeo's

maileFof-fact

acceplance

of

Mercoliot

death.

...

Romeo's

lasl meeting

with

Juliel comes

close

10

acquling

a

doomed beauty.

lAlthough

the

final moments

ol

hoth

Romeo

and

Juliet

are'lassionless",l

the two bodies

on

a

slage, bare

except for a

bed and a

raised struclure

serving

as the balcony.

presenl

a

moving

picture.'

14-17

Nov€mber

1979.

Chris

Harris

performed

'Kemp's

Jig"

at

Vidya

Mandir

while

the display

"The

Age

ofshakespeare"

was

on

at the

Birta Industrial

and

Technological

Mus€um.

lBdlish

Council

rccords

22-24

January

19sr.

The

Cambridge

Thestrt

Companv,

The

Tmgedie

o/Macr?rlr.

Rabindre Sadan

Presented

by

the

Indian Council for Cultural

Relations

and

the

Brilish

Council.

Brian

Cox

as Macbelh,

cemma

Jones as

Lady

Macbeth,

Edward

Jewesbury

as Duncan

and lhe

Doclor,

Roberl

whelan

as

Banquoi

Ann

Pennington.

Jeannie

Fisher and

Anne Kidd

as the

Weird Sistersi

Paul

whitwodh as Malcolm.

Ron Emolie

as

Donalbain,

Second Mudcrer

and

Young Seyward,

James Aubrey

as

Macdun

Emma

Williams as

Lady

Macdull

Billy

Mccoll

as

Caplain.

First

Murderer

and Sevton,

Tom Cotcher

as Lennox,

Kenny Ircland

as Angus

and the Porlcr

Iain

Mitchell

as Ross. Annc

Kidd as

Gentlewonran.

Stuart

Wilde as

Flcance

and

fte

Crowned

Child, Harry

Walker

as

Old Man

and

Sevward.

Directed

by

Jonathan

Lynn,

designed

by

Saul

Radomskv,

Iighting

by

Steve Kemp,

music composed

and

rcalized by Colin

Malhews'

fights

arranged

by

Wiuinm

Hobbs. Special

ctlects by

'The Creat Kovari'.

From the review

;n The Statesnan.24

Januarv

I98l:

'tln

rhis

pcrformancel Shakespoare

is

asked lo speak

for himsclf

A

babel

of individual

voices

ensues,

the compellirrg

ones helonging

to

the

Grcal Kovari

(special

elTecls),

Srul

Radomsky

(stage

design)

and Steve

Kemp

(lighting).

Whcn

il comes

1(] igniling fte

poelry

wiih

the sheer

physical

presence of aclors the

production

does

not surPass

the best

ellorts

of

thc

EnglishJanguage thealre

in

Calcutta.

...

'Eleganl blocki$g

seems

more imporlant

than uninhibitcd

display



54

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

STAGE

of

passjon.

Lady

Macbeth

greeis

h€r husband

as if

he has

just

retumed from office.

...

[The

details

ot

presentarion]

force the

unpalalable

conclusion that

Lynn

lacks confidence

in himselt ...

'Very

little

ol the acting is as

memorable

as

the

disapp€arance

of a Wcird

Sister like rhe "bubbles"

ol the earth, leaving

her

tattered

dress

in

Macbefi\ clutches,

-.. or Banquot

ghost

lanishing behind

13, 14, 16

April

1984..

The

Wal€rmill

Theatrc

Companyr

lte

Mefthant of Ve

ice.

Vidya

Ma[dir

Presented by thc British

Council.

Alan While

as

Antonio

and Tubal. Bcrnard

Kay

as Shylock,

Meg

Devies as

Po(ia,

lack

Calloway

as

Bassanio,

Kathryn Hunrer

as

Jessica, Celia Imrie as Ne.issa,

Gavin NuirasGratiano,

Crispin

Redman

as

Lorenzo

and Duke of

venice,

Mark

Knox as Launcelot

cobbo.

Directed

by Pip

Broughton.

Designed

by

Chris

Townsend.

From thc rcview

\n Tlle Statesntj,l, 15 Aprjl

1984:

'Pip

Broughton

appeared

to

approach

the

play

scene

by

scere,

wiihour anempring a total interpretation

rcconciling

ihe Bassanio,

Portia romance

lo the

ruin

of Shylock. The result

was an cxtremely

uneven

pedbrmance

thal

lorrered between l-arce

aDd tragedy_

'It is

always.isky to add

s(age

business ro Shakespeare's

verse,

other than lhose which arise naturally

oul ofthe words. ...

lThis]

could

no1 be

said of

Graliano imperionating

the Princc

oI

Anagon,

Portia

squealing at the first sighl oI

Morocco,

and making risque

gesrures.

... That Olivier rounded the vowels in

Olhello's lines did nor

jusrify

Morocco's

Arab

accent,

which

hobblcd

the

s(ately verse.

Ncrissa

seemed

lo lickle

Ponia's ribs,

forgetting

thal

a

maid

corld

nor

take

such Iiberties with her mistess in l6th-cenrury

England.

Gratiano

being

slapped by

Nerissa

was sullicicnt ior

the

lasl

scenc;

Broughlon

gained

little by having her kick

him.

...

'Only

lhe Shylock scenes

(except

the trial) redeemed

the

produc-

lion.

Bernard Kay's

quiel yet

tense

potuayal.

his

crisp

rreatment

of

the

"Signior

Anlonio..." speech, was a

connoisseuis delighl.'

19-21 February 1986.

Cheek

by

Jowl

Theotrc

Company: A Midsurn-

tnet Nighl's

Drean

(ala

Mandir

Sponsored by the Indian

Council

for

Cultuml Relations

and lhe British

Council.

PRODi]CTIONS

IN

ENCIISH

55

Maflin Turncr as Theseus and Oberon,

Aone While as Hippolih and

Trtaftin, David Cillespie as Philosuale

and

Puck. Colin

wakefleld

as

Bottom, william Chubb

as DemetriL s, Paul sykes as Lysander, Saskia

Reeves

as

Hermia, Sally Gr€enwood as

Hclena. Directed by Declan

Donnellan, dcsigned

by

Niok

Ormerod.

From

thc

revicw

in The States

nn,2l Febru4ry

1986:

'The

Cheek

by

Jowl Theatre Company .-. illustrated

two

of

the

prinaipal

bad habits of the English thcate

today

(the

words

are John

wi.llert\)r

"a

preoccupalion with 'encrgy'

vrhich too often

leads to

hyperactivity of

a

frenzied kind" and

'an

obsession

with comedy at

all costs". But the dirccror

Dcclan Donnellan and the designer Nick

Orrnercd between them

laid barc the rumbustious larce

beneath the

poery.

.-.

Eve.y

agc ought lo have

ils own Shakespeare

and

this onc,

in which the

plays

have b€en translated

i.to

"modern" English and

turned

into comjc slrips,

lbund

thc

perlect

expression

when

Miss

Flute

rook off herjacket. revealing

a shi(

bearing the legend

"Relax". ...

'Changing

rhe sex

of

Flutc

...

meanl

the

sacrifice

of

a

wonderful

Iine: "Nay, faith, lel Dre not

play

a

woman:

I

have

a

beard

coming."

The sighl

of Miss

Quince

in

a

lion's skin

offercd

poor

compensation

for rhis. ... Greater a(ention

1o the verbal music

would

have sparcd

the

c,3l,,

seated on

chairs on the stage, the

lrouble

of

making

mysterisuB

noises

appropriale

to the coming oflhe fairies or sounding

woodsn clr,ppcrs. ... The Pymmus and

Thisbe

play

[altemp{ed]

lo

improve

o& Shakespearc by

inlroducing

Fate in a

transparenl

black

scarfi. Presenting an actlal

"child" on

Ihe

stage

during

the

quarrel

be(weeo the

lairy

king

and

quecn

was a sfrious mistake. ...

'The music

included elTcctive

use

of

drumbeats

durins

Puck's

doggerejs.'

22 Dec€mber 1986.

The London Mime ThBtre. Shakespeate the

lyor*r.

G,D, Di a Sabhagar

Presenred

by the

British Council.

Adaptations of Ma.r(,rr,

Hdn et, Kiry Le$ arl,d Ron?o a d Juliet.

Cast: Nola

Rae and John

Mowat.

Designed and dirclled

by Mallhew

Ridout.

Fronr rhe reliew in Th. Statesnat- 24 Deccmber 1986:

'This

was exacrly tlrc sort of

irreverent

assaull

on

a classic which

sives

Sukumar

Ray's

Lakshmmer Shaktishef

ils

immorlality.

... Al



SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE

CALCUTIA

STACE PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

limes it

became

exlremely

difficult

to separate

the

Shakespearern

action

from "clowning.

eccentric dance

,,.

fooling

and

conlrolled

lunacy", io

quote

the

programme

notes.

But

patience

was rewarded

with

parodies

that

in

a Brechtian

sense,

permitted

well-knowfl

scenes

t0

he

vre$eJ

ufrerh.

'Evidendy, Rde and

Mowat.

not to spcak

o[

Ridout.

are

staunch

admhers

of

American silent

film

comedies. ... They decided

against

total

silence; the apothecary bade

farewell

ro Romco in

intelligible

words,

in

conlrasl

to

the

gibberish

exchanged between

Lcar

and his

Fool.

Aciual

props

were used. though both Rae

ard

Mowat

created

imaginary objects.

Refusal

to

paint

their

ftices

white

marked

another

depa(ure

from the mime

convenlions.

If the

viewer

look in

these

details

wilh halfa

mind,

il

was

because

Shakespeare

overcame

wdting

blocks

by

watching the domestic chores of Anne Halhaway

(i

could

not

have

been

the

Dark

Lady,

could

itl) ...

getting

the idea for rhc

witohes'

cauldron and the sleep-walking in

"Machelh" from

thc way

his

wife

cooked

invisible

soup and washed

her

hands.

...

'Chaplin

was not

entirely

abscnt, for

the

Lear

with

a

Hitlerish

moustache

and in

a brown

overcoal. shouting

into

a

mic.ophone

whose

patu

lended to lly apart came

straight out of "Thc Greal

Diclalor".

...

"Hamlea'through

glove

puppets

onore

accurately. onra-

mental covers for

fingers) ...

was

an amazing

tour de

force.'

23.25

January

1989.

The L€icester

Haymarket:

,Ialius

CaesaL

I{.nla

Mandir

PresenEd

bi the

Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the

Brilish

Council.

Joscph

Marcellas

Brutus, Robert Flemyng

as Caesar, Maftin Mc(ellan

as Mark Antony, Stephen Boxer as Cassius, Wiliam

Key

as

Casca,

Jacqueiine Dankworth

as

Calphurnia.

Janet

Key

as

Portia, Philip Brook

as

Cinna.

Titinius

and Clitis, Delaval

Astley as

Cicero and

Octavius.

Robe Blylhe as

Decius Brutus

and

Messala, Duncan Law as

Marullus. Trebonius, Cinna

$c

Poet etc., Peter Lovsrrom

as

Cobbler,

Polopilius Lena, Cato etc..

Gil

Sutherland

as

Fla,rius, Metellus Cimber

etc., Richard WiUiams

as

Soothsayer Publius, Caius Ligarius, Lepidus

clc. Aseem

Seth

(local)

as

Lucius. Directed by

John

Dexrer

Designed

by

Jocelyn

Herbert.

Lighting by Andy

Phillips. Music

b)

Stephen

Boxer

Fights

by

Duncan Law.

From the reliew by Dharani

Ghosh in f,ri? Sraresnar,

25

January 1989:

'A

\,iolent

story has

been told in the least

sensational manner

inraginable,

with

just

enough authentic

costumos to historicize the

power

struggle. The

cool

beauty,

the transparent

blocking

that at once

shlpes

and

grows

oul

oi thc

lines,

the

clear arliculadon of

each

word

withouidamaging

the music or

the

colloquial rhythm

ofShakespearean

blank

verse

gives

Calcutta

i1s

first

taste

of

the famous

Royal

Court

sr)le

e\ohed

h)

Gcorpe

Devrne

rn

(he

1950'.

'...

True

10 his

reputation

lbr the

unconvcnlional,

Dexter

seems

to build on Cassius. no B.ulus

or Caesar

After all, il

is

Cassius

who

first

hatches the

conspiracy

out

of

petty

personal

molivcs

and

lhen

surrenders

the lcadcrship

to Brulus

against

his better

judgement,

with

disastrous consequences. Stephen

Boxer's

exlraordinary

portrayal

of

a crafly

stralegisr,

who

is

at hcart a

petulant

ljttle

boy

hungry for

affcclion,

owes

as much to his own

hlent as 1o Dcxtcr\ ability

to

look at a

play

wilh

frcsh

eyes.

...

'...

the tingling

nnmediacy

of

Caesar\

assassination

or

the

quarrel

bctween

Brutus

and Cassius

-..

the first featuring a

sjngle

highbacked

chair and

the

second a few

stools. all

of

them

painted

like maftle. Ciant

mctallic

tiames ar the back

adorn

lhe lwo sides,

through

which

desccnd red screens

whcn

the conspirators stab Caesar,

a

statue of Caesar

made

of metal

strips

and

a

huge softboard

disc

on

fie

slagc

allow

thc cast

fieedom

ofmovemeni as long as

it rentains

precise.

. . . B rutus

delivers

his

logical

discourse

{rom thc

1op

of steep

sleps,

away

from his

listcnen. Antony

goes

round caesar's

body

placed

ar the centre

of

thc disc to

harunguejbe

mullilude.

Seen through

rhe

metal

kames,

lhe

battle recalls

an

epic

pageanl.

... Why should

passive

memb€rs

ol lhe

audience

comprise

a

Roman

fbrum

and sit

on the

stage

for

morc

than two hours?'

Isikdar

From lhe review

by

Ananda

Lal in

The

Teleeraph,28 January

1989i

'...

Dexter's absolulc

fldclity lo

the

texl

sealed

the authorita(iveness

ol

lhis version. lndeed. onc

may argrE thal

he was

pcrhaps

too taithtul:

he kepL

both

thc

rcporls oI Po*ia\

dealh,

causing underslandable

confusion in

Brutus'reaclion

(scholars

bclicve that

Shakespeare

rlmosl ccnainly

meant

b

cancel

one or

lhe

other report

of he.

passing).

'Dexter's magnificent hlocking

made

lbr a fluid

suge

piciure



58

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STACE

at all times. Examples

abound, among

rh€m rhe

circular morif

of the

murder

scene

and

the

terible last

sleps o, Caesar

as, after being

stabbed by all the

conspirators save Brurus

(who

srands apart.

dagger

concealed

from

Caesar), he staggcrs

lor succour

towards Brutus, who

wais

for

him

and at the momcnl

o[ embmce

plunges

his dagger

into

him. The

movements

of

the

plcbeia s during

and afrer the

iamous

central speeches

confirm well-worn

clichds about mob

nenlality

and

the

fickleness of crowds.

Dexter saves

his directoriat

comment

for

the

end

when,

in a auly

fiie touch, he has

Octavius

crown himsclf

while

Anlony,

mourning over Brutus'

corpse, swivels

around

to

nodce

this

gesture

as the lights go

out and we

are

lefi lo woder:..No,

nor

again"-

'-.. When

Cll€rarpremiered

at the Clobe in

1599, Shakespeare.s

company us€d a

casl of 15: rhe Haymarker

utilized 17, prcviding

an

object

lesson in do.ubling

(or

tripling

or

quadrupling)

paas.

Dextcr

ran

fie

play

wkhout

an

iDteryal, inlensilying

thc impact

as in

Elizabethan

tirn€s. His msticulous

attention to

o

hoepic details

should

excite

all

lovers

of Shakespeffe's

language and

prosody.

Jocelyn

Herbert's typieally

unclutrered

ser

with i$

(eely

scalfoldings

rernaincd

a

subfusc

grey

except for

the rcd

ve

cal ban.ers

u1 appeared

in

the assassinatioo

scen€. Andy Phillips'

inrensc

and coldly sparkting

Iighls heightened

lhe blaak-and-white gemral

scheme,

devoid otbright

2G22

february 199r-

Thc

Engtish Shakespearc

Comp6ny:

frre

Wnter's

TaIe

ad Coriolaa$.

Kda itandir

Pr€senled

by

the

British Council

ard

the

Indian

Council for

Cultural

Rolalions.

The

Winterb Tok:

Casti Michael Penningro,

as Leontes, Lynn

Fa eigh

as Hcanione.

Trilby

James as Maniiius

and Perdita, Andrew

Jarvis

as

polixenes,

John Dougall

as

Florizel, Roben

Demeger as Camillo,

Michaet

Cronin

as

Antigonus,

June Watson

os Paulina, Karen

Ardill as Emilia

and

Mopsa, Bernard

Lloyd as OId

Shephed,

Charles

Dale as

Ctown,

James Hayes

as

Aurolycus, Emma

C.of as

Dorcas,

Vincenr Franktin

as Cleomenes,

Sean Cilder as Dion, Vivian

Munn

as

Time.

Boys

plnyed

by

local children. Directed

by

Michuel

Bogdnnov.

Lightins

by

Michael

Bogdanov

and

Chris Jaeger

Choreogmphy

hy

Geraldinc

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

59

Stephenson.

Costumes designed

by

Claire I-ylh.

Stage

Manager:Derek

Scriminger. Musicians:

Tim

o'teary,

Gerard

Doyle.

Shawn

Jarrett,

David

Bretl Karen Ardift,

Ian

Taylor, Andrew

Jarvis. John

Darrcll,

Charles

Dale, Vincent

Franklin.

Froflr

the

review

by

Ella

Dana

il

The

Ecotnntic

n ?er, 24 February

l99r:

'The mountiog

of ihe

play

showed

a

sense ol-s1yle-

[t

was

neilher

coldi) austere

nor di'rraclingly

lati'h.

...

Thc co\tume\. onle

again.

were

neither conlemporary

nor

period.

and

projecled

a

timeless

qualily.

The

props

were kept 1o

a minimum.

except

in

the shearing

scene.

... Here a cerlain

abundance

was

conveyed-

,..

'... The bear

that

killed

Antigonus

is dispensed

wilh. And

when

Antigo0us dies,

he seems

to

see

his king Leootcs

aPpear

like

retribulion.

However, lrontes

flashes a bear\

paw.

And

firally, therc

is lhe daring intrcduclion

ol

a

rap singer

who

onderscores lhe

chorus

spoken by Time. Said

Michael

Pennington,

... 'ihe rhythm of

rap

singing seemed

to

have some

similarily

to lhe

speech

paltcrns

of

the

play.

You can

say we

are

playing

a

joke

on

ourselves."

'

From the

reliew in Allikal,27

February

I99l

ltranslated

lion

lhc

BengaUl:

'The enti.e

production

showed a tendcncy

towards the

sensational.

The lighting by

Michael

Bogdanov and

Chris

Jaeger

Played

a

parl

in this. Cyclorama

was used to indicate clouds

and slorm.

But

bccause

the

lighling

bars overhead

had not

been

scrcened,

the lightning

played

over

thc entire

auditori

.'

From

rhe

review

by Ananda

Lal ir

The

Telegraph,2 March

l99l:

'The

lighling...

and...

costumes

perfect

the

contrast lbetween court

ard countryl

wilh cold blue

hues and black.

lyhite or

grcy

dress suits

at the court,

and wcrm

yellow

lighls

and

brown

or

ea

hy

oullits at

the sheep-shearirg

f'east. Bogdanov

gives

this

famous

scene...

definitile lrcalment

through folk

music, songs and two

dances

expertly

choreographed

by Geraldine Slephenson.

'He largely succeeds

with lhe lradilioDally lroublesome

scenes.

In

a splcndid

coup de lheatrc,

he tmnsforms

Time's skipping

chorus

... into an

eye-popping

rap

song

and b.eak

dance.

He

proves

Shakespeare's

deliberatc

cmftsmanship,

not

alleged carelcssness,

because

the

bare

descdption

of

Leontes'

and

Pe

ita's

reunion



60

SHAKESPEARE ON THE CALCUTTA

STAGE

offstage

(cleverly

visualised as reporters mobbing

palace genllemen

for firsthand

acounts) makes the magical

.eslorat;on of Hermione to

Leontes

in the statue scene

even more magne(ic.

The only

incident

he fails 10 theatricalise

is the

irfamous

stage

direcrion of -..

"Exit

puruued

by a bear":

Bogdanov has Leontes

quiokly walk downslage\

and swipe Antigonus

with a

bear's

paw

as

a

symbol

perhaps

of

Antigonus'

subconscious

fear of

Leontes. ...'

Coiola

us:

Cast:

Michael

Pennington

as CoriolaDus, June

walson as Volunnia.

Karen Ardiif

as

Valeria

and a Citizen, James

Hayes

as

Cominius,

Lynn

Farleigh as Virgilia, MichaelCronin as Sicinius,

Robert Demeger

as

Junius

Brutus, Cha es Dale as Titus Larrus,

a

Servingman

and

a

Conspirator. Andrew Jarvis as

Tullus Autidius,

Bernard Lloyd

as

Menenius Agrippa.

Young Marcius and Boy

played

by local children.

Directed

by

Michael

Bogdanov. Sets designed by

Chris

Dyer Fight

arranger,

charles Dale.

Frcm

thc review by

Dharani Ghosh

tu

The

Stateshw

,27

Febtuary

l99

t:

'Bogdanov

breaks

with Briti+ tradilion as much in his use

of

modern

dress as in

the Easl European selting.

Thc

trologue

shows

Solidariry

demonslralors ho,ding up a banner

re.rding "Democratic"

and clamouring

fbr bread, whereupon lhe

police oi-l-slage disperse

rhen with smoke and bulle6.

GreatcorB an.l

iirr

hils trrnsform

the

Tribunes into

impassivc

yct

sinister Communisl Paa" lunct,onaries,

but ihe

public

mcctiog

of

the Presidium. each sp..rlcr addressing

the

gJrherints,, cr rhc mrcrophone and

provolins

nur')

,e\Fn\c\. i\

pure

CPI(M)

strcci

rheatre. lense

and dram4tic.

...

'Bui

why

do

Marlius and Aufidius

l'lghl each other

with

a

cla{ter

of swords

whcn, in

the end, the

fomr€r falls to a hail

oI

bullels

.-.?

Aufidius' cap and

leather

ierkin

come

close

to

historicai coslumc,

which seems

like

anolher anomaly.'

From

the

rcview by

Ananda

Lal in

The

Telegraph,9 March

l99l:

'The superlicial

contemporary analogue... dishcts the mind

trom...

vilal issues.

Scratching the sufface,

one linds lbw cssential

parallels belwcen easlern Europe

(Ronunia.

ifyou

will)

and Corio,anus'

Rome.

Like lhe

prologue

of

pro'democracy proteslers, the concept

is

extnnsic,

unnecessary

for

a

deep

Lfnderstanding

of

ftc

play.

...

'Not

al1the

gimmicks

ldil:Coriolanus's awkward oratory

receives

PRODUCTIONS

N

ENCLISH

a tine

moalem

vehicle

in

his

mike address

to

Roman

plebeians

"''

From

lhe

revie*

h)

lurajrrGho'hinDc'l.April

l99l

ltran'lated

from

(he

Bengalill

rshakespeare

atlcmpted

to depict

the

p€rennial

theme

of

power in

terms

ofancient

Rome,

and the

English ShakesJ'eare

Company

in

lerns

oI

presenl

day

world

history.

..-

The

use

of

a

loudspeaker

lo

address

rhe cro\ d.

to

nake

members

of that

crowd

hurl

remarks

from seats

in lhe

airdilorium,

lo use

a telcPhone

instead

of a

messenger

are

all

atrempls

al

such

modernization.

Thal

the deep

seriousness

of

the

play

does

nol

fully

emerge

in

this

production

is largely

due

1o the

director

Miclrael

Bogdanov

and

the

sets

designer

Chris

Dver'

The

huge busr

in a

cage

hanging

at

lhe

back

oI

the

stage, or

the immobilc

structure

io

the

tirst half

as a

symbol

of royal

power, are

trile and

do

not

fire

he

imasination.

The

music

and lighling

ne

much

more

eliectivc'

The

nrood

Iighting

in

lhe

scenc

belw(rn

Menenius

and

Coriolanus

is

lruly

29

November

1993.

Northern

Broadsides:

The

Meff)

wives'

G'D'

Birla

Sabhagar

Presenlcd

by

ihe

British

Council

and Standard

Chartcred

Bank'

Cast:

Barrie

Rutlcr

as

Falstafi

Po]lv

Hemingwav

as

Mistrcss

Pagc

Elizabeth

Pabn

as Mislress

Ford,

Edward

Peel as

Page,

Lawrence

Euns

as Dr

Caius,

Conrad

Nelson

as

Host,

lshia

Bcnnison

as

Mislress

Quickly,

Robcd

PitL

as Sir

Hugh Evans.

John

Gully

as

Slender'

tsobel

Raine

as Anne

Page.

Direclcd

by

Barrie

Rulter

From

the

preview by

lpshila

Chanda

il

Tlu Statelma

l4iscella

)'

28

Novcmber

1993i

' "Broadside,

says

Barri€

Rutlcr,

lbunder

a

:rlislic

director

of thc

Northern

Broadsides.

a lhealrc

conrpany

based

in

the noah

of

England,

"is a

cohercni

specch

stvlc

with

shoil

vowels

and heavv

muscular

consonants."

'Thc

lhrusl

oI

Rut1er's

fteatrical

enlerprhe

is

against

wbat

he

calls

'1he

approprialion

oI culture"'

fte

fixed

idea that

there

is only

one

uJ)

ur

\perkrng

Lhc

Lngl;'h

lrrgurge

"'

'Dispensing

with

relarences

in

lhe

lexl

io

Eton,

Thames

and

other

such

specilic

place-nanres, the

company

substituted

them

wilh names

olplaces

arou0d the area

in

which they

wereperlbrming'

This

firmlv

localises

the

play. helps

the

audience

10

relale

to

the text'



62 SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

STACE

'Rutter's

choice

of rhe

play

is ried

up

wilh

his

perceprion

of ir

as

reprcsenting whar

he

calls "a

grear

btast

of norrhern

womanhood',.

lofFalsraff's

third

and final

ignominy,

he

saysl

.,I

do lhat

in the

spirit

of

pig-sticking.

with

the

thiries

played

by

adulrs,

nor children.

Bur

then, one of

the women

is

also

lricked, her plars

for

her daugbkr,s

marriage

go

aqry, so

rhcreis

thal

energy

too_',

...

The

No(}tem

Bmadsides,

rhen. dispenses wirh

rhe

fritls

and fancies

afld

tooks

fbr

thE verhal

and

physical

cnergy

in

Shakespeare.

....

Fmm ilE rcvie\t

by

Dharani

Chosh

)n The

StttesDla,\

3

Dceefiber

1cE3l

'-.- the accent

seldom deviared

from

thar of BBC

annourcers

or

Dewsrsders.

... Neirher

can Rurler

clain

novelty

ibr

his

Shakespeare

in modern

dress- ..- The

dance of

the fairies

-_.

looked

so

ponderous

thal ir seemed

the

participanh

huniliated

SirJohn Falstaffagainst

d;ir

wiH....

'Rurter

came

thmugh

as

an

indiffercnl

director

hu a

magnificent

From

the

review by Manasij

Majumdar

in rhc Busines,

Standad.5

De.ember

1993:

'The

production

lvorks

wilhout

music, with

minimat props

and

ltar

white

light

excepr

in the

final

s.ene.

Costume,

ofcourse,

is designed

inlaginatively

to

carry

visually

a

great

dcat

of the impacr.

...

'Tailpiece. Somebody

fiom

(he

audience _..

shrewdty commenred:

How

does Falstatf dcrect

a Welsh

hiry

in

lhc

last

scene since

Eva.s

likc

everybody else spcaks

Northcrn

English?'

From

fte

review

by Ananda

Lal in

The Tateemph,

S Dccembcr 1993:

'Falshff

is

the

only

major

characrer

10

lalk

eueen.s

English...

Shakcspeare

appears to

suggesr rhat

Falsraf,s

is the longue

of

arlifice,

and

that

ofthe

otheN

narure's

own. Thus

Northern B.oadsides

may

have Shakcspcare\ inrplicir

approval

for

using ihe;r

..narural,,

'[Besidcs class

srruggle,] The

play

has

a feninist

angle roo;

...

Rutter is cither

obliviorB

of or

ignores

the

possjhjliries

ot

such

'\eriouJ'

jnleerctations.

'But in

his

own

way

he

succeeds

like l'ew

can or have....

Rulle.

know

how

to

srage

a farce insrinutively.

Even

the unbetievable

lairy

scene

is

tmnsfbrnred

by

the

faides singing

in

perfecr

doo-wop

harmony

lrom

thc

Filties.'

PRODUCTIONS

IN

gNCLISfl

63

l4 17,

r8

F€bnr ry

1995. The Foo(s$alrr

ltsave$irrg

ltlt lf€:

Ion"o

and

luliet.

G.D.

Birls

Sahhag:rr

Presented

by

Impresario.

The aoupe

belonged to

a

small

Coroish

village,

and wcre

l)ased

in a

barn belonging

to one Olive.

Foor.

They

are

now based in France.

with

members from

eighl narionaliries_

F.om the

review by

Sumira Ran$je

;n

The Statesran

4

March 1995:

'The cntire play

was

presented

in

jusl

two hours,

\rith

a

symparheitic

handling

of the rexl, which

rhough

heavily edirej

retained

a

the

famous

lines. The

actors

dcpended

largety

on

visuats

and

music

ro

build

up

rhe

eftbcls.

Masks. miDe,

shadow

ptays,

acrobarics, frcezes.

clowning

and even smoke

bombs wcre

put

together

io

create a mnge

of emolions ...

in

many

scenes

dinloguc

is

deleted alrogcther.

In thc

lasl

scene for cxanrple

rhere is

no

speech

-

rhe trdgedy

is

ihere

for

all

lo

sec rnd

leel

-

$e slow movcnents,

the

plaiDlive

notcs

ot

th€

violin,

the

liny

lights glowing

on

the

cofEn.'

From Ihe review

by

Ananda

Lal in

The

TeLegtuph,3r

March

1995:

'...

they

[Footsbarn

Travelling

Theatre]

go

straight

ro

rhe hea( of

this

romantic trrgedy.

'To

this crjlic\

knowledgc,

nor

since Zefiiretlit

fihn

version

has

anyonc caught

so well

rhe

bmwling and

bawdy high

spirits

in

fte

firsl half

oi Rorreo

and

Juliet. The

internecine

ennity of Montagu

and Capulct in

this

producrion

may

rcmjod

Westerncrs

ot

conrem

Porary

gang

wariare,

tur ,or

us it makes thc

play

even mo.e

relevanl

as a melaphor

for

oommunal

hatred. Simulraoeously,

fcw

direcbrs

hale

caught

Shakespeare's

ea(hy

humour

and

sense

of fun

so

weli.

specially

in rhe urexpecled person

oi

rhe

Friar

When

he tosscs

rhe

watery

offal

of

his

morning

ablutions ar rhe

audience and

taughs ar

his

own

practicaljoke

(1lr

bowl is

enrpry).

one could hear

old

Will

cho(ling in

his

srave.

'However,

the

sccond

half

grinds

to its

inevitable rrlgic

ctinmx

{nd

Footsbarn's

whole

tone shifts accordingly.

In

a

masLersrroke

of

characle.isation.

the lovers

are fiail,

innnature in body

and even in

'Thc indilidualiscd

mlsks give

depth o

many roles, tbr inst&ce

lhe Nursc's

coareness

and Paris'dandificalion.

Shadowy

spirks

Iufting around

eloke

a ,aeling of the

supematural overseeing

rhe



64 SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STACE

human,

as

wl€n

the

.moving

garden

starues witness

the baicony

scene.

The

musicians

,

a violinist

aDd

percussionist

_

freely

wander

across

ihe stage playing

their eerie

orjginal

score.,

1-6

Septembcr

t996,

The Indian

Summer

Theetr€

Companv:

I(,.rf

Z€a,i

G.D,

Birla

Sabhagar.

CJan

MsDch and

Sl

Xarier\

Co[eg;

Audilorium

Sponso.ed

by

Welcom$oup

and

Spaodan.

The

Indian

Summer

Theare

Company

was

a

'nonce company

created

for

the

occasioD.

by

a

group

of

Oxlord uodergraduates

led

by Simon

Wheeler.

Cas : Simoo

Wheelcr

as

King

Lear,

James

philips

as

Cloucesrcr,

John

Wilks

as

Kent.

Toby Frow

as Edgar.

George

Filzherberl

as Edmund.

Abigail

Dochety

as Goneril,

Naomi

Lipscomh

as Rcgan.

polly

Williams

as Cordelia,

Breot

Roam

as the

Fool.

Directcd

by Joe

Muray.

ftom

a preview

by

Labonie

Chosh

in

Zre

/trid,

/8e,

1 Septemb€r

1996. based

on an

interview

wirh

Simon

Wheeler:

'Mininral

props

and no gimmicks

-

reperrory

theatre

much

lhc way

thc

Bard

would

have wished.

In fact.

the

group

innovariyely

does

away

with

stage

cntrances

1oo.

.,Thc

actoN

a.e

aI

on

slage

in

a

oircle

arcund the

cenlral

character,"

says \Vheeler.

..They

even

make

the

srorm

noises in

LeaL"

._.

ln

a

phrase,

his

bmnd

of theatrc

is a

'tombination

of

srage

and street

thearre,,.,

F.om

the review

by Dharani

Ghosh in The

Statesman.13

September

)9961

'It is

couragcous

of Murray

and Simon Wheeler to

swim

against

rtrc

currerl

lof

subordinaring

rhe

father

ro the

kingl,

shifling

the emphasis

1o

lhe

fhther

'The

meeting

between

the

mad Lear

and

the btind

Cloucester

in Act IV

Scene

V

benefirs

the most

fi.om this

approach.'

.

lsikdar

From the

review

by

Anand

^Lat

in The Telegnph.

t3

Seprember

1996:

'Sinc€

a

good

number

of

Indian

speciarors

know

their Shakespeare

b) hea

more

\o

rhrn rheir

Bni

.h

or American

courlerpdfl-.

one

dares

say

-

they may

have coistrued

direcror

Joe

Murray\

synopsjs

of

King laar

Iin

the

programmel

as

an

insult

to their

inteiligence.

PRODUCT1ONS

IN

ENGLISH

65

'Fo(unately,

ISTC

...

tived

up

ro

Munay,s

confidence

in

its

abilities:

judged

as

jusr

a

group

of Oxford

undergrads,

it

pur

all

local

student

productions

to shame

by

irs

p.ofessional

approach.

...

'Probably

the

most

dramatic

incorflomtion

of

soge

business

occu.red

when

Goneril

suddenly pushed

Lear

down

on

rhe

floor.

instindively

drawi

g shock€d

gasps

from viewers.

On lhe

orher

hand,

the

use

of

umbrettas

in rhe

srorm

scene

hinged

on

the

absurd,

more

so because

the

characters,used

them

to

cover

themselves

but

forgot

to

prolect

[-ear'

From

anoiher

repon

in

Tre Tekgraph,

t4

September

t996,

by Trina

Mukherjee:

'Ctaracrer

po{ra}al

was

alemprcd

through

rhe

use

of

colouri

fiery

red

for

fierce

coneril,

dcceplive

azure

for

Regan

and

subdued

lavender

ibr

honest

Cordelia.

The

fool

was

a

riot

of

cotours

in

his

omnge

coxcomh

and

black

and red

outfit.

But

rhe

resl

of

the casl

was

in

white. The

players

also followed

a fixed

geomerric pa(ern.

whjch

was

highty

symbolic.

For

insraoce.

rhe

rriangle

fomrcJbv

rhe

two

5ineh

nnd

lheir hu\brnd\.

$irh

rhe soj

Jr)

Cordetir

rhe

aper.

February

1997.

St

Stephen,s

Colt€ge,

N€w

D€thi:

Kitg

Iaai

Gyan

Maffh

Presenled

by

British

Council.

Direcred

by Arjun

Raina.

From

the

revicw

by Indrajir

Ha7jl^

in

The Tetegruph.

7

March

tD7:

'The

sets

were imprcssivc

enough

to rahe

expecrations

and

the

use

of

coDurcdia

dell'ane

type

masks

and cosrumes

showed

sophhricarion

on

the

parl

of

direcror

Arjun

Raina_

Unfo(unarely.

lhe

,.sense

of

drama

wrs

nor \uppjemented

by the \ub.equenr

nerlormance.

Ledr

Ined

lo

ma(e

the

audience

betieve

th

rrue pas,ion

i, cnuncidled

through

wild

randng

and

lines

deliver€d

io

an

exFess

renrpo.,

8-10

April

-D97.

The

Roysl

Shak€spearc

Comp.ny

I

The

Comed

o/Em

. Kala

Mandir

Sponsored

by

lhe Indian

Council

for

Cutiurat

Relarions.

the Brirkh

Council

lnd Sranda,d

Chartered

Bank.

Christophcr

Saul

as

Aegeon,

Rob€rt

Bowman

as AnLipholus

ol

Syracuse,

Dan

Miine

as Dromio

of

SyracLrse,

Simon

Coares

as

Antipholus

of Ephesus,

Eric

Maltett

as

Dromio

of

Ephesus,

Sarah

C.



SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE

CALCUTTA

STACE

PRODUC1 IONS

IN ENCLISH

6'1

From

thc

review i

The Econo

lic Tn1Es,

19

April

1997:

'Thc

Royal

Shakespeare

Cordprlny's

The Conrcdr

of rrmru turncd

out

lo be much ado

aboul nothing.

...

'For one thing. dircclor

Tim

Supple

cannor

claim

anv kind

ol

distinclion,

either

in lcnDs

of

interprctation

ot

in

terms ol

guiding

the cas

in its

acling. For

another,

fiis

indulgence

of

the

play\

air

oi

mngic

and mlstery

-

suitably

eloked through

$n'

dcli"re mrrsic

rhlll

often suggests lhe

exotic

East

-

appears

misplaced

'Alter

all

the

enors

are

it

malter of coincidcnce

and

relate 1o

explicable,

if rnlikely causes-

A choice sitcom

device,

in olher wods,

raLher

rhan

a

cosnric

cnigma beyond

human reckoning

or a tanlasy

ol

unrcason.

The

play.

incklenhlly,

has cetain cynical

observalions

on

the relationship

belween

masler

and

slave

and man a.d

wife lhat

simply

ache

ro be

underlincd.

'...

Bul Supflc

prefers

at

al1

tines

pacy cxcesscs lo emolionnl

gradalions.'

18-20 Match

1999.

St€ven

Berkoft: srrdt.rpearu's

villqins. G.D.

Birla

Sabhsar

Sponsorcd

by the British

Council.

Solo

pcrtbrmance.

Passages lion

O

rclLo, Richt:ud

lll,

The Mercha

t

of

ve,ice, Hdnlle ,

Coriola

us and

A

M

idsunnrcr

N

iEht's

D rctlnt

.

\\ith

thc

actor\

own

commcntary.

From

an

articlc

by

Abhijit GuPta

in lre

TeLeqtupl1,23 M^tcl1

1999.

'... Amed

with nothing

morc than lhe complcle

works

biShakcspcarel

... Berkof

rushed

lbrth lo

give

baltle to

an assortnrent

oi lbes, liom

the

ftearical

establishmcnl

in Britain

to

the

nledi\

liom

Oxbridge

academics

to

the dramr

criiic

of

rhe

Sandt')

TelegruPll-

'...

This

restless.

hilher-thilher

techniqrle

is ..

in cvidence in

hjs

ilerfonnance,

as BerkofT

switches

cfiortlessl) lrorn

thc high

scr

lous,res:i

r1'a

soliioquy

by Richard

to rlrc

chirpy

pa(er

ol I

(andup

conric. Shrkcst.a

iould

piobltl] hr,. t'Eeri lho

fi.st rc approve

but

tlrcre

werc nrany

in

tll

tiu :i ,,1-e

lrhc tholBlL Ll14

lurioll"s

inrerprctation

of lhe

Bard was

rltogcthcr

too oulrrgcou3

and

i1arfiy

'-..

His laugh

a-minute dePiclion

of

Sbakespcnc\

villains

may

not have pleased

(he

purisl bul

\,',as

ricb

entertainmcnl

tbr

the

averdge

puntcr.

Havirg said

which. fiowelc.

Berkoff\

project

of

br,ngil)g

Cameron

as Adriana'

Thusitha

Jayasundem

as

Luciana'

Andy

Williatns

"r

o"r"f",

C*t

O"*t

*

Bdlthasar'

Ursula

Jones

as

Luce

and

Emilia'

*r"ri

iiut"

,t

*"

"*,rlesan,

Leo

wringer

as

Dr

Pinch'

Directed

o,

i,,"i"rr,".

,*,t*o

ov

Robe(

Innes

Hopkins

Lighting

designed

"l

.r''' bl,'.,

vu''c

"1

'rtl'i'n

Lec'

'lirecrcd

h)

s)lvtd Hdllerr'

niru.l,"',

tr,''"

nu'n,

tin'on Allcn

souid h\ (

hJrle'

Hurne'

YotJ

Teacher:

Marina

lung

;;;;";;;-

bvinanda

Lar

in

the

ret'stuptl'

II

Aprl

reeT:

1tn"',"0"--"t

*"

ia*,

shakespeare

companv's

suoccss

..

lies

in

"i",,,rn,"

i","f-,n't

'r'nnlc

$orr

in'^

pulsJling

e'rrerrJrnnrcnr'

"

'^

-il;,,;;;";

rir

\upprc. rake'

shake'ntutc

I'crdr\

Jr

rsLc

vuruc

,"0 .,.''

,f'"

'""

p,'"

"i

'*"r"'

rn'l

Jd\e'

r'

thy'rcrll)

'imil3r

;.";"r;

'" "*r,i.r

"';'n'"

mir'idr

rrom

rhc

'iruJrron

rhe

,;,i';;;;"".

'','.,

.,""our)

J'

rair)

'rrc

rnd

on-iou"

rrri,rc'

',,".'ii"t

,'rr,ll'tr"':

R^hctr

Hopirn'

quldr^u'l)

r'r"s

'er

Jnd

;i. ;";,

'

m:rorcrl

rigrrrinP

con e)

rh''

crrc'r

brlli'nrlt

"'

"

1...

,rii"t

i",n"

o'"r's

lincs

rre

nuntrous

reterences

to

Ephesus

,'"

arrl"r,'"',.,,,

oi*l''r""'r'

*J

"'rcett

J n:;hrmJti

h

world

"r","

inlt:".*^

l,''"n,Jr'

Jn)Lhin;'

A'rriJn

Iec

'rJrri'h

'rrt"rc'

,i...,'. i.

",rr"*,,

erocrri\c

quJli'\'

rrr'c'

d'JUl'r''lcrr'

h\tet'cn

li'l=',0,,r'

,n",

r.,,]'t

"

thc

rolrri'

r'r)

rrcortc'r

'Lgtsc{inr

rhrr

'uch

;,;;.";;""il

tap"n

,n

a'i'

\''ri1or'

:rnJ

rt

rhe

(\proirrrrun

"1

.r,,*,

"*|l.,

*'"t","""

shalc"F

xte

'

urrerrrJli'rn'

'

*;"

;

,r*t

hand,

ih€

ihrcar

of

danser

looming

in

thc

back

,"

"i,"","U'

L,'

rh.rr

c\en

rn

his

eJrl)

di)'

shr\csfcrre

drJ

nIr

"-]-i.

.."'"",

a""*"*t

rJrcc'

the

cunrl:cr

h'rqe'n

Lphc'u'

Jnd

;i;;1.:1;-.;"

'

\cr)

rcar

rroJbrc''

ni'

ro$rbrc.Lre

lh'

hi'

birrcr

::"":;; ;:1'rr...

,n.

'.n',nn

nn

'rirc

Ihc

iorcn'r

'lrnJ

righ''

,lll"'"

",

r.'n,,

fdre

rtened

Jr

rhe cnd'

Jll

rnrx

irrr'

rhc

m

'ture

.i,,i,,..",,".,,'r,rt',,

hrrrluhrcd

h)

Sunprc

A' a

rc'ulr'

rhc hdrlt

.il"'l;"-;,,;;'

.'"*r"r**g

cm^rronar

r(ri'

r'

shich

suffrc

i'

cffeful

not

to

orcrlook

'-;";;

;"

subthcmes

ol

rnerchants

aading

anrl

the

nlctaphor

"r

m.nc1

'n.,t,l

JlrDcrl

ro

SF:rtetne"re

ret

dlcJl)

ldr'r

on

"'

;"r;;:i"';'.-,,'

i"

1nd

hi'Jc/iJrron

or

rhc

hrrhe

,'i,"r ,,,**

br^udhr

inJrnr

{nrl

'

or

re'or:nirr"n

I'

lorJ'



68

SHAKESPE,ARE

ON

THE CALCUI-TA

STACE

Shakespeare

to

the

masses

was a complete

non_starter

in lndia-

Those

who tumed

up at

the Birla

Sabhagar

lasl

week

belonged

mosdy

to

the

upp€r"middte

class bourgeds

elite,

who

go to England

for

their

summer

vacations

and

laugh

knowingly

at Marks

and

Spencersjokes'

In

other

words,

just

the

sort of

people for whom

Berkoff

reserves

most

of

his

spleen.'

From

the

review

by

Anandr

Lal

in

The

Telesruph,

26 March

1999:

'...

he

lBerkoftl

spoofed

the

conventional

naturalistic

delivery

in

ordinary

and

cinematic

acling,

demonstraling

his

disiaste

for film's

frozen

images

as oPposed

lo the

shge's

wa,m

interactivity'

even

rhough

he has

himsetfexcelled

as

a screcn

villain Equally

devastating

was his

takeoff

on

the thespian

achievcments

ofBaron

Olivier,

whose

formidable

tmditional

presence shadows

any

Shakespea'ean

actofs

efforts.

Bcrkolf's

best

touches

expressed

this rclish

of

the

practice

ofacting.

metalheatrically

building

sequences

on

workshop

skills'

ad

Iibbing

and

on

backsiage

anecdotes

like

lhe

hilario

s side-show

ol

a

Gerirude

getting

on

and

forge(ing

hcr

locket'

These

enchanting

enrremets

oflen

obscured

the

main

course'

'His

'masterclass

in evil"

became.

academically'

more

like

a

lutorial

home

teaching

seleclive

chapters.

The

sketchy

se1

ol

seven

characters

found

no space

for

such

household

names

as Cassius'

Edmund.

Gonerit

or

Regan.

The

comic

portrayal

of

lago' Richard

lll'

Shylock

and

even

Claudius

was

histrionicallv

virtuosic

as

weU

as

historically

accurate.

Bui

giving

heroes thc

same

treatment

ran

a huge

risk

...

i; his

quest for

originalitv

he

disingenuouslv

burlesqued

Macbeth

and

Hamlet,

lowering

both

o

the level

of

laughingstocks'

plus

Oberon,

who

seemed

an

antictimactic aflefihought;

from

the

comedies.

Malvolio

would

have made

a

better

bet

Only

Coriolanus'

among

his

ragic

heroes,

cryslallised

Shakespeare's

power

itill.

his insights

into

illerpreting

characlerisation

illuminated

us'

including

the

fieory

that

fie

vitlain

"enablcs

us

to

vicariously

enjoy

his lust,

greed,

power

and

hunger

but

..

we are acquitted

of sin

sioce

our

sios

are

killed

wilh

him."

'

PRODIJCTIONS IN ENCLISH

(D)

POST-1947

LOCAL PRODACTIONS

69

IMary

of

the

lotloving

pruducriotts

vere

performe.d

bf

a

group

lounded

in

1947

b

Lltpal Dua a d

othen,

ainb

students

of St

xavier's Coltege, as

lhe

A

alew

Shakespearcans.

In

1949' lhe

rcnomed

lhemselees

the

Little

Theolre Group.l

I

Octoler

1947.

Amaieur Shakespearesns:

Thrc€ scenes arom

Rofieo anl

luliet

and two from

Macbelh, Sa

Xavier's College

Auditorlum

From 'The Amateur

Shakesfrearians'

by

E.M. Poonavala

(Secrctary,

"Amateur

Shakespearians")

in St Xa

et's Maqazine,

December

1947:

'...

Though

it

was

our firsl

venlure, the

play

on lhe whole

proved

a

greal

success

and

was

ac€laimed

by all

as excellent ...

Though

praise

is due to

all

the a€tors. special

mendon

must

be

made of three

oursranding players

U. R.

Du1t,

E.

David

and PrataP

[ri.]

Roy.'

22 D€r€mbcr

1947. Amateur

Sliakespeareans:

Richad

L St

Xavler's Coll€gG

Auditorium

Ueal

Dulr

direcled and

acled Richard. Olher

roles

played

by

ProtaP

Roy,

Lewis D'Souza,

Howard Pole, Ranjit

Challerjee.

Nilin

Dult,

June

Mayo, Florence Joscph.

1948.

Amsaeur

Shak€sp€orc.nsr

orr.erlo.

From an arlicle

by P Lal in St.

Xa\)iet's

MaSazine,

January

1950:

'Othello btotrght

into

focus a

promhing

Protap

Roy.'

1948. Amat€ur

Sllakespearfans;

A Mittsutt tet

Night\ Dreanl Sl

Xavier's

College

Auditorium

Utpal

Dutl

as Bottom,

ieffrey

lsaac as Puck,

Prolap Roy as Demeaius.

Garth Dalmain as

Lysander. Grace Mackedch

as

Helena,

Thelma

Martin

as

Tkania,

Desmond Noble, Joyce

Barnard.

From th€

review L,y

P

Lal in

St. Xarier\ Maeazbv,

December

1948:

'...

a really

remarkabte show.

Wilh

enchanting setlings

and costumes,

well-planned and

well-directed acling,

and

the

inimitahle

Ulpal as

Bottom and an

agile and

capricious

Jeflrey as Puck,

7/,e

Drcan

became

a regular

lantasy

of

colour

and

sound.



?O

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STACE

'... Utpal

dominated

...

the entjre

show_

He has

an invererate

habir

of slealing

shows.

Ir is

nosl absorbing

to warch

his

very versarile

progress.

'...

Puck

rJeltre, I.duc,

ncrrt)

hrot<

uI recorJs

otorisrnJtiry

u

irh

his

elusive acdng.

He nearly

broke his

back

rco. rhe

firct

dav

when

he hopped

do\\n

trom

lhe

rrec.

...

Hi.

tremendouj

agitrl).

ha;p

go-

lucky

mischi€vousness

and

squeakiness

ot

voicc

were

incredible.

and

unlbrgettable.

'Io

the hilarious

Thisbe

and

her lovcr

episode

towards

tlrc close

Bo(om

Isaidl

"blood"

(o

rhyme wirh,.good,,.

Coming from

hjs mourh,

the result

is

as

incongruous

(hough

euphonic)

a

sou.d

as evcr

astounded

a rhymester

That

... was gcnuine.

pure

genius..

6, 20

March

19,19. Amar€ur

Shakespea.eans:

iozeo a

d

Jutiet. St

Xavier's

CoIege

Auditorirm

Jeffrey

Isaac as

Romeo, U(pal

Du(

as

Mercurio, Desmond Noble

a

Capule(,

Grace Mackertich

as

Nursc,

Ann

Curlendcr

as Julicl,

prorap

Roy as Tybalt,

Philip

Raymond

as

Bcnvotio,

Haske

David

as

perer.

Music

by John

Mayer

(later

fhmous

Indo-jazz

composcr).

From

the

review

by P Lal

in S'. Xaiet's

Magazirc,

tuty

tg4g:

'...

a borrowed porpourri

a rrick

or two

trom M

C_M

0naking

JelTrey

Isaac as

Romco \uy

weaft

imitation

of Lesiie

Howarcl).

a

dash

of

Laurence

Olivici

(he

rendering

of

some

speeches

over

the

microphone),

a

pinch

of

Ilavourfut

costume

a

/a

Stakespear.a

a, and

a strong

dose

of idealisric

Sovict

thoughl.

'-..

the idea

of

"col leclive

direc(ion,'. which

Utpat

lried

ro

cmploy

land

which

he expiained

in a'ctosely-printed,

cpilher-cramrned.

4-page

Ptoduction

Manifesto'1,

would

seem

ar

tirst

sjght

an absurdjty

...

'John

Mayer

is a ralented

viotinist

and

composer,

bui

the whole

prodoction

was

...

uncoordinated

and

... he

could nor give

his

besr.

or

whcn

he

gave

his

best, rhe

mismanagemenr

smothcred

ir. Roneo

atd

Juliet \\as

nol

a

right,

conlinuous presentation;

it

seemed as

il-

Th? Annte$

Slqkespearcdrr

werc

offering

scenes

tronr

Shakespearc.

'Sir

Laurencc

Olivier's

shadow

hung

heavy on

rhe

enrire

exuberanza.

frc

.trarcrrrar\

"Dramatic

Criric,,

(who.

it

musl

be

admited,

gave

a vcry

mediocre wdtenp)

wrongty

guesscd

that

.,a

grea

deal

of

work has

obviousll

been

pur

into it.,.

Aotualty,

it canre

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

1I

hard

on

the hcels

of

the

titfi

version

of

Hamlet,

and required

barely

two wccks

ro

stage,

which

facl

nray

explain irs

disconnected

nature.

'...

Most players

acrcq as

iI it

was

some

cotossal

masrerpjecc,

when

they

ought

to

have

acted

normally

ard

less

vehemently.

_..

Nexr

to

Gmce

Mackenich's

Nurse

and

Urpal.s

Mercutio

it

lDesmond

Noble's

Lord

Capuletl

was

rhe ilnest

chamcre.ization

of

the evcning,

wcll-costumed,

well-acled,

and

... we -a

iculated

...

'[Ann

CurleDder's]

ovenly

affected

accent

made fash

of

some

excellent

Shakespeare:

for

exampte.

this

is

whar

happcned

to

some

Aw,

Rawmeo.

Rawmeow,

whereforc

art

thou

Rawmeow?

Deny

thy

father

and reluse

lhy

naime

...

Whatt

in

a

nainre?

That

wbich

we

call

a

rawse.

By

any orher

nainre

would

smai

as

sweer.

But

her

schoolg

ish

charm

and

beauty helpcd

rekieve

many

nlr

orher$i\e

nrue"Jino

rnd

unrewtuding

,ccnc.

.

.

t-he

,er.rriJc

Urpt

tas

l,lercutiol

has

added

another

feather

ro his

cap....

15,

16, 17

July

1949.

Amateur

Shakespearrans:

"Irlx,s

Ca€sai

St

XaYier's

Colleqe

Andjtorium

Ellis

Abraham

as

Caesar.

Utpal

Dulr

as Brutus.

protap

Roy

as

Cassius,

Jel]iey

Isaac

as

Mark

Antony.

Ranjir

Charterji

as

Octarius,

Richar..l

Brcoks

as Calca,

Phitip

Raymond

as

Decius

BruLus,

Haske

Davirl

as

Cinna

rhe Poer

Sers

by

prorap

Roy.

Handbilt

dcclared.

.shakespearc

for

ihe fi.st

time

in

modern

costunrc

in

India,.

From

the

review by Lindsay

Enrerson

in

ll,e

Sra/crr

nn.

t7

Jut\

t94g:

'Tfir.

i'

easil)

lhe

bc.l

.ho\^

lhal

ltrr5 Sorret)

hr. yer

pur .n.

Thc

pli)

sJs

rcnJcred

uirh

di\rincrjl,n

rnd

inrc

rsencc

'Producing

i,rtiu.Creior.

i1

rnodcrndro..r\

nol

in il\etJ,r

no\cl

idca.

...

Yer

rhis portornra.ce

conraincd

several

insenious

l.earurcs

An

e\lrcmel)

cfle-ti\e

c\imptc

w:l,

,h

Bru,u,:,

anJ

Anr(rj\.

lunctal

sNechcc

were

dcli ered

^\er,he

rarlio

... The

h-rrlc,cene.

ro:r

blclgrornd

ot mr.hj

e-g n

trre.I,u,sc.,cd

r

cuhcrclce

LIiUrcutr

lo

achievc

otherwisc.

'Production

was

much

slicker

rhan

in

most

anareur

shows

we

have

seen,

and

was aided

by

some

efi.ective

sets....

Borh

rhe

headqualers

at Phitippi (wirh

x

notabty

adcquate

ghost)

and

the

Capitol

wilh

Cubist

stained,glass

designs

in rhe

backgrou

d

were



72

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUITA

STAGE

notably successfirl.

'The

Caesareans

were,

naturally,

portrayed

as Faschts. Caesar

himself... in

hal and overcoal, rccalled

the

earl, Hirler. ...

Antony

as

a

€ross between

Goebbels and

Baldur von

Schirach,

displayed

a

combination

of unscrupulousness with

sensitivc intelligence

ralher

more

lelling

than

the

mere

"revellel' of Mr

Ccofliey

Kendal

some

lime

ago. ..-

'Ifthe Fascisi

angle

commands asseni,

portmying

the conspirators

as Socialisls

and Communists is more

questionable.

A

beiter

parallel

to

these reacrionary Senatorial

oligarchs

would

be the

plot

of Hitler's

generals

in

1944.

-..

'As

thc "noblcst Roman

of

them

all", Ulpal Dutt

played

Brurus

wilh distinction, especially in

lhe scene

where the

conspira€y is

launched,

where

a

tormented Cenrral Eurcpean of rhe Kafta

period

hinred al the

idealist shortly 10

bc

crushcd in

lhe

world

ofdi(y

polirics.

'Tho

oh

in

all amale'rr shows the

tmuble is

the \valk-ons. there

were

\ur|,;\inply

rew inddeqfficic' hcrc.

A

IhorruEhl)

enjoy.,hlc

evcning.'

From

rhe

review by P. Lal in Sr Xafiets Maga.nle,

January

1950:

'... firct impressions of the ...

produdion

as i1

untblded

were a series

of

imag€s

... I

was reminded of

Lirl?

Ca"rdr", th€

Royal

Canadian

Mounred

Poli.e, Markot

guerillas.

Mao

Tse-Tung, and Picasso in a

fit.

Some

pans

wcre indeed

hard

to swallow: fie hysterical, armflinging

scene after Caesar's

stabbing,

clearly

overdone. and the over-repeti-

tion of balhclic

machincgun

cftccls.

'...

tThel

experiment seenrcd to misfire. I1 was

good

in many

placesr

the

@nsion of

the Conspirators' Gathering at

Brutus' Housei

fie

cunning

rise

and fall

ofpassions

in the Cassius and

Brulus

Quarel

Scene: rhe sheer

novelty, if nothing

else, of

Antony's

and

Brutus'

speechcs

coming overthe

radio,

and the appaehension

and eNousness

of those

galhering

around it;

the

controlled acting

of the

suave,

implacable Caesar.

wri

ging

last

drcps of

significance and

audilory

bcnuty lronr his meagre lines. The inoidenhl nrusic was

precisely

coordinated

to

lhe

lhematic

movements.

'To inlcrprct

any

play

to

perfecrion

is like Oliler

Twisr

asking

for

morc-

...

The

A.

S. havc had a good

lry

and the result

is

more

PRODUCTIONS IN ENOLISH

71

gmtifying

as

an artistic

attempl

than as

ideological

bootlegging.'

2, 3,7,

E

September

1949. Amateur

Shak6pe.reanst

Tvelfih

Nigltt.

Ulpal

Dult as Malvolio,

Ann Cudender as

Viola. Richard

Brooks as

Toby Belch.

From

the nolice

by

P

Lal

in

St Xavi?rt

Magaz.

rc.

lanuary

19501

'As no

official

invitation

was

extended

to this

magazinc's

Theatre

Critic,

I regret

no

appreciation

can

be suPplied

Bul

my unoflicial

congratulalions

go

10 a

vastly

improved

Ann

Curlender

and the

perennially-salisfying Utpal;

I dare not

commit

myself

further.'

1954.

Little

Thestre

Cfltnpt The Merry

Wives ol

Windsoi Nefl

Enp

r

Ranen

Roy

played

Fdstafl

Protap

Roy

designcd

a 'fairy-tale

uni-

Utpal

Dutt lalcr

said

of

this production:

'Thal

is

when

we

fclt

that

we had been

able

to

inkrprel

Shakespeare

and

his

comedy

prop€rly.'

[Interyiew

in

ContemporaD'

hrdia

Theatre

23

April 1955.

Calculta Dramatic

Socieay: Sccnes

tronn Hamlet-

Marblc

Hsll,

Rqi Bhavao

This

pcrfbrmance

was

pan

of fte

'Shakespeare

Day' celebratims

of

the Bangiya

Shakespeare

Parishad. The Covernor

of

wesl

Bengal. Dr

H.

C.

Mookeriee.

inaugurated

fie funclion

in the Marble

Hall at Raj

Bhavan. the

Covemor's

olncial residence.

David Slride

as

Hamlet,

Dennis Shaw

as

Polonius

and

Crave-Digger,

Cafterine

Osborne

as Ophelia

(all members

of

the

British

Council).

Therc

were also Bengali

recitals lrom

The Mercha,1t

ol Uettice

by

Sunil Kumar

Charcrjcc

and Swati Chalterjee,

and fto(n

othe

o

by

Lila

Majumdar.

Speeches

werc made by the actor

Ahindra Choudhury'

and the scholars

Kalidas

Nag. P. K. Cuha

and M. M.

Bhatlacharya.

Frorn

the

repon

it

me

Stutesna

,24

April

1955:

'Thcre

were

no

anificial baricrs

belween the

audience and

thc actori

fte

trappings

of {he theatre

were absenl; the

simple unadorrred

dais

served

as

the stage; and

therc were no stately

rcbes

and

spccial

make_

up.'

[See

ako

enlry under the

same datc

h

Chapler

IL]



SHAKESPEARE

ON

TIJE

CALCUTTA

STACF

Jaruary 1956.

Dramatic

Club

of

Cstcufta:

alrrrl€L

N€w

Empire

David

Srride

as

Hamlet,

Michaet

Raymond

as

Horatio,

Edina

Bu.ner

as

certrude.

From

rhe

review

in

The

Statesman,

17

Januarv

1956:

.3.i

","i.*

Hantt?t

mu\

primrrit)

rcr)

on

i;etriscnce

und

pace.

With

such

a

lrrge

team

no club

however comperent

can

hope

ro

provide

acting

of sustaired

prolessional

srandard,

ler

alone

rh;

slill

rarer

capaciry

to speak

btank

verse.

.._

The

audience

was.

for rhe

first

rime

in

the

reviewert

cxp€.ience,

given

Horalio,s

derailed

summary

of

the

mititary

siruation

in

scene

t.

...

And

ihe

character

of Hamlet

appeared

as it

shoutd,

not

in

rhe

light

of

Olivier.s

man

sho.cuuid

nor_mJke

uf

h;s

nrind

hLt

a\

a

produ(r

ofr

decp

rnJ

dcJdl)

Brmc

ol

Renri,srncc

rct:rics.

Mr

5rridr.\ o$n

fertbrmrncc

as

Hamlct was

admirabte_

Ofthe

supponing

cast,

Michnet

Ravmond,s

Hordrio

$rs

our5rdndinp

...

rhe

rote

demands

a

cJprciry

ro {f€;I

ve^.

$hich

tew

a.to

ieem

rodiy

to

posses\.

Ophetra

qa\

Jctrphltut rnd

lhe

mJJ

.ccne

imtrescd

tho

urdicncc.

Ldinr

Burncr

\

Cerrrude

wa\

pc

hdps

apDropriarct)

a

nuLt)

ol'd

womJn

qho

Jrd

nor

trow

shar

il

qJ,

all ahoL,

.. rhe proLluctiun

hrd

rhe

\i our

.,t

)uurh

1nd

rhJr

i, rhc

hern

oI

rhc

rnJt,er

rn

n) t

tilJhethJn.5t,rk..r.crrcrn

d.m.,

.

Isikdar

23

April

1956.

Dramatic

Ctub

of

Catcu(a:

S(enes

from

fl?rrJ

V, Twelfth

Night,

tutius

Caesa\

Eamtet.

Unirers[].rnstitute

Halt

Celebration

ofShakespeare

Day

by

the

Bangiya

Shakcspcare

parishad.

PRODUCTIONS

IN ENCLISH

Swarup Datta as Cassius, Dipankar Dasgupta

as Brurus,

Indranath Guha as Mark Antony,

Rita

Sen

as Po(ia

3. Scencs from,4

Midsunmvr Night\ Drean

(Q$rlel

Scene),

The lleftha,tt of

Uenice, Ronea

anai

JuLiet

(Duel

Scene). Cast: Manisha

Chakraborty as Tiunia,

Indranalh Guha as

Oberon/Iyball,

Dipankar Dasgupta

as

Quince/Old

Gobbo,

Vinod Kumar

as

Botlom/

Launcelol

Gobbo, Sanjoy

Sen

as Romeo, Swarup Datla

4. An

expanded vcrsion of ,4 MidsumDet

Nishtt

5.

May

1964.

Scenes from Jrlirr Caesar and Hanlkt.

Ai outdoor

pcriormance

on

&e

steps

leading

into

a

bungalow in Mandeville

Gardens.

Cast:

Santanu

Miru

as Cacsar/Hamlel, Pradip

Mira as Brutus, Kalyan

Banerjee

as Cassius.

Tapan

Dey

as

Antony.

Directcd

by Indrana$

Guha

1959. Department

of English,

Jadavpur

University: Ila

ler.

Indoor Stadium,

Jadavpur

University

Bal.un

Chanda

as

Hamlcr.

Di.ccted

by

Proi

P K.

Guha

and Ms Pranari

De.

21, 23 Aptil

1961. The

Amal€urs:

Shakesp€are in April

(sceoes

from Macbet\

T

etfth

Nisht, The Tempest, The

Tami

s

of

the

Shrer,,

A

Minsunnrcr Night\

DteMt, Richard II).

Shri

Shikhal

atan

Aclors: Dick

Rodgers

as Macbeth, Bitty Malik as

Lady

Macbelh,

Prilam Mayadas as Richard

II, Dilip Sirkar as Bishop of Carlislc and

Bottonr,

Vimal Bhrgal.

Prcduced

by

Vimal

Bhagat.

From

the

review

in The

Staresttatt,22

April

196l:

'The

Amateurs'

production

Shakcspeare In April deserves

praise

for

its

ingcnious

wclding

togelher

ol

sccnes lrom six Shakespearean

plays

in

u lwo'hour

programmc

that

seldom

1lags.

'... Vimal

Bhagat .-- broughr

the

same

degrce ol histrionic

ilucncy

10

all

his

parts

bul

Pdlam

Mayadas gavc

King

Richard

II

an air

oi

prthos

lhar

lingend

evcn

lvhen

hc

was

playing

rhe lion in

A Midsumrner Night's

Drean. while Dilip Sirkar's

dacmon

is

most

South

poinr

Sctmol

Indranalh

Guha.

former

principat

ot

Sou(h

poinr

School.

rc(xll.

i

.erics

ul rrhoot

pertollnJn(e.

herucen

tq5^

5d

rnJ

in I96.ri

l. Scenes

Iiom

The

Metchant

of

Ve

ic?.

t)t+tt

Dtlu

appcarcd

on srage

as

a courtier

Casr:

N. Viswanathan

as Duke.

Swarup

Datra

as

Shytock.

IndranaLh

(iuha

as

Anlonio.

Sanjoy

Sen

as Bassmio,

Manisha

Chak.abofi

J.

P^ 11.

Rr,i

Sensutr.r.,

NeI,.J

2.

Sccnes

fronr

J,&d

Ca.rdl

(Orchard

Scene.

Murder

Scen€.

Fo.um

Scene).

Casl N.

Viswanaftan

as

Caesar



PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

76

SHA(ESPEARE ON

THE

CALCUTTA

STACE

cerlainly Bottom and not the messianic Bishop

of Carlisle.

'Perhaps

the

least

successful

of lhe six

scenes

was

..,

the

duologue between Macbeth

and his Lady on the night of the murder.

Biity

Mali& managed to

sustain her

part

but

Dick

Rodger's

casting

as the

ambitious

Thane was not the most

fonunale.

The show

gathered momenrum

afier

thar

until

it

reached

its emotional climax in

Richard II. Judging by audience reactions

howevet

the burlesqueJike

quality

of the Trinculo-Stephano

pantomime

in The Tempest

was

probably

the mosl

popular'

1961. The

Dmmatic Club

of

Calculta:

A,

you

bkc

IL Open air

pe

orm{nce on the Natlonal Libr$ry

grounds

Cast: Rosemary White

as

Rosalind, Sidney

Hill

as

Orlando, Vimal

Bhagal

as Oliver,

Sally Symonds

as

Celia, Robin

Hall as Amiens,

.Ieffrey Isaac

as

Touchsbne. Directed

by

Terence

Rochford.

Fmm lhe article by

Terence

Rochford

in

The

Statesnon

Miscella

y,

12 February 1995, recalling the

production:

'...

arguably the

firsFever open-air

perfomance

in

Calcutta of

Shakespcare\

,4r

you

Like lr.

... Nearly

70

people

were involved

in

one way

or

another.

...

The

play

was

a texl

for

the BA

English

general

course of Calcutla

University

and all

lhe

schools

were

also

invited

lo attend no less than lhree special

performances,

which were

packed

ou1. tn

addition there

was

the exlra show

for

lhe

Sangil Kala Mandir

and firce for the

general public.

'The

z0o'yeaFold sundari 1ree, now a litlle older,

providcd

the

backdrop

...

and

our

cnergelic

stage manager

followed

the

Public

Works Depanmenl

around the city

to find

tree

rrunks, logs

and

olher

props

for

forest

'furniture'.

...

Tenls and

marquees for the

greenrooms

came from rhe Amry.... They also supplied field telephones

for

communication between backstage management and the

lighting

ganry,

which was

over

20 leet

high. A tiered audirorium to

sear

an

audience

of 500

was

designed

and erecrcd

by

Stewarts and Lloyds.

'Some excellenl

performances

werc delivered

and

voice

projecdon

was

bctter

lhan expected

withoul,

I

haslen

to

add. the

need for

'The

adnrirable costumes wcre

designed

by Christopher Richardson

and

all

made locally.'

15-17

Msrch

1962.

Thc

Amstcum: .IIri.t

Caara,

New

Emplrc

Cast

\imat

Bhagat

as Brulus'

Sydney

Hill

as

Cassius,

Ernani Giambuzzi

as

Mark

Antony,

Dick

Rodgers

as Casca.

Produced

by

Dick

Rodgers'

Fron

the

review

in

The

Statesn4ut.16

March

1962:

'.-. there

is

more

to

Shakespeare

than

a

few well_'ecited

lines

and lhe

produclion as a

whole

suffered

from

some

of

the

faults

the

name of

ihe

group would

imply:

a lendency

to declaim

and over_emphasis

on

mcl;drama.

Both

Vimal

Bhagat's

Brutus

and Sydney

Hill's Cassius-

otherwise

excellent

portrayals-

lie

most

picluresquely

and

a lack

of

realism

in

the mob_scenes

brought

the

producer's own

Philippi

long

before

the

last acl.

'Bui

appraisal

orcriticism

has

to

he within

nalural limilatioos

and

il

would

b;

iair

to

say that

af@r

the

initial

hesitancv.

thc

produclion

larhered some

momenum.

Ernani

Ciambuzzi

made a

fiery

Mark

inrony,

though

he

was

perhaps over-ioclined

to indulge

in

heavy

s:ucasm.

while Dick

Rodgers

brought

to

the

part

of

Cassius

a

subde

shade

of sinisler

meaning

'Sound

and

lighl

could be

used

to

more

spectacular

effect

in times

of

war

ln spitc

of

these

defects.

however'

it

is an enterprising

efforl'

particularly commendable

when one

remembers

that

the

group is new

;nd

this is their

lirst

venture

into'judicious

cuts ootwilhstanding'

full-

fledged

shakespeare.'

tsikdaf

7 March 1964.

Aikaten:

frr

e Merchult

ofvenice

Unive$lty

lnstitut€

Hall

25

April.

Mahaiari

Sadan

ISee also

Chapter

IVI

iThere

may

havc

been

ldlcr

perlbrmance''

rr

newspJper

rcviews

appear

as

late

as

June.l

Ca:[

Kanli

Mookerjee

as Shvlock,

Tarak

Banerjee

as

Anionio'

Bhendrannlh

Mitra

as Bassanio,

Dwijendranath

Bagchi

as l,orenzo'

Kaiscr Kabir runiv.

lnst.)

rnd

Binata

Ray

(Mahajaii Sadan)

as

Poriia'

Tapati

Ray

as Jessicl,

Angela

Mecra

Banerjee

as

Nerissa'

'Ashok

Mukterjee

as

I'rince

of

Morocoo'

Satyen

Cha(eiee

as Launcelot

Gobbo,

Rathin

Bhaduri

as

old Gobho.

The Hindusl&T

Sta'dard

namcs

Nivcdita

Das

as

Po{ia.

Directed

by

Kanti

Mookerjee'

Fro

lhe

rcview in

Da,ilai,

vol.

'1

no.

20,

1964

[tmnslaied from

thc

Bengalil:



PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENoLISH

?8

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUT'TA

STACE

o

'Alrhouph

Kann Bibu

acred

hcaulilully

in

lhe

rolc ol

Shllock.

hi'

co-actors

did

not

match

his

pedormance, excepl

lbr

Sushil

[ri.]

Chatlerjee

as

Launcelot Gobbo.

Evcn

the

eminenl

actress

Binala Ray

actcd

in suprisingly

cramped

siyle,

in

spite ol being

ideallv suiled

lor

the

J,arl.'

From

the

rcview

in

Hi

dusthan Standara.

5

hne

1961:

'It

was

played

on

a conrposite

sel conlaining

sevcral

scenes,

which

made

'fcedy

rrd

'moulh

rcrron

p^$ible'

From

the review

in Juga

tdr. 13

June 1964

[lranslated

lrom

lhe

'skilful

direction.

clear enuncialion

and easv

now

-

qualities which

we have

come

10

associatc

wilh

all

productions of the Aikatan

group

altracted

thc audience

at Mahajaii

Sadan

as

well.

The costumes,

scts

and background

ntusic

sPlcndidly

brought oul

lhc almosphere

and

mood ol

the

PlaY.'

17

April

1964.

Little

Theatre Gro

p:

Sce.es

from

Othello-Foot

of

the

Ochterloney

Mon'rm€nt

(now

Shahid

Minar)' Cnlcutta

Maidan

Announcement

in

Antita

Batit

Pan'ika.

l7 Apdl

196'l:

.MASS-MEETING:

/

TONIGHT

AT

6-30'

/

At

thE

fuN

OI.1hC

Monument

Lo

/ celebratc

Shakespcare's

/

4lh cenlenary /

Sabilabrata

Dulta,

Bijon

Bhaltacharya.

/

HemangaBiswas

and Nnm^lChowdhury

/ will

sing.

/

Utpal

Dux.

Sheila Chowdhury.

/

Dean Casper and

Mava

Roy will

/

play

scenes

fronr

/

oTHELLo

/

THE

LITTLE

THEATRE

/

GROUP

INVITES

YOU

ALL .

[See

a]so Chapler

IVI

23

April

1964.

Shakespeare SocietJ

of

Bengal

and

Rabindra Bharati

lJnirfjrsiq.

The Merchan

o/

y?rice

nabindra

Bharati

UniYersitv

23

Aprili

10,

14,

16 May 1964.

Little

Theatrc

Grotpt

OtheUo'

Minerva

I

heatre

UtpalDuLt

us

Othel;o,

S

lreila

Chowdhu.y

as

Desdemonai

Dean

Gnsper

as lago,

Probir 6hosh

ar

Cassio. SaLJa

Bandyopadh] )

as

kodeligo,

Maya Roy

as Emilia,

Cedric

SFnos as

Brabartio.

Jiien

Bha[achrr]a

as

Gratiano.

Nevillc

Crawford

as

Lodo ico,

Rirtu Ghoih

as Biunld,

Ami

Gupta

as

Monlano.

Dii:ctcd

by

tjtpal

Dutl Sets

designcd by

Nirrnal

Cuhr

Roy.

Lighr'

b)

Trla" Scn

From the

review

in Ja aseb.lk,

I

Mav

196'1

[lranslated

]ionl

tlte

Bengalil:

'Ornetlo

is

their

lthe

LTC]I

best

production

lo

date Our

hea.ts

have

;;;;"Ji;

Iheir

acrrn .

sel\

rnd

orgcniz:lrion'

urprr

Durr's

1,i.,,.

i.

o"-'

"ra

.","n"'".

oern

Ga'pen

Iago

is a

Iirrle

overpitchcd

iut

rre

srrows

his

1'ower

as Jn

actor"

;;;,t;;",'.*

.tn

qqdnaa

Ba'nr

Pa'

a

ls

\4a\

reb4

lrrrnslorcd

from

the

Bengalil:

;;

;;",-,rr;;.""

of the

production

is the rirsi

point that

calls

ior

*enrion.

a"p""rs

of

this

are

the

approprirtre

sels' &e

coslumes

il;;;

"*;;""t".""1'

Evervthing

is

beauliful

and

well-planned'

;;;;;,

i' m-ore

inrcnr

on

err?i'ritencsr

rhxn

on

'how

in

hi'

"n,,,.'.

"t.""r'r'.

,n"

ti\e-rcr

pllv

hJ'

hcen

rcJuced

ru rhre.:

acrs'

;;;;;,.

;"""

never

flags

rhe

production

is

governed

bv

a

.onrollinq

conrellion.

lile

rhc

tunc

ul

a

'ong

"'

'-

il.",';

oi

dJrkn("

r'

spccrrllv

'isnrncanr'

Mo'r

oi

lago's

.,,,'a"r,".

,"a

-*.

"i

Olhello

\

'

shen

he

hr'

lo'l

hr'

rrue idenlil)

.t

o.'1"

""i

,'

..

n,

-ubr

lnd

rngut'ht

'te

'nolcn

l'om

rhe

unlil

"".."".,

,n.

*ug..

t"go

'"",,n lo

be

pre'cnted ds

lhe

li\ing

I.i*i.."

.r,

*'***

ihis

addirionJl

imrli'

arion

r'

\

er)

clrecrive'

,i"

"",.

"*,"""0,*o

o,

nusic

lrom

Tchrikovsky

and

Mendelssohn

'

f.".

if,"

""f",

an

Hindusth

statldar'l'

ll

Mny

1964:

I

rr"

,i r**

"

trln"m

othello

"

said

one

as

Utpal

Dutl

appearcd

*;;

;;.".

.

.

Bul

Durt

as

othello

is

a linle

too

open

to

jealousv

;;;;"

;;

to iake

that

poison rather

than

bcing

poisoned

slowlv'

*-

'iil

"r"

lc$

acror'

who

can

bnnP

oll

lrgo

:rnd

Dern

cJ'per

it

*,'"""

"i

tt"

exceptional

ln

spile

of

the

locus

ol

darkness

hc

..r""'t"a **"

scheming.

in

spirc

of

his

snaky

movements'

his

,"ii""t

ir"t

*r*"""t

"nd

flalignily'

so

molivelcss

secms

poioiless-

PcrhaDs

the

flJ$

lics

in rhc

plav

irself

"

' ""'lii"

,"",

".

*,

,,*.'cr.

w^

good

'

cro"o

'celr'

$crr'managed:

thc

nrusic

bet\rcen

scenes

moving'

7-9

Mn]

1964.

The

Amat€ors:

Much

Ado

oboul

N"ri

s

Nell

Empire

i,.i

v-i",r

n,,,:,,'

,'

s'edr't'

Anjalr

\'Llik

L'

BcJrri

c' ziJ

Ahrncd

"'r

ai*,,r,

,."*

u**t

as

Hero

Jacob

K

Jacob

as

t-eonaF'

zaid

Ur" ".

,* t*-.

Pritam

Mayadas

'ts

Don

John

Raniit

Maftur

as

t



80

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUMA STACE

Dogberry. Produced

by Alan

Kaye-

Sers by

Niki Bhagar.

Frcm the review

(of

a special

students' show) in A rila

Bazor

Patritu, 7 May 19641

'The

setting.

cleverly

designcd

by

Niki

Bhagat ro

eliminate the use

ofcurtains. made an

excellent

background

to colourful

coslumes and

scene changes were execulcd

by a

well-trained

crew in

medieval

garb

headed by Ernani ciambuzzi. After

a slow

and

laborious

sra(

the

play gained

momentum and

it

was rcfreshing

ro

find thar

th€ majority

of the cast

was

not undei the illusion rhal

all

Shakespeare

musr

bc

declaimed ralher lhan

actcd. The

pace

ihereafter was

be(er

varied

... bul slow cues and unskilled

timing

Iended

to spoil

sorne

scenes-'

From

the fevieN in Hindustha,t Standad.

I May 1964'.

'-

-.

neatly ard

sm.4ly

produced

by

Alan

Kayc,

u,ilh well

repos€d

faith

in

rhc lexrtral oic,ie\

PRODIJCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

rendering murder

in

the bed €hamb€r

'Pat

Scott's DesdenDna is throughour a

gentle

well-spoken wife

and

her "no(

yet

10 die" is mosr moving in irs anguish. Emilia,

deceptively mild

in the

earlier

scene,

was

magoificenl in

her

outhurst

full of

a

rich feeling

and mge.

'Orrzll,

is

a

harsh

and demanding play. The

D.C.C.

producers

had

fluency:

it was

bcaurilully

co

ordinated

and

shaped

...'

lSikdar

1964. Department

of EnClish,

Jadavpur

Universitr. The Tenpest-

1965.

Department of

English,

Jad6ypu.

University Ty)elfth Night.

Jagannath

Guha

as

Orsino, Robin Wood

as Malvolio.

Haydn Moore

Willjams

as Sir Toby Belch, Pcler

Quatcrmaine

as Sir And.ew

Aguechcck, Prabir

Chosh

as Feste.

Directed by Debabrata Mukh€rjee.

1966.

D{artment of

EnClish,

Jadarpur

UniyeNityt

As

Yot

Lile

IL

Mita Chakrabarti as Rosalind,

Prabir Ghosh as Touchstone. D€babra(a

Mukherjee as

Duke

Senio.

Directed

by trebabrata Mukherjec.

1968. Department

of Eoglish,

Jadawur

University Metsure

fot

Nirendu

D.rtta Majunrdar as Angelo, Recni

Sen

a5Isabella, Debabr;ta

Mulherjee

d. Dul,e.

'For

the convent

scenes.

a

large wooden cross was placed

centre-

stagei for

the court scenes. a

pair

of measuring scales was atlached

10

j1.

On

the second day, Ihe

curtain

.ose

on

a

court

scene without

lhe

scales. While

the

scene

was

in

progress,

a

pair

ol

hands appeared

lrom behind lhe currain

and snalched away lhe cross, duly replacing

il

wirh the scales added-'

ll-ahiri

Choudhury

13-16

January

1969.

The

Amateurs: The Taming ol the

Shrcv.

Vimal

Bhagal as Christopher

SIy, Nomio Mirter as

Hostess.

Pamela

Perks

as

Kalherira.

Radhika

Das as Bianca.

Noel

codin

as

Baptista,

VimalBhagat as

Petruchio,

Jai

Sengupta as

Gremio,

Mafthcw

2G23 May 196,1. Drarnatic CtJnb ot

Calcfitat Ahc o. N€w Empirc

Casr

Colin

Paterson

as Oihello.

Par Scort

as

Desdemon,r.

Dick

Rodgers

as

Iago,'[bny

Jackson as

Cassio,

Pclcr

Lancaster

as

Roderigo.

Shcila

Maundcr

as Emilia. Bob Sco[ as Brabantio- Ci,lian Richrrdson

as Bianca.

From

the review

in

The

Statesna

,2l

May

19641

'The

Shakespeare

Festival Committee

presented

the Dramatic

Club

of Catcuua in Xerxes Mehta's intclligent

production

of Othello on

Wcdnesday. Thc

set

was

sinrple a Iurret, a

plalforn

and steps

and

supcrbly economical

coloLrr slides and controlled

ligh(

made

for

swift

changc of

scenes. The

sound too deserves spccial

mcntion for

thc important part

it

playcd- The music

was

exceedingly

appropriate,

if

only

i(

did

nol

tend to oompete in volumc wi(h the \,oices

ol de

speakers.

'To

his interpretation

of Othello,

Colin

Palterson

lrrc]

b.ought

dignity

and

a

sensitiye

mind. From

the

quiete. passages

he extmcted

paslionate poetry

but his

voice

lacked

the cxplosive

power

ro

gile

his

jealousy

a

savage

depth or his au(horily

the resounding

grandeur

aha(

would have

persuaded

a

palrician

daughter

to malry

him

againsr

her falher's

wishes.

'Thc

second

part

ol dle evening had more

power

than the eirlier

hall

and

thc

tension mounled inrperceplibly

1o

thc dmmatic,

hearr,



82

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STAOE

Huntley

as Hortcnsio,

Kamal Bhagat

as \4ncentio,

Victor

Banerjee

as

Lucenlio.

\ijay

Crishna

as Tranio,

Ashley

Simmons

as

Biondc

o.

Rogcr Walker

as

crunrio. Ranjit

Mehta as Curtis,

Nomil,

Mircr as

Directed

by Douglas

Algar Srage

Maoagcr,

Tutu

Bosc.

N,lusic by

R.S.

Pillai.

Lighls

by

Kanishka

Sen.

Sers

designed by

Niki

Bhagat.

Costumes

designed

by Peggy

Sarow.

ISec

ertry lbr thc

Khela

producrion,

February-March

t9891

7-9

D€cember

1972. The

Rcd

Clj.rtatot

Hanlet.

Kala l{andir

Bas€ment

Jayant

Kripalani as

Hcnrlet. Arjun

Chaudhuri

as Claudius,

Deena

Ardeshir

as

Geftudq

Nandila

Mi er

.N Ophetia,

Ruslom Bharucha

as Polonius

and Gravediggcr,

Ceddc

Spanos

as

Horario,

Thomas

Verghese

as Laercs,

Willian

da

Silva as

Rosencrantz,

Sunrir Roy as

Guildenstem,

Karrn

Sarkies as

Player

Qucen

an,:t Osric,

Surendran

Menon

as

Marceilus.

Sumanr

Ddmiya

as

Bemardo, Irshad cansiee

as

Playe.

King

and Pdest.

Girish Mansah

as Probgue

and Lucianus.

koduccd

by A.jun Chaudhud

Sets

designed

by Kaly

Lai

and

Sumil

Roy. Coslumes

by Ave Lawycr.

Music arranged

by

Rusto

Bharucha.

Lights designcd and

duel arranged

by

Sumir Roy.

Stagc

Managers.

Neeraj Mala

and Arup Kunlar

Majumdar

Fron

Kary

Lai's

plogram

rc

notc:

'Many

people

will

be dismayed

by ihe rurhless

editing

oI lhc

Bard's

work- The

intention, throughout,

was

solely

lo clicit

ffom

thc play

one

unificd

intpression.' The

text, howeler, was

bascd

on

rhe longest

version, the

Second Quarro

of

1604.

1978.

South Point High

Schoo\ Macbeth.

Academy

of Fine

Arts

Sunril

Basu

as Macbeth.

Srirupa Bancrjee

as

Lady Macbeth.

Tirrhankar

Direclcd

ty Indranath

Gnha.

2-3

,april

1982. Depar'tment

of English,

Jsdavpur

University:

Ir,e

?r,perl.

Vivekamnda

Hall,

JadalTur University

Bikram

Sarkar as

Prospero, Sarbani

Chakrabarri

as Mirxnda,

pcw

Bose

and Shaiontoni

Sinha

$

Ariel.

Vinod

Swnmi

xs

Calihan

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLISH

8]

Indrashis

Laharry

as Ferdinand,

Sudeep

Mazumdar

as

Alonso,

Raj

Rishi

Singhal

as

Sebaslian,

Shankho

Chowdhu.y

as Anronio,

Kunal

Sengupta

as

Gonzalo,

Ashhh

Sah as

Adrian,

A{unava

Sinha

as

Trinculo,

Jaidccp

Bose

as Srephano,

Ranjabrti

Sa*ar

as

lris,

Ceres

dnd

Juno.

clro-eogrJf'lj)

h)

Rrnjjh.llr

Sdrkar.

Co ordinared

by

Debabrara

Mukherjee. Directed

by Milhoo Roy

and

Biman

Basu.

Music

by

Anjali

Sanrwan,

Arindrajit

Saha

aDd Kanika

Datta.

Lights

by Joy

Scn.

Coslumes

by Slrejla

Lahii

Choudhurv.

Producton

\4dna3.r.

lndrlDij

cho$dtruD

-1985. Departn€nt

of Englhh,

Jadavpur Univ€rsitf.

The

labouts

o/lors

(love"scenes

from

As

you

Like

ft,

Mltctt

Ado

about

Nothi

g

and

The M€rrt

tyiyes

of tvindsor)

Mahua

Cha(erjee

as

Rosajind,

Ranjabati

Sa.karas

Beakice,

Samanrak

Das

as

Hugh

Evaos,

Sohini

Bhatraoharya

as

llostess,

Arunava

Sinha

Jc

Chri\,oph(.r

SI).

D

ecreo

hy

Vihir

RJnjrn

Bh.,uachJ+J.

lThe

proJucti.n,

emphJ.r/ed

rhc

us.cndJnc)

or

$^man

. OrlJndo

appea.ed

in

jeans

and helmet

ro

lhc

sound

of a

motor

cycle,

Benedick

and

Bcalricc

met in

lhrce-piece

su;t

and

sari,

while

Mrs

pasc

and

Mr,

lord werc

..or.h.nrDorar)

hou.e$i\e,

oi Crtcurrr.

. the

f,e,r

bit

of rhe show

was

Sir

Hugh

Evans

as rhe

nineteenlh-cenruN

Bensati

BrtlL

n

dh.at.

t'

,iahi

rnd

.,r.Jd,.

ur

g

r

r)prcJt

tucat

r..cnr. wirh

Indian

JJn(c.

Jnd

r nllr.j.rl \corc

hJ.ed

on TdEore.

il wr,

I

unrqu.

attemPr

at synthesis.,

ll:rhifl

ChouJhury

The

Shakespeare

Society

ot Esstern

India

The

Shakespcare

Sociery

oi

Eastern

India

was

establishcd

ir

I984.

Their

carty

aorivities

includcd

strecr-corner

Derfo.

rran.L.r ni

Sh,,tesT.Jrc

orgxni/,ng

pt0)rng

Strte,ga.e

compctitions

fbr

schools

and

colleges.

and

celebrting

Shakespeare

Day

on 23

Aprit

wirh

scenes

lionr

Shakespeare

piays

and

retarcd

shows

and

evenls,

including

academic

discussions,

Iectrres

and.

scminars.

The

Sociery

gradualty

ptureeded

to lull,tcnglh

Shakespea.e

productions

in

English

and

Bengali

Although

its

acri ilics

arc

cenrcd

in

Calcu e

thc

Socicly h.rslakcn

ShakespcarE

ro

puruliyaand

Janrshedpur.

PRODUCIIONS

IN

ENCLTSH

85



84

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STACE

and

Vidyasagar

(Medioipur)

and

Burdwan

Ilniversilics

The

Society

deilnes

i1s

'Aims

and Objectives'

as

follows:

'lmpo(ant

work

is still being

done

by the

academic

com

uniiy

in

India,

bui

by

ils

\,ery nature this

work is

mostly

done

in

isolalion

from

popL'lar cons'iousness-

and

remains

sPoradic. The

common reader

or

the

common

spectalor

in the

meantime

is as alive

as

lhe

previous

gcnemtion

lo

lhe nced

to

understand

and

apprcciate

Shakespeare

for

himsell

It

is wilh a

vie)v lo

providing a

broad

base lo

these

unrelated

and

inchoate

aspirations

and

interests

that

lhe

Shakespeare

Society

of

Eastern

lndia

is

tbfincd.

[I1l

is

composed

of

representalives

of

larious

groups such

as

leachers

and

sludcnts

of

the humani(ies

journalists.

puhlic

ollicials

and

thcare

eothusiasis

among

others-

tl

lhus hopes

1() bring

bgelher

purposelully

all

people

in

this pan

of

the counrrv

who

love and

admire

itrakespeare.

...

Thc

sociely

inlcnds

to conduct

ils ac(ilides

oo two levels:

(A)

acad€mic,

and

(B) popula' Academic

activities

will

conrprisc

nalional

and

internalional

scminlt.s

on

Shakespeare

and

the

Renaissance,

hclping

to

pritl

original

works

on

Shakespeare,

organizing

a texl

libBry

fbr

srudents

and

a

research

library

lor scholars.

panel

discus_

sions

by spccialisls

on

Shakespeate,

etc Popular

aclivities

rvill

comp.ise

annual

pcfforinances

ol

Shakcspeare's

plays'

lllns

and

video

shows

on

subjects

related

lo Shakespearc,

exhib;tions.

debates,

quiz

contesh

€tc'

Major

financial

supporl

fbr the

Society

s

activilies

has been

providcd by

Tribeni

Tissues.

Delails

of

their

events

fbllow

by dalc'

'when

Amilava

Roy, Prolessot

of

English

at Rabindra

Bharali

Uni_

versity,

put

on

a mask and

came

in

on

all

tburs

as

Launcelol Gobbo's

dog,

the lawn

was tilled

with the laughter

o[ fte

audience

'

lGlJ

Deftmb€r

1987.

Shakespeare

So.iell

otEastern

lndia and

Mcx

Mueller

Bhavan: Shakespeare

FestiYal.

M.x

Mu€llerBhavan

The

four

day festivalconsisled

ol'pcrfomances

of

Shakespcare sce.es

in English

by

various Calcutta

schools and

colleges,

and finally

of

Shakcspeare

scenes

in

Bergali

lranslalion

by

mcmbers

ol

the

Shakespearc

Sociely of

Eastern India-

From

the

report in D?ri by

Sanlanu

Gangopadhyay.

19 March

1988

llranslatcd

from

the

Bengalil:

'Ii

is clear thal

Shakespcare

is

chiefly

confined hcre

10 the limils

of

schools llnd

colleges.

Tho

prizes went

to Our

Lady

Queen

of

the

Missions School

lor Lheir

production of scene'

fr'ar Th?

M"r.lnnt

of Ve irc

ffid

10

Presidency

Collegc

for scenes

trom A Midtu

nrcr

6

January

t988.

Shakespearc

Society of

East€rn

lndia' Twelfth

Nigrr,

(condensed

v€rsion).

Brili6h

Council

gmunds

Abhijil

Scn

as Orsino,

Madhumita

Dasgupta as

Olivia, Moyna

Sen

as

Viola,

Dccpesh

Misra

as Sir

Toby Belch.

Pranab

Mukherjee as

SirAndrew

Agu€cheek, Ritu

Krishna

as

Maria. Aoiruddha

Ravchaudhui

tls

Malvolio. Saolanu

Datta as

Fesle,

Rukmini

Ray as Curio.

Directed

by

Amitava

Roy.

Repeal

perfonnance

on

19

March 1988

at Burdwan

University.

l. 2

Nlarch 1988, Dcpartm€nt

of

English,

Jadavpur

UniveNity:

Mrcr,

Ado

about

Nothilg.

G^ndhi Dh.van,

Jadavpur

University

Moushumi

Sen

as

Bealrice, Sudiplo

Chatlopadhyay

as Benedick.

Sujay Eanerjee

as Claudio,

Churni

Banerjee as

Hero, Samaouh

Das

as Leonato.

Arunava

Sinha as

Don John, Indrashis

Laharry

as

Don

Pedro, Abhi.lil

Gupla as

Dogberry, Sougata

Banerjce

as Verges'

Vinav

Raotls

Borachio,

Dcbashis Banerjce

ns Antonio,

Satneek

Bhatlacharya

as Conrade.

Chitulekha

Basu lls

Margaret, Sunanda

Maitra

as

Ursula.

.Ioy

Bhattacharya

as Friar Francis,

Arani

Sinha and Kushal

Biswas

25

July

1985.

ShakesP€are

Societv

of

Eastcrn

India:

srenes

in

English

and

Bengali

from

Rameo

and

lt

iel

znd Macbeth'

][lnx

Muell€r

Bhavan

23

April

t98r.

Shak€spear€

Societv

ofEasiern

tndia: Comic

sccncs

frclm

1\t)ew

Night,

Macbeth,

The

Tani'tg

of the

Sh""

"

Ea'nlet'

As

You

Like

It.

The

Mercha'lt

of

Ue

ice'

British

Council

grounds

From

the

review

inJrSdrtua

I May

1987

[lranslalcd

frorn

lheBcngalil:



86

SI'IAXESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

STAOE

Direcred by Mihir Ranjan Bhatlacharya. Themc music composed

and

suns

by Ber1lam da

Silva.

Music

played

by

Aveek

Sen, Shanlanu

Sengupla. Sumil Chakrabarti. Peffy 6omes. Barun Ganguli. Sets by

Monu

Datta and Barun Ganguli.

Lighls

by Joy

Sen.

Masks

by

Kamal

seJ.

From

the

review

by

Dharani

Ghosh

in

7r"

,t

a,srrrax,

5

March

1988:

'tThe

perlormanccl

escaped

academic frigidily. ... Thc visitors to

Messina

wcrc

gencmlly

in European dress while the locals wore kurla

and

pyjamas

(cxccpt

lbr

ADlonio's

dhoti

and

the friaas cassock).

Dogb€rry and his coho.rs spoke

Indian English

and their sartorial

peculiadties

had the

samc

regional bias. The women altcmated

b€lween

sariand salwar-kanreez. These innovations. including a lemalc

sexton,

made

lirtle

di1lercnce

o shakespeare s

prcse.

...

Mihir

Bhartacharya.

who

direcled,

deserves

praise

lor

fte exchanges be

tween Sudipro Chattopadhyay's

Bencdick

rnd

Moushumi Sen's

Bextrice. Arunava

Sinha's

Don

John

recalled

psychopaths playcd

by

23

April 1988. Shak€sp€are So.icty of Eastcrn India: Shakespeflie

Carniyal

(scenes

from

va.ious

plays,

including Roneo

a

d

,luliet,

The

Mercha

t

of

Ue

ice,

Rbha

t II,

Macbeth). British

Council

gmunds

From

the

rcpo(

by

Sumil.r Lahiri in

A,.rra

ra.ar Patika, Z'7 A.ptit

I9IiE:

'Relnxed

and

infoflnai,

the rest of the evening

was

devoted to

shori

scencs

fiom

plays.

What was lacking

in

slage

p.ol'ess;onalism

was

morc

rhan

made

up

by

lhe

sheer

gdp

lnd

enthusillsm

of

(hc

actors.

lf

some

of

thc aclors swallowed up their lamous

lines, nobody evcn

notjccd

thcm; bccause the audience in a rare spilit ol bonhomic

and

irrdulgencc

proved

to be willing

prompters.

'Amitala

Roy and Deepesh Misra as

Macberh and Richard I1,

respectivcl)r.

dcserle

special

mention

...'

Fmn the repo( l,

The Telegtuph,30 May 1988i

'...

thc

ensuing rain

took

the audience back

inlo thc

nuditorium

to

wirncss an amusing scene

fiom Rrrreo

.rrd

Jdlier.

Intercstingly,

Romeo

was

played

by

a

girl,

Moyna Sen.'

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENOLISH

87

2s

Nov€mh€r.3

Deccmlxr

1988. Scen€s

frcm

Jrlirrs

Caesar,

Maxbeth

(in

B€ngali),

Ilrelrn

Night, Hanlet,

The Merchant

of

Velice.

Max

Mueller

Bhavan

Direcled by Amilava

RoY.

Repeat

pedbnrance

on

9 February

1989

at

Deshbandhu College

for

Girls.

t'-3

Decemtrer

1988.

Shakespeare

Societv

of

Eastern

India:

Shakespeare

festival.

Max Mueller

Bhavan

Fron rhe repon

in

Arrrra

Bazar

Patika, 13 Decemb€r

1988:

'... Schools,

colleges

and uni\'ersilies

... like

St. Joseph's

Bowbazr.,

St.

Paul's,

Quecn

of

the Missions.

Presidency

College,

Deshbandhu

Collcge lbr

girls,

Jadavpur

and Rabindra

Bharati Univcrsities

partici

pated

in the

Shakespeare

play

compctilions.

...

Jadavpur Univcrsity

bagged

the Champion's

tropht

Mahua

Chatterjee

was adjudged lhe

lSikdar

25, 26 F€bruary;

12, 18,

19

March

1989. Khela:

II, e Ta,nnG

olthe

Shrcw.

Vimal Bhagat

as

Pclruchio, Shikha

Rai as

Kalherin , Sumitra

Bhagal

as Bianca. Dircclcd

by

Vimal

and

Nicky

(Niki)

Bhagat.

From

the

prcview in

The

StatestBn,18

February 1989;

'...

The moving

spiri(

of Khela is

Vimal Bhagai,

himself an old

boy

lof Doon

Schooll,

who

plays

Pelruchio

and

is also direoling lhc

plav

Why

did he choosc

il? Mr Bhagal

says

"The

Tani

S

of

the

Shrcw

is

one

oI

the

happiest

of

Shakespeare's

comedies-

11

has

ronrance,

frolic and sludied

dramatic

developmcnl

in the

main iheme

which,

though so

dellghllully

seasoned

with buoyant

laughter. has a clear

and disciplined

carccr

in the conflict

of

two

real

people"

Bul

he

has

lakcn

some libcrties

wilh

Shakespeare.

eliminating the

lengthv Induc-

lion

scquences

with

the

drunkcn

linker. Chrislopher

Sly, so

lhal fiere

is

no

play

wilhin

r

play.'

r

Jsikdar

From an aaiclc

tiy Ananda

Lal in Thc Shtesna,|

16

Jull

1989i

'...

Thc

qucslions

[rclaled

1r)

Krlhc.ina's

speech

"Thy husband

is

rhy

lord

.../And

place

)our

hands

bclow your

husband\ tooa' in

thc

lasi scenel

arose on

vicwing

the

rocent

produclion of the

phy.

...

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENCLTSH

89



88

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUfiA STAGE

The dirc.tors of

the

Khela

production,

the husband-and-wife ream of

Vmat and Nicky

Bhagat,

do

nol

regard

rhis

passage

as an issue. They

profess

that the

play

is

a love slory, in which the hero

and

heroine

are

both

passionate,

and

Karherina

(Kale)

merely expresse

exrctly

what

sh€ feels

as an individual

-

Shakespea'€ is noi makirg a

generalized

slaEment he.e.

...

Ifanything.

according

lo

thenr.

Vimal's

macho Pelruchio of their earlier

produclion

twenly

years

ago in

Calcuth

was

more chauvinistic

because

il

was

more simpiistic.

[See

entry

tbr the Amareurs

iJroduction.

13-16 January 19691

'...

Vimal

Bhagat omitted this

parenthetical

scquence

[the

subplot

of Christoph€r Sly watching the dramal, although his first

version

had relained it

in

1969,

conve(ing the

core of

the

play

into an

'...

The

Bh:igats believc in

the

play

as

a slraightforward romantic

comedy and claim thar their audiences appreciated it as such ...

Itheyl

do no(

think that it

can

be

peffbrmed

ironical]y.

'whalever

the reason. though. the speech did not work-it

remained a

pitfall

on

stage.

... In

frlaying

it straight, Shikha overlooked

Shakespeare' typical

insight inLo women characte6 that rcveals many

iayers of

personalily.

'-..

Bianca

(performed

with flair by

Sumitra

Bhaga0.

apparendy

the

model

o[

femininily,

playacts

perfcctly

thc

part

of the

gende.

submissive

daughter

...

Petrucnio

(acred

with a typical mix of bravado

and

pana€he

by Vimal) is not a bully but an intelligenl

man'-

25

April 1989.

Theatre

Ails

Workshop ond Shak€spear€

Soci€ty

of

Eastern

Indi.r

l,tlius

Caesat Mt ktangirlt

Rudra

Mukherjee as

BrutLrs,

Amilava Roy as

Caesar,

Bhaskar

Chatterjee

as

Mark Antony and Artemidorus, Santanu Dalla as Cassius,

Sudip

Sanyal

as Casca, Raja Mukherjee as Cicero and Marull0s, Siddhartha

Dey

as

Publius. Subhrajit

Chatterjee rs

Ligarius, Cinna

and

Flavius,

Aniruddha

Raychaudhuri as Decius

Brulus.

Jayania

Chowdhury

as

Melellus

and

Soothsayer,

DanarrcyaDatta as Cinna

the

Poel,

Biswarup

Sengupta

as Lucius, Oishika Chakraba(i as Calphurnia,

Mahua

Chalterjce

as Portia.

Dirccted

by Amilava

Roy.

Art

and

dcsign

by

Dattatreya

Datta.

Lights

by

Sararupa Sengupta.

Music by

Mahua Chalterjee

and

Shubhrajit

Chatterjee.

Cosumes

by

M.

K. Gupta and

Mahua

Chatterjee

From

the revicw

in Bafto

nn.9

May

1989

[translated

from

fie

Bensalil:

'The

Shakespeare

Society'sJultus

Caesar displayed

neither

acting

nor

composition

no.

evidence

of

thougha.

'Caesar.

Brutus,

Cicerc all

shouted

as much

as lay

in their

power.

Even

in

the

lamous

speech

alter

Caesar's death.

Brutus

simply kepl

shouling

out his

words

without the leasl

modulalion

... Aniony

a(empted

some

modulation hut

failed.

Caesar

even

shouted out

his

dying

words, "Et

tu.

Brulel"...

'The

less

said

about stage composilion

lhe

better'

.. There

was

some

background

music. but

it was never

property synchronised

wilh

'The

costumes

were

very much

in

modern

slyle

Brulus

appeared

throughout

the show

in

jeans

and

a

black

T-shit1.

Manv,

including

Caesar.

wore Bata

shoes.

and

when

Caesar

cntered

in

procession,

his

followers

bore

placards

designed

like

Congress flags.'

8

D€cember

190. Scenes

fmm Shak€spcare

acted in a

'Playing

Shakespe.re'

Competition

for

school

and

coll€ge

studcnts,

orgs_

nizcd by

th€

Shakesp€are

Society

of

Eastern

lndia.

M Mueller

Dh3van

tndrajit

Hazra,

a student

of Jadavpur

Uni\€rsity

(Depa(menl

of

English).

won

the best actor's

prize

for

the

Fool

in Knry

lzar.

8,9 April

1991.

Department

of Englisb

Jadavpur

Univcrsftv:

f,,?

Winlet\

Tale.

Gandhi

Bhavan,

Jrdavpur

Univ€$ity

Jaideep

Banerjee as

t-eontes, Sunanda

Mail.a

as

Hermionc'

Jaideep

Mukherjee

as Pol;xenes,

Chilralekha

Basu

as

Paulina,

Arkadvuti

Basu

as Camiuo,

Indrajit

Hazm as

Autolycus,

Abhijil Gupra

as Clown,

Dehashis

Banerjee

as Shepherd,

Arnab

Guha as

Nobleman.

Direcied

by

,Abhiit Gupta.

From

the review

by Ananda

Lal in

The Telegraph,

17

April

l99l:

'... the

eftbrt by

the Department

ol'English,

Jadavpur

University'

o

enact fte

whole of

Shakespearc's

fh?

Whter's

Tle

... is nol

only

commendable

hul

posilively

over_ambitious.

given the difficull

nature

of this

play.

'Not unexpcctedly,

thc

acting

ploved

rather

dileuantish.

Jaideep

90

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STACE

PRODUCTIONS

IN

ENGLISH



Ban€{ee failed

lo

define

rhe

pathological

character

of

Leonres

and

could

not control

an

involun{ary

mannedsm

of raising

his eyebrows.

Sunanda

M.titrat

Hermione

kept her head

uptjfted

roo high

to

cstablish

essenrial

eye

contacl.

The

Bohemians

fared

betrer

with

Polixcrcs

(J.rideep

Mukherjee)

bchaving

more

narurally,

and the

o,d

shepherd

(Dcbashis

Banerjee)

and

his

son

(Abhijir

Gupra, who

atso

directed)

playi.g

up the comic

scenes.

A

welcome

enlerprise,

even

if

naiYe in

geneml.'

From

the

review

]n

The

Statee

a,t,

I

May

l99l:

'tThe

playl

was direcled

by

Ahhijil

Gupta with

assislance

tiom

Sunanda

Mailra,

borh of thcm

srudenrs.

Thar

rhcy

did

nor

enjoy

the

dLrbious

bcnciiL

of

advice fronr

teachen

was

evident

lionr rhe

way

this

(range

fablc

canle 10 lil'e, crposing

Fssages

where

Shakespeare,s

hand

becamc unsteady.

Acadefiic

criticisn

always tinds

excuses

fbr

'...

Mamilius rrying

ro arange

a Rubik.s

cube or Leontes playjng

blind-man's

buliwith

his

son

were inraginariye addirions to lhc

spoken

word.

A11

speeches

in Act IlI,

Sccne

II.

except

for

Hernrione.s

self-

deience,

were reduced

b

ott'stage voices, presumabty

becausc

ot

lhe

nanow playing

rrea.'

6, 7 May 1992. The

Shakespeare

So{iety:

A,3 W"

nd

Ends

tVe

.

NIex Muele.

[havan

'The

Shakespeare

Socicty'

was

a nonce

organization

consisting

largely

ol studcnrs

of the Dcpartment

ofEnglish.

Jadavpur

University.

Rajesh

Krif,alani

as

Bcdram,

Rupanjana

Sengupta

as

Helena,

Chitralekha

Basu

as the

Countess

and Mariana,

Abhijit

Gupta as Lat-ew'

Rudra

Mukherjce

as

Parollcs, Jaideep Bancrjee

as

K;ng

of

Fmnce,

Indranee I

Mukherjee

s

Stcward.

Anushlup

Basu as

Durnaine

Scnior,

Arkap.ava

Gayen

as

Dumaine

Junior,

Debashish

Mukhelee

as Lavache.

Nidhi

Coomar

as

Diana,

Rama

KishDanuflhy

as rhe

Widow.

Direction

and scls

by

Rimi B. Chflre{ee.

Costumcs

by Nidhi

Cooma..

Music by Arun

John. Lights

by Sanraru

Bose.

Fronl lhc

programme

norei

'This

production

arc rprs to clear

away rhe layers

of

neglecl and

ger

at the authcDtic play

benearh

them. It

follows

Shakespeare\

rext

closely

wilh na

additions and

iew

cuts. ... We

found

in lhis

play

much

seriousness

and much

lun.

and

wc

hop

we

can communicate

this

Fmm

the

rcview by

Ananda Lal )n

Th

e Telegraph,

28

August I

992:

'...

rhe Shakespeare

Society

presenled

All3

lyell

Thdt E .1s weu ...

arguably

o.€ ofthe

Bard's

most

difiicull

plays ro

gauge.

Dircctor Rimi

Chatterjee has

done

well

to

respect rhe

lext but

r(ention

paid

to

the

surface layers also had

the

cftecl ofkeeping

the

darker aspeca

lurking

withi, the subtexl bcyond

the

grasp

oi Challe{ee and her

relatilcly

inexpedenced cast of college sludenls. However seveml of

them

showed

promisb

in dropphrg rhe sellconsciousness

lypical

of begin-

ning aclors,

panicularly

Jaideep Banerjee

(the

French

king), Rudra

Mukherjec

(Parolles),

Abhijit

Gupla

(Lafew)

and Nidhi CooDar

(Dicna).'

6

January

1997. Shak$peare Society

ofEastern India: Sc€nes and

songs

from

Shakespeflrc.

Brilish Council

5 February

1997.

DepartmeDt

of

Enslish,

Jadavpur

Uriversity:

The Merclwnt of Ue,rice.

M^x Muclltr

Bhayrn;

repeat

perfor-

manccs

on

29,

30 March

1997

at

C.D.

Birla

Sabhagar

Sohini

Sengupla

Halder as

Shylock,

Devalina Mookerjee as Antonia,

Vaishali Chosh as Portia, Sandeep Banerjee as Bassanio,

Ankita

Mukherji as

Jessica, Abhijit Banerjee

as

Lorenzo,

Arundhati Chanda

as

Nerissa,

Abhijil

Gupta

as

Oraliano,

Prodosh Bhattacharya as

Morocco and Aragon, Reshma Ghosh as Gobbo,

Mahira

Kakkar as

Solanio, Kumar

Snha as

Salerio. Sunandini

Banerje€

as

lhe Judge,

Arpila Kuila as Tubal, Ballhazrr and Magnifico, Suddh$ecl

Scn and

Sanjay Balachandran as Musicians.

Stage Dranagemert by Sunandini Banerjee. Lighling by

Anrnda Lal.

sound

by

Kumar

Saha.

Costumes by

Mahira Kakkar.

Scls by

Nandini

Das and Kasluri Basu. Propeiies by Arpita Kuila. Direcled

by Ananda

I.l

Ft(nn the Directots

Nate:

'...

Shakcspearc

did not wrilc fbr actresses. ... Four cenluries

latcr,

lilcmlure depanments

across

the world contain a majority

of ibmale

students.

With thc casting

pool

availible to nre. I laced the daunling

task

of tinding

men for

far loo

many male rolcs.

ln

olher

words,

Ih3d no oprion hul

ro

lrar\iomr

\urne

ul

rher

inro

uolrcrr-.rr.

J"

a

marcr

ol

fact.

The inlerpretalionJ'

)ou

nra)

discover in

this

produclion

rhus

result

fron

praclical

exigcncics

of

personnel. ...

92

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

SIACE

IN ENGI-ISH



'I

cannot take

credil for

making

a wornan

play

Shylock

... but

I have nol

yct

heard

of any sex change

done

to

Antonio.'

From

the review by Vshnupriya Sengupta

in nrs Asia Aee.

11

February 1997:

'Shy,ock ...

was

subjecl to double

discriminarion fbr

being

a

Jew

and a

woman.

Besides, the subllc hin(s

of a homossxual relationship

between bosom

pals.

Antonio

and Bassanio.

was

[ri.]

'exploired"

as

unrequiled love

with

Antonio

having

become Antonia

-..

'Inslead

of

peri6d

costumes, the characters

sported casual wear

...

rather

rhan

proclaiming

the

dialogue. fie characlers

chose iodeliver

them in a

conversational

style

adding

lift ro rhe

play'

From

the .eview

in The Telegnph,

T March

1997:

'Surprisingly,

the

director. Ananda

Lal's

attempt

ro

go

against the

grain

by

castins

women

as

Shylock

and Antonia

(sic) pays

otr

He brings

in a sense of

playlulness

to an

olheNise

hackncyed

interpreta(iol.'

From the review by Saikar Mazuodar

in

The

Eco

oDtic

'Iines,

13

Ma.ch

1997:

'...

(he

6cla( with

which

the feminine interpreterc

of male cha.acl€rs

carricd off thc

play,

made the

whole

prodLrction

a smoorh, flowing

success.

tDevalina

Mookcrjeel

llays

a cool,

poised

and sensitive

Antonio,

resDonsive

to

changes

in

emotion and mood....

Sohini

Sengupta

Halder in

the

role

of

a female

Shylock

...

taddsl

a

few

innoyative

touches

--.

to the character

of fte rich

Jewess,

Hers

is

a

Shylock

full of

humorous

malice ... thc

pctile

Vaishali Chosh

do€s

perttct

justice

[to

ihc

role

of Po a] ...

a

good

supporting

cast. with

Mahira's

[Solanio]

agilc

antics

enlivening

up the

mood

right

from

the

beginning.

...

Reshma

chosh

as

a

somewhat

androgynous

Launcelot

Gobbo-jumping and leaping

nnd running

all over the

sragei

not

infrequcntly spilling

over the rest of the audilodum

... makes us sorry

for

(he

amputation o[ her best scenes,

those

with

old cobbo. ... A

pleasant

surprise

was

Prodosh Bhattacharya

of the faculry as borh

the

princes

ol ... Morocco

and Ar.agon. He

acted

with

as nruch

gusro

as

[when]

he

swung his sword. wilh

poor

Portia

cowering

under

rhe

impact of

his swashbuckling

courtship

rhaL

came to naughr.'

From the review

by Dharani Chosh

in

Lie

Srdrerrmn, I I April 1997i

'...

rhe cast

..- has to

be

complinented on

irs ilfectious

enrhusiasm.

... ls it absolutely

neccssary lbr

Lal

to

asserr

his moderniiy

by

playing

"Macarena"

while

Shylock

leaves

home

for "hef

dinner

engagemenl

and

Jessi€a

receives

her

lover's

instructions

lhrough

Gobbo

(Acl

2

Scene

5)l'

From

the

review

by

saija

Sen

in

The Statesna

(yoice )' 11 Aptil

199',7l.

'...

The most intercsting innovation was the

music

that

was

Played

Among

lhem

was

Md.a,?Ird.

to

which

Jessica

and

Launcelor

danced'

Thef;

deletions

in the

play made

it all

the more

enjoyable'

as

they

led

lo the

play being

fast

Paced.

The

play

had

a

fcel

ofconlinuilv'

cven

wilh

the

changes.'

27,

28

lvlarch

1998.

Tolugunge

Clnbt

A

Midsummer

Nigltt\

Drearn.

Bsmboo

Grove,

Tollvgunge

Club

Rajeev

Dubey

as

Oberon,

Rajeshwari

Srinivasan

as Titania

Mahira

Kakkar

as Puck,

Dcejay

Kler as

Thes€us,

Sushmita

Dutt

as

Hippolyla'

Anil

vaswani

as Lysandet

kt-an

Ahmcd

as

Demetrius'

Rajyasree

Sen

as

Hemia,

Shan

Vaswani

as

Helena.

Simon

Scaddan

as Bottom'

Kalyan

Banerjee

as

Quince,

Sagnik

Goswami

as

Flute

Arijav

Prasad

as inout,

Mayukh

Rav

as

Snug'

Barun

Das

as Starleling'

Michael

Robertson

as

Egeus,

Subhash

Nag

Choudhury

as

Philostrate'

Nandila

Dubey,

Roshmi

Tanane,

Mirnalika

Bhanjdeo

and

Garima

Kaha

as

Fairies.

Adapkd

and

direcled

by Atcesh

Tankha

Sets

and

coslume

design

by

Gilanjali

Alagh

Jollv.

Audio-visuals

and sound

by

Dalip

Kakkar'

Lighling

by

Tom

Lai

stagc

Manager,

Ashmila

Acharya'

n.im

tfre

i"rie"

by

Ananda

Lal

it The

Teleenph,

14

APril

1998:

'..-

The

lall

bamboo brakes provided

the

natural backdrop

ror

the

Dlatlorm-.'overed

plcying area. so

lhrl

lhe

srreen

lor

slide

Projeclion

"r-o'r

.ecmcd a

Ie.hnolu*icil

apology'

For

hcrler

'ighl

lincs'

chrirr

were

anangcd

in

rows

on

differcnt

levels

approximating

bleachcrs

Slagc

lighting

was

susp€ndcd

frcm

horizonlal

bamboo

pol€s strung

'Shakespearc's

play

has

a euphoric,

romaniic

quality thal

the

mainly-young

cast

and

crcw

caplured

The

youlhlul lovers'

the

auendanl

fairies,

the

rovalty

of

bolh

Athenian

and

arcadian

rcalms'

the

rude

rechanicals,

all scemed

caughl

up by

lhis

magic'

Gilanjali

Jolly's

sel and

sylvan costu

re

designs

."

enhrnced

this

supcrnatural

PRODUCTIONS

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STAGE



PRODUCTIONS

IN ENGLISH

At

Birla

Sahhagar

(December

5rh).

Kishore

Bhimtlni\

schoolboyish

wisecracks,

A

Hamler,

Arya

Cupra,

'lar

and scant

01-

breath",

a rap

O(hello, Sco(

Macbeth,

WheD

he can

berlcr

ofl amuse

himsctf

With

barc

bodkinsi

who

woutd

parodies

bcar,

To

grunl

and

sweat

under sccondhand

pranks,

Bu{

only

passing

encrgetics

fion

Arnab

Bancrjee

and Gautam

Bhimani,

When

he

knows the

Jesuit iathers

a(ained

Educational

dranra

s highest

bourn

In

Errope

durinS

Shakcspearc's

own lilttinel

Thus consciencc

should havo

rnade

lhem cowards

afl.

And

thus Alumnorum

Socil)tas

Should

have

given

dris

action

g.aver

lhought.

As

an enbrpdse

of

grear

pirch

and momenl

Wirh

disrcgard

its currerts

rurned

awry,

And losl

the nanre

of

acring.i

effect.

The

direcroFadapre.,

Areesh

Tankha.

coutd

t.ace

criricism

for

lrLtn.Jting

the

tc\t

an.t

iur

rtle\frJn

tJJl,er.

hut

the

o\erd

chirm

enrnlnrcrJ

\reuc^

into

tbr8.vcne.,.

A ,rnc

touch

ram(

trom

a

$hote

pod

of

liute

fairies

aftending

Tirania

...

'The

mischiet

woven

by

puck

awoke

ar

teast

one

witd

uninvited

,:.1*l

""T

i,,

tcdr)

rcrch.

,r ruc(rou

sclt^

gor

x.iodicJtr,e\crted

enoush ro

rnrte

joud

com,n.,nts

Jnd

hi,rrionrc

inrcryecriuns.

... Jusr

the ghr

note

ol f.eral.

somewhat

ceric

yer

beaurifully

narural,

sound

to

upstage

puck.

piayed

energcticaly

by

Mahira

Kakkar.,

2J April

I'l9S.ShakespeaF

societ}

ot

fisrcrn

rndia:

Sccnes

from

,latntct,

iith

shake\pearein

songs

and

a

.shak$pcarean

nagic

show'

by

Subir

Dhar.

British

Council

: ?*:ITi'*:

{rumDorum

so.icras

lofsL

\cvier.s

coflesiate

schootlt

lokcofl

vith

sha*erp?arc.

G.D. Airta

Sabhagar

Atpdrenrly

derired.tron)

rh(

RcJucrd

Shrtc,pcJrc (

^n,pan)

\

pro

d^utron.

Ct

rl,lc

$hrt: at

Shat".p"at..

rn

Lon,ton

rnrt Ncq

Vort.

tnr.'reJ h)

Arvd

Cup,a.

Amib

Bincricr.

CrutJnr

Bh

n.,nr

rnd.rhcr,.

urrected

h)

Kr\hurc

Bhimani

,*

,:l':'.1,

AnJnlra

rit

in

rhe

t.kqdrh.

r0

Deccmhcr

rqqs,

sas

rirled

.Much

iJo

3hour

norhrnE..

'To

bcrn.

or

nor

ro

h(rn

rhr(

i..

(trc

,tuc,rron:

Whcrher

'ris

nohtcr

in

thc

mrnLt

ro

sutier

The

slings

and

arrows

of

ourrageous

rip-oiI.

Or to

rakc

arms

against

la,te

ojf with

Shakespedrc,

And

hy

opposing, quash

it. To

lili,

to

co.

\o

morc.

rnd f,1

c,g ,o

.ry

t"

t;r,

,;;

The

l?es or

r.)

ttics

ro

Wesrcrn

\uurres

Thar

we "borrow,.i

.ris

a

consunrnlation

Dcroul;y

1.

I...sirch'J.

To

tiir,

t,,

c^

Tu

c.s.

rc,rh,nJe

,cr"r

.

,1.

rtrc,c.

irrc

n,o.

For

by th

colicd

show

whal

lawsuirs

coxtr:

wlen

Llo\d

wel,her

J,\..

i

At).lLc,

L.ra,

Mu'r

rve

Thc

Otd

BoJ\

oJu.c:

rtF.(.,

rtI

rL"tc..l

They n$cd

I're

Rcdu.cd

\hJ[e.rc:rr..

CornfJn).

l-or

$hu

s'ould

hetJ

t.1tr,tr

,tJ

,

t,,,,t,,,,

PRODUCTIONS

IN

BENCALI



I

PRODUCTIONS

IN BENGALI

(A)

BY

LOCAL GROUPS

1870. A

group

from

Bantra'Ho'

rah'- Prubhaboti

(<The

Merchant

,/

yeric").

Bcniatola

rcsidcnce

of Kartikchandra

Bhatlacharya

Translator

unkno\,vn.

IBiLati

.htra

1873.

Company

unknown

Bhmmakaulk

(<Tlre

Coned

6

E/r.o's).

Venue

llnknown

(public

stage)

Adaplation

by

Benimadhab

Ghosh.

IBikni

J.t 1tl

11

t$r/f,ry

1814,

K$unkunari

(<Ctnbelirc).

N^tional

Thcatre

25

April

1874.

Thc

same.

Bengal

Thcatre

lMukhedec],

Great

National

Thcatre

[S.

Mira]

Adaptalion

by Chaodrakali

Ghosh.

The

dranatis

penonae

incltle.l

the

lollowihg

characlels:

Bajrabahu.

King ol Indorci

Birendrasi nha

and

Dhirendrasinha,

Princes of Indore;

Kusumkumari,

daughlerolthe

King

ol

lndorei

Jdcodsbar.

Qucen

of

lrdotc.

On

rcvcrse

oftille

page

in

pdnrcd 1ext, in English:

'On the old National

Theatre

(on

Dec.

7,

1873, the firsl

anniversary ol

tlhich was held

al

Saoyals'

house

[ric]

under the Presidency

of Babu

Monomohan

Bose),

Kusumkumari

was staged on

l?th

Jan.,

187'l-'

Th€ adap(or

wrole in lhe

(then

Bengali)

Arrlni] Jl.ar

Potrika ot

15

.lanuary

I874

lhcre

translatcdl:

'When

[Michael

Madhusudin

Dul('s.play]

Ktishnakunuri

was being

actcd

by thc

Sobhabara.

Dramarc Socicty,

some members

of

lhe

Sociely

asked

me to

wrire a

play

in chaslc

Bengali

lsadhu

bhdshlt)

lbllowing

the

patlern of one

of

Shakcsperrc's

plays I

fterelore

chose

Clirrbebre

and,

on

its

nrodel

(literallv "lollowing

i1s

hinLs"

-

db'ds

lair'a).

set

abour

cornposing

thc

play l(l.rrd*ll'']ari

Brt

Kusutt*unlari

is

not

an

cxact

translation

of C),.l'sl'r?'

Only

lbc

basic

idea

was

taken

liom

Shakespcare.

and

lhc

play composed

so $at

rhe

numbcr

oi

acls

rnd

the

size

of lhc

casl

might

be

kepl

wilhin

limils'

Care

was

ako

taken that

the aclors

nright havc

adequate

resl

bclween scenes' Hence

I

wrote Lhc

play

following

the

rules

that

currently

govern the

production

of

PIaYS

in

Bengali.'

lAhnred

3l october

1874.

Rxdmpa kMacbeth),

Great

National

Theatre

Adapr

ifl

by

Haralal

Rav.

Dra'u'is

peno ae

with

shakespeare'rn

cquivaients:

Rudrapal

(Macbclh), Chatudka

(l'adv

Macbe(h:

thc name

means

cunning

woman').

Surjvapal

(Duncan), Indralal

(Malcolm)'

Chandrapal

(Donalbain).

Binavpal

(Banquo)'

'Ihe

wi1ches

werc

re-

placed

bt

Bhairavis

(ascetic

lemale

devotees

ofSiva)

who, in the

lirsl

scene,

sing

a hymn

lo

the

goddess

Kali

rnd

plant a

lridcnl

on

the

soil.

There

are

rlso

various

later

relcrenccs

lo

thc

worship oi

Kali

Thc

play was

pofular. and

there

were

pcrfoffrancd

cven

ten

years

latcr.

as uttcsled

by

thc iollowing

ironic

rcporl

in Mdsik Prahdha

vol. l0

no.2,6

Magh

1290

lJanuarv

188'1.

translrlcd

ironl

lhe

Bcngalil:

'Wtdt

can

wc sry

about

the

&tingl

We

crnnot express

tbe

wondc6

wc

saw

cnacted

thal day

on

thc soil

oiBengal'

Evcry

inslant'

swect

and

cncouragirg

rcsponses

lrom

the

audicncc

like

"L'Irdd8'r"

(a

poisonou snake,

but

hlrre

=

-louder").

''i""i

/'ful"

(a

poisonous

heft.

but herc

=

'hcauLilul")'

'

reslr

L/ui

(Excellelrt,

brothe'l)

werc

poLrring down.

Thc

endlcss

imlrecalions

lro

r thc

audiencc

linally

brought

lhe

pc

onnance

to an

cnd half:way

lhrough'

27

February

$75.

Bhnnsi

ha

(<Or'rsll')

Bengal

:lheatre

Trarslatcd

by

Tarini

Pal.

Dr,?,r.ri

Ntlo

ae

\\ith

Shakespcnre'rn

cqui alentsr

Bhnnsinha

(Olhello

),

S

t

arnalala

(Dcsde i'rna) Bhairavsinha

(lago),

Sarama

(Lmiliu).

Repealed.

Therc

was

a

perlornruncc

on 8

April

1376

'Lt

tlrc Grcal

lBilati

J(ta

98

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STACE

April

1889.

Translation

ol The

Coned

o/ Er.rrs. Corinthian

PRODUCTIONS

IN

BENGALI

99

ot lhc

chrrsclers

unalletcd

"

Howe\er'



Theatr€

Translator

and

Beogali

tille

unkoown.

lAhmed

28

January

1893.

,l{dcr?ri.

MinerYa

Theatre

TranslaEd/adaplcd

by

Girish

Chandra Chosh-

English ramcs

and

original

situadon

retained.

Ci.ish

Chandra Ghosh

as

Macbeth, Tinkari

Dasi

as

Lady

Macbeth'

Haribhushan

Bhattacharya

as

Duncan. Surendranath

Ghosh

(Dani

Babu)

as Malcohn,

Aghorenath

Pathak

as

MacduiT

nnd

Hecale.

Ardhendu

Mustafi

ns Firsr

Wilch.

PorEr,

First Murdercr,

Old

Man

and

Doctor,

Prarnadasundad

as

Lady Macduff,

Kumud Sarkar lts

Banquo,

Kusurnkurnari

as

Fleancc,

Binodebehirri

shnme ls L'nnox'

Krishnalal

Chakrabarti

as

Ross.

Anukulchandra

Batabyal

as Angus,

Nibarrnchandra

Mukheiee

as Mentielh,

Thnd

Murderer

and Third

Wtch,

Chunilal

Deb as

Caithncss, Second

Murderer

and

Bloody

Se€can1,

Thakurdas

Chatlerjee

.ls

old

Seyward,

Nilmani

Ghosh

as

Young

Seyward

and

Sccond

Witch,

Nandaturi

Bhaliacharva

as

Scvton.

Nikhilendra

as

Donalbain.

Chayankumari

as Youog

Macdull

Harimali

as

Gcntlewonrrn.

I'Ir

Whcclard as

'stage direclor',

Mr.J.

Pimm

as

mrke Jt

and Jrcs

direclor'.

DharmuJJ'

Su'

\rage

mrlrlcr.

Dcb[anrhJ

R,c.hi

music dire(ror.

Fro_m

the

aarertise,rent

of

the

premiere in A tita Bazat

Pahikal

'Opening

night

/

Thc Minerva

Theatre / 6

Bcadon Slrcel

/ Saturduy,

the

28th

January 9

p.m.

/

Shakespeare

in

Bengal. /

MACBETH

/

I

have

got

the

piece

mounled

by

/ European

Artisls and

Dressed

/

it under

EuropeanL

Superv

ision /

and

"makc_up'by Mr

J Pimm

/

G.C.

Ghosh,

/

Manager.'

No

cxpense

was

spared

to

painl

the

scenes

in the

'Scotch

fashion

ol

fie

mcdieval

pcriod

'

lDas

Grpta

'It is

wcll known

fiat

Girishchandra

was deeply

inlluenced

by

Shakespeffe.

Being

himself

a

leading

llgure ol thc

dramatic

world.

therc

rvas

every

possibilily of

his

being able

1(,

Preserle

thc

drantatic

quxlity

ofthe

play

in his

composi(;on.

He

ried

io lollow Shakespeare

fhirhfully...

he

did

indced

rcanange

lhe

scenes

somewhal,

bul ftat

did

nol

inpair

the

ideas,

languagc,

rhylhm

and

coDlent

ol

thc

original

olav.

He

kenl

the

nume'

lJ*

nn

,,0'**',

,"rnd'

hc

xdded

r'rve

sons'

rhere

i' no

douhr

lhar

th-ese

.ong.

delracl

llom

lhc

uagic

'pllil

'

tAhmed:

translated

liom

the

Bengali

Although

fte

critics

rcclaimed

Ghosh's

Mn'heth

the

a\liience

,.l.ci"Jir.

ito.t

r,l'*"rr

$rote

lrr

nslared

from

rhc

Bcnsdlir:

when

",.i.*

*".

".'.0 ",,n.

Minerla.

rhe

hJll

war

rduxll)

omprv

Jiler

ttre

nrst

icw

nighs.

A

spectalor

who

attcnded one

of

the

early

shows

.ra,".".

"aO.

I have

been

seeing

plays for nearly

ten

years,

but

I

have

never

been

so

badly

cheated'''

'

From

the

retort

in

The

E

elishnar'

8 February

1893:

;s"i"

Grtr'h

cllandra

Ghose,

rhe

manager

lor

Minerva

Thcllrc]'

.,rJ\"a,f,.

*n

,r

Mdcherh

and

lhe

ph) as a

u'hole

s3s

trcll

rendered'

l' i"*r,'

r**

oi

Crwdor

hJ'

I

li\el)

'usgesrton

ol''nLonsruirv'

ir,

,n.

",,',t

ic

Jn

c\ronr'hrre

Iclroductt 'n

nl Ihc

rLrndard

convention

oI

the

English

slage''

From

llle

report

\o

l,tdim

Nltion'

20

February

1893:

ii,-'.

'.*"ir'r.,"

*,

ol

r

shdke'penan plav lhar

ir

hr'

been

rcreJ

'.

r"4".,i.".

bul

$c

cJn

'0y

ol

Ihrs

pla)

rhJl

rL

$r'

acled

scll :rr

;'M,;J',.

*.

F,n.

rhJr

ucre c'pccrlll)

$cll

Jone

were

rho\e

or

Macbeth,

of

Lady

Macbeth

who

had

a

Mrs

Siddons-like

appcarance'

rnd ol lhc

pnrrcr

...'

Laie

1896(?);

21

June

1897.

Irantuj

GHamkt)'Rsid€nce

of Kaviraj

Chandrakumar

S€n

and,later,

Classic

Theatre

,l

i",

"urt;".

p".to*on""s

under

thc

direclion

of

Chandrakumar

Sen'

organized

by.Victoria

CIub.

1S"n

Crp,u

AdaDlarion

l'y

Nagcndrrnath

ChdLrdhuri

The

pla)

hJ'l

5

J.l'

drtidcd

';;;/'..,;'.

uirh

to

cnorucrcr'

erct,ding

e\rrd''

lr

$r'

de'ribeJ

on

rhe

thle

pagc ol

the

printed

edition

as

'A tragedy

bascd

on

historical

evenls'.

L.",.nat*u,},

Dult

as

Hariraj

(Hamtel)'

Tx

qtrndari (from

1905'

Xusumkurnari.l

as

Aruna

(Oph€lia),

Chhotolani

as

Srilekha

(Gertrudc)'

Hor*fr"tn*

ol"a"n.ya

as

Jayatar

(Claudius)'

Gosthabehari

Ctrakrata,ri

as

Kuladdhvai

Golonius).

Prama$ana$

Das

as

Kalhan'

Bholanaih

Das

as

Dadhimukh.

Kshudibala

as

Surama'

SaroJmr

as

r"rotinu.

rnluri"

tv

eu.rrchosh'

Directed

by

Amarendranalh

Dutt'

who

100

SHAKESPEARB

ON

THE CALCUTTA

SIA6E

PRODUCTIONS

IN

BENCALI

IOI

sumassed

him\elt

in

n l

Hari''ajl'

l

i(rn

e\lremelv

ditficutr

pari and

ir'

and



was the

manager

of

the

Classic

Theare

from

I89?

'Nasendranarh Chdudhuris

\ersion

is

not

rery

tuirhlul

ro lhe

onei;1.-He

ha'

acrually

sengalizcd

the

pldy Many

ot

the

characler'

anJ

incidents

are

his

own

crealions

and

addiiions,

so

lhal

the story

has

been

grearty

moriined.In

this

play, a sistcr

ofHamlcfs

is

the

wile

oi

ctauai"us

ttre

stain

tring\

brother'

and

a comic

Brahman

is

entirelv

Nasendranarh

s

o$n

crcetion.

Io

makc lhe

plol

more inrncare

he

h&

.aie

gamler

or

Hrriral

'

mothcr

r

parr)

ro

rhe

murder

oi

rhe

king'

He

has

aalded

ll

songs

to the

play The dialogue

has

also

oflen

been

changedr

ttrere

is

a ciear

influencc

of

Girishchandra

Ghosh's

use

of

lAhntcd:

trans]aled

liom

thc

Bengali

'Hdliral

has

nbihirg

of

rcal

hisbry'

Il

is

set

in

Kashmir

and

has

a

",".,

*il"rt

in

."uoln

o,ern.rts

bas

distinct

resemblance

wilh lhat

of

i.L"r.

tlorrrui

is

a

prince whosc

father

has been

murdered

by

his

General

(Jayakar).

His

molhe'

(S lckha)

is in

love

with

the

murderer'

The Chosl

oI $e

murdered

king

appears

and

reveals

ihe

secrct

to

tru'i,u, anO

a.f'

t,,,o

rrfe

revenge

on

lhe

murdercr

wilhour

rouching

,n" In",f,*

ff,.

rn*f'".

'hoLlJ

be lelr

lo

\ulter

on

hc- u$n'

Silelha'

trowever,

is

an

ambitlous

woman'

She

wants

to

supplant

her son'

who

is

set

up by

the

nobles

on

lhe

firone

of

Kashmir

alier

his

tatbc's

death.

Srilekha

excites

he.

lover

Javakar

(who has a

wife Malina)

to

re."""

ffa.i*,:

t"

."fe

rhe

way

10 the

throne

clea'

A

conspiracy

is

haichea.

Jayakar

srarrs

Hariraj

and

is

in

turn stabbed

by

hin'

Srilekba

,,,.^

i*o

ir,"

"*,

," *"

hcr

lile'

Orher

charrcler'

'rre

K:rlhan

lriend

'"i,irr,,,j.

',

a'"

""n

sur3mu'

Hdrirais

riner: KulJddh'dJ

J

nohlc

ln

tle

ting

s

coun,

w;rfr

whose

daughter

Aruna

Hanraj

is

in love

but

'

whon

heicjecls

attcr

hearing

the

sordid

story

of his

fathe's

murder'

and

Dadhimukh,

a

Brahman

who

acts

as

an

observe

commentator

,rO

1"".**

and

also

provides

rbe

humour

of

this

plai

Written

in

iror"n

ttunr

verse

miicd

with

prose, and

coniaining

a

nuruber

of

,.ns'

"na

d,ncc'.

Harirai

6 a

mcludrJrnr

$hrch

Amrren'trcnalh

Or" f"*a.'

convenienl

rch:ile lor

hi'.)un

n)lc

"l

fllmboyanl

acting

...

lMukherjee

From

a rcview

in

The

India

lt'lirfir'

22 Mav

1900:

lw"

*rrt

.urf"rt

that

Babu

Amarendranath'

rightly

called

by

the

theatre-going

public the

Carrick

ol

ihe

Bengal

stage'

absoiutely

,.i#;;;

;"";

".,",'

in

Lngr'na

sho

are

upro

prd)ins

;";;"-;;;;;;,-i;';

weu

as

ro

compare

ravourabrv

with

some

or

the

best

actors

;n

England''

"-

;;;;;,'

exriemell

popL'trr

anLl

rcvrved

c'nrinurllv

['r

.,".,';;;".

i"

I

o"'r"*'*'

on 5

rurv

Ia02

ir

$d' aLrtenr'ed

,"

,i":"'"i,

,r.*a.;-m

190s,

Kusumkumari

rePlaced

rarasundan'

;

';J;it;;r"

leoe

at

the star rheatre

had

Amarendrana&

,.

"i

..,"i

,.,*"t",

Go'sami

a' Javrkar'

Ku'uml'umari

d'

al,'.inr

rra

,"'***'

rBlack)t ds

Aruna'

5ce

dlsl'

under

Janudo

1925.

28 NoYember

1r8gg.

Mocbeth'

Clsssk

Theatre

Girish

Chandra

Ghosh's

translation

(sec

'893)'

n,*.*Or"*,n

Dult

acted

the

lead-in

this

production

21

June,

5

Julv

lg02'

Madh

jaItilti

(<A Mills

nrnet

Nich{s

Dream).

Minerva

Theatr€

Translabr

unknown

Ad\erri'emenr

in

Ih?

B?

8a1"

-

2l

lune lq02

i,;;";i*";

Plarlr

Alon

s

s$an

in

Minerva

'

Lakel

/ Grdnd

.t,ile;,t-

Nishri/

MINTR\A

IHLATRE

/

sarurddv

rhe

2lsl

irr..

.l

t

pln. ,

*^onu

JAMII'I

/

Adapr'd

dnd

Iran'larcd

irom

llil

v;,1

.i...,

1'.rgl,r

.

Drcaml

'/

A

verirable

dreJm

ol

Lovelinc"

and

Love '

5

M^reh

1904.Jahanara

kA

Mitsummer

Night's

Dream)

unique

Th€atr€

An

'oDera'.

adapred

b)

Salish\handra

Charlerjee'

cu'L,

iu*

rnauii

aq

lrhxndrJ

Kiran'hi'hi

as

Ajinard'

i'.-

J.

"*.a.

loreword

lrrJn'lJrcJ

rrom

rhe

Bengalil:

:;;;;,;;;,-;'

been

compo'ed

rorrowrnP

the rhddow

r''ria)a

,i.i*,lt*A

ot

A Mid'\

mnler

Nisht's

Dream

bv

rhe

sreat

poer

li,;;;;;;,

.mperor

of

the

occidenlal

poetic

world'

universallv

*"..n-rr"a.l

**

*""

'p

m)

pen to

tbllow

the

model

of

fiat

great

"*i

o'ri

t r,"*

o*,

forced

ro

mrke

man)

changc'

in the

characrer'

l;",;;;

;ri",

interrisrhre

ro

rhe

ordindr)

men and

$ornen

or

our

:-',;;;' ;,:

,.o

ro

do-

'o

arr

rhc

more

bv

currenr

rcrins

practice

IO2

SI]AIGSPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA STAOE

and the

tastes

of the contemporary

audience. ...

I

would

exhori

PRODUCTIONS

IN AENCALI

IOI

,l

December

lgli-

Saoddgar

(<The

Merchant

oI

uenice), St^r



those who hope to see

an undis(orted inrage of ,4

Mldru

nler

Night\

Drcarr in

this litile musical

drama

of

mine.

to

abandon rhat hope

at

'Salishchandra

has recast the names ol the

cha.acters and the

selting

in

Indian

guise.

Having

the

popular

historical

drama of his

day

in

mind, he

bls

nrade

bis

characrcrs memb€rs

of

arislocratic

Muslim

society Bur

although he

has made rhe

dialogue

appropriate

to such a society,

he

has not

bcen

abte

to

depicl lhat

socieiy

in

his

play.

Hc has conrposed

a

prologue

according to the Indian

style. and

ndded

a scenic specracle

(krura

ko) in verse.

He

has added

many

songs to

meel ihe

demands

of

a

musical

play,

ciling

lhe

ragas

and

raginis,

and the talas to

which

they are set. His dra rtis perso

ae

are named

Mansij,

Marirm,

Nasiruddin,

Nasrat

Khan,Jahanara,

Ajinarn,

Abhaunt\ Amina etc.'

lAhmcdi

rranslaled

from

the Bengali

2l

January

1905.

Norra

Ke

(<Comedr

of

Etots).

Classic

Theatre

Translated/adapted

by

Nagendranarh

Ghoslr.

Anarendm Dutt as Dromio.

lBhatlacharya

16

lnlr

l9l0. Ba abala

(<Meds

rc

fo.

Measwe).

Natiooal Th€atr€

Trans,ated/adapted by Beharilal Durta.

Fron

the adve(isement in Awita Baa Parrika, 16 July l9l0:

'A

Grand

Shakespearean

Re\,ival

/ A New

Epoch

in tndian Stage /

An

adaptation

from

Shakespeare\

/ "Measui: for

Measure"

/ Our

new

T.agi

Comedy

...'

5 September

1914.

Creopdrlo.

Minerva

Thcatre

A

play

by Pmmathanalh Bhaliacharya bascd

chiefly

on Rider Haggad's

noyel Cleopatru

bur

also

partly

on Antory

and

CLeopatra.

Cast: Surendranalh

Ghosh

(Dani

Babu]

as Antony, Tarasundari as

Cleopatra, Pdyanath

Chosh as Caesar,

Niradasundari as

Charmian,

Sarojini as Oclalia.

lRilati

Jatra

Theatre

Trcnslared/adaplcd

hy

BhunendmnJlh

Banerjee

cnsr: Amarendranath

Dutt as

Kulirak

(Shylock).

Dhirendmnalh

Mukhopadhyay

as

Anilkunrar

(Antonio). Kusuokumari

as

Pratibha

(Porlia),

Kunialal

Chakrabarti

as

Basantakumar

(Bassanio),

Manmathanath Pal

(Handu

Babu)

as

NAanian

(Lorenzo), Naravani

as

Niraja

(Nerissa), Ascharjyamayee

as

Julhika

(Jessica), Kashinath

Chattopadhyay

ls

Natabar

(Launcelot Gobbo),

Akshaykumar

Chakrab.rti

as

Natabar\

Father

(Old

Gobbo),

Nripendranath

Basu

as

Alhade

(Nalabar's

son), Lakshmikanta

MukhoPadhvay

as Raja

Bijaysinha

(Duke

of

venice).

Directed

by

Amritalal

Basu

The advertisemen

I in

ft.

Bersdtu?,

4

December

l9

I

5,

announced

'Dazring

SccncrylCostly

Costumesl

.. Bhupen

Babu's

Charming New

Conredy

...

Abuodant

Channing

Songs

and

Cracctul

Darcesl'

Afler

the

untimely

death

ofAmareDdranalh

Dutl

(Kulirak was his

lasi rcle),

lhe

play could not

contiDue

lor long,

though

Kunjalal

Chakrabad

appearcd

as Shylock

for

a few

nights

fronr

I

January

1916.

fchoudhurY

29 Noyernber

1916. Scenes

and songs

fmm

Harirdi

^nd

sao,Iagar'

Star

Theatre

Monmohan Goswani

as

Hariraj,

Akshayku,nar

Chakrrharti

as

Dadhinlukh.

Kusum*umad

as Srilekha.

Ascha4yamayee

as

A.una,

Mrinalini

as Malina.

23 Septemb€r

1917. Seshbesh

(<A

's

lUetl

That Ends We

).

Star

Theatre

TrJnJ.rrcd

b) sourildramohrn

MukhopadhlJ).

lBhatlacharya

8, 15,

16

March

1919.

othe o, Star

Th€atre

Translated

by Devcndranath

Basu.

T.r^kna* Palil fdescribed as

'AmateLlr'

in lhe adverliscnrent

ciled

bclow)

as OtheUor

TaBsundari

as

Desdcmona,

Apareshchandra

Mukhopadhyay

as

lago,

Probodhchandra

Basu

as

Cassio,

l

IO4

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA

STACE

Nagendranath Chosh as Roder,go, Niradasundari

as

Emilia,

Manimala

@nslatcd

l-rom

the

Bengalil:

PRODUCTIONS IN BENCALI



as Bianca, Lakshmikanra

Mukhopadhyay

as Brabantio,

Atindranarh

Bhattacharyn as thc Duke.

Sets

by

Parcshchandra

Basu

(Patal

Babu)

under

lhe

direclron

or

ProL.odh(

lru nJrJ

BJsu.

From fie

translator's Prcface

to the

first

pdolcd

editioD

(March

t9l9):

'lf

this translation has any

merirs, they are

owing lo him who

has

moistened such dry clay as myself

inro a state

lit to be fashioned.

namely.

the

crown-jewcl of

dramatic

poers,

Girishchandra

[chosh].

The

defects are all nry own. .-.

The work

is mcanl

o

be acrcd

on

stage.

The language

has been

guided

throughou

by

rhis

rcquircnrent.

...

One

more word: wilhoul

lhc

enthusiasm,

labour,

boldness and

sacrif-ice of

lhe

present

expcri Manager

of

the

Srar

Theare.

my

betoved Srj

Apareshchandra. Shakcspeare

could not

possibly

have heen

re-

established on the Bengali srage.'

lTranslaled

liom

the Bengali]

Advertisement in The

Betryalee,8 March

l9l9:

'EPOCH MAKING

EVENT

...

/OTHELLO/ Rcndered

into bearriful

Bcngali

hy

/

The

well-known literary

veteran

/

DEVENDRA

N,\TH

BASU/Coslumes

and

Wigs etc

from

Euro,/pean Firms / General

Makc

up by

/ Messrs Watson

and

SumDrers

/

Scenery

specially

prepared

lor the oc-/casion according

to the directions /

ol

such rccognised

/

Shakespeaiean Authoritics as

/MR.

c. H. BOOTH

and SIR / HENRY

IRVING / In n word,

/ the

piece

will he

produced

on a

Scale /

oi

Splcndour / Hilherio Unattcmplcd

on any / lndian

Stage.'

From thc rcview

in The

BeaCaLee,

15

March

l9l9l

'On lhc firsl

lwo

nights.

thcrc

was

a

remendous rush

...

and

we

were assurcd

hy

more than one

criric

that the acting

of Desdemona

approached

perfcclion

and

the heroine

had

shown a remarkablc

powcr

oi

adaptability

which

extorted unstillted puise

fiom

rhe

19

JlJne

1920.

Kuhaki

(<4

Mi

u'

mer

Night's Dfta,/).

Star Th€atre

Translated

by Devendranath Basu.

lBil

ti Jattu

19

January

1925.

BhikhariniThe

tret Ha

j

(4lamrer).

Monnohan

Natyamandir

Nagendranath

Chaudhud's adaplation

(see

1896

97).

From announcemenr

in Nocllshar.3

Mash

t33t

lJanuary

1925.

'A thealrical

group

called "Bhikharini Thealre" \rill act Hatuaj and

Hiruwnfi or, Monday nex( it the Monnlohan Natydnrandir This

group

consists

enlirely

of women. The

proceeds

ol

the show will bc

used

lor

works

of

public

wcll-arc.

It

is a

good

sign

that, although

they

rre

beyond

the

palc

ofsocicty,

the

heal1s of

hapless

l-allen

women

also

respond to

ihc suf-fering of

thc courtry.'

22 September

1926. Sel€cted scenes fmm Othello- Stat The tre

Delendranalh

Basu's translation

(see

l9l9).

Ahindra

Choudhury as

Olhello,

Durgadas

Bancrjcc

as

Iago-

tMukherjce

29

Scptcmber

1926.

Selected

scenes from Macr"lt.

Stnr

Theetr€

Girish Chandra Ghosh

s

lranslalion

Gee

1893).

The occasion

lvas

the

installarion of

a

slatue of

Ghosh.

Ahindm Choudhury as Macbe(h. Sushilasundari as Lady

Macheth.

tMukherjee

F€bruary 1945. Selected

scenes

from

Macr?r/r. R

ngmahal

Girish Chandra Ghosh's tunslation. Perlormed at a

function

lo

pay

homage to him.

IBilati

Jata

Bangiya

Shakespear€

Parishad

Thc Bangiya

Shakespeare Parishad

was set

up

in

I95l

lo

organi/e

and

cncourage lhc study,

translalion and

produclion

of

Shakespeare's

plays

in

Bengali. It

published

lhree

translalions:

Ma.r?/? by Nirendranath P.ay, The Metthatt

ol

vrr,.e

by Sunilkumar

Chaterjcc, a.d

As You Like It by

Sunilkumar Chatlcrjce.

Productions:

The Bangiya

Shakcspearc

Parishad

sponsored

a

partial

production

of

Mdtb?th by the

Irdian

People's

Thearre Associalion

in

1952.

and

a

iull-flcdgcd one by

Rabindra Natya

Parishad in 1951- The Mefth.ui of V.ttice

was

produced

by

rhc Li11le Thcat.e

Group

in l95l and the

IPTA in 1955

(sec

bclow).'The

Parishad

celebraled

Shakespeare

Day on

23 April

1955

(scc

Chapto I

D)

and

PRODUCTTONS IN

BENCALI

t06

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STA6E

From

lhe

programnre note:



produced

71e

M"rchd"t

ol

Ue

ice ir English in 1964.

The Parishad had

its

offlce

al Bangabasi

Colleg€

(whcre

Nirendranath Ray

was

a celebrated lea.her

ol Shakespeare).

lAhnled

23

April 1953.

Little Theatre

Group: rr,

Mercha t oJ

Ve

ice.

Univ€rsity

Insti(ute

Hall

Translated by Sunilkuniar

Cha(crjee.

Sponsored by Ba.giya

Shakespeare Prrishad.

Utpal Dutt as Shylock, P.emashis

Sen

as

Antonio. Kllindi

Sen

aS

Portia. Sunil Ray

as Bassanio,

Sckhar

Cliatlerjec

as

Gratiano.

Salya

Bandyopadhyay as Lorenzo. Anuradha

Ray

as

Nerissa,

cila

Sen as

Jcssica.

Rabi

Ghosh as

Launoelol

Gobbo,

Bhola Di*ta

as Solanio,

Birendra Dalta

as

Salcrio,

Provash

Bose as Tubal, Jyoli Sen ris Dukc.

Frcnl a 1957

brochure of the Lirde Thcare

croup:

'We look a healthy delision: Io slage Shakespeare

in

tmnslalion. Bu1

aftcr

slarting

ofl

with

a

lruly

territ'le

production

o,

Sunil

Chatrerjee's

cxquisite translation of The Menlla

t

d

Uenice. wc

l-elt

somewhar

7 November

l9S{.

Little

Theatro G.olup: Macbeth.

Ncw Empire

([requently

r€p€ated at various veoues.

Th€

p€rformanc€

on 15

July

1957 at Rungmah5l Th€alre 1ra$

announced

as

th€

Slst. Among

olher

shows wrrc those

at Biswarupa Theatre

on 18

July

1958;

and

oo rhe Utfarpa.a

Public Library Grornds,

originally announc€d

for

U

May 1958

but

pGtponcd

to

7Jun€

owing to bad

seathet

to mise

funds

for the

journal

Syadli"ard.)

Translnted by Jyotirind.anath Sengup{.t.

Utpal

Du(

as

Macbeth,

Sova Sen as Lady Macbeth,

Sunil Ray

as

Brlquo, Kan(i Mukherjee

as Duocan, Sarya Bandyopadhyay

as

Malcolm,

Dhruba Raychaudhuri

as

Donalbain, Sckhar

Chrlrerjee

as

MLrcdulT, Rabi Ghosh

as

thc Po(er

and Seyward, Ta.un

Mitu as Ross.

Prolash Bosc as Lcnnox, Indranath

Guha as Flcr

ce, Tarun Ch,r erjce

as

Fi6t Muderer,

Samaresh Bane{ee as Sccond

Murdcrer:

Krlindi

Sen. R.rbi

Ghosh

and Samarcsh Banclcc

as

Witchcs. Therc

wcrc sonre

cfianges

in

laier

perfomances.

Dirccled

by

UQal Du(. Lights

by

Tapas

Sen. Stage nranager and set

designer Bibhuli

Mukhedee.

'scholars mighl

debate

whelher

lhe

poelic

qualities

oi

Shak€spearc

are

prcserved

in translation.

-..

The aclor

looks

elsewhere.

If

th€

languag€

of lhe

translation

contains thcalrical

polcnlial.

and thc

true

nalurc

of

the cha.aclerc

is

prcserved

despite

the

oulward

changc'

then

the

plxy

is acceplable

to

the

actor. ll

is

in

respect of

lhese

lwo

f-actors

that we have

bccn

attracled

to Jyotirindr{nalh

SenguPta's

Bengali

translation

of

Ma$eth-

We arc

producing

il

in

the

hope Ihat

the

audience

will also conline

their

iudgment

lo lhe\.

two issues.

However.

we

must

acknowledge

il as

a shorlcoming

lhat

we havc nol

been

able

lo

prescrve the

dislinclive

huc

and

amosphere

ol

a

Shakespcffc

play.'

Frr)ln

the review

;n The

Statesnwt,

Novcmber

1954:

'It was a l-ast

moving. noisy

produclion

-

somedrrcs

pe raps a lilde

too

noisy

-

and a

good

deal

ol lhe

versc

wtN

shoulcd

awkwardly.

... For the

sake of

spccd some

porlions were cut out

and there

werc

a taw

unfbtunate

departures

from the

1cxt.

'Bu1 the

company showed

a

great

deal

of

healthy

enthusiasm

md doggod

determination

to

make

the best

ol a

badly

Lranslated

play

and

ir should be congratulated

ior its commendable

clfort lo

prcscnt

Shakcspeare

in

Bcngali. ...

'Thc

setling

of

lhe

castle

with steps

and dark

pas$ges

in

fionl

ollhc

sccnc

was excellcnl,

ard skilful

Iighting

cfitcts

werc inlroduced

b\

'lrDJ'

Scn.

Bul

'omc

mrgicdl

illu.i.n'

creuted

whcn

Machrrh

,..,,ir..,1

ri"

o,rct".

u.r#

Jrcddlull)

^vcipicrorIrl.'

From

the review

]n S adhhdta

[traoslated

from

the Bengali]:

'The

overall

production by Utpal

Dull descrves

high

praise.

Ir

parlicular,

Bibhuti

Mukherjee's

stage

design

and Tapas

Sen's

l;ghting

enhanccd

the

technical

erpetise

of

the

produclion.' This review.

1oo,

nrentions

the consi(cotl)

high

pilch

and

volunre

oi

delivery

in the murlier

sccne,

whcrc il is suggested

thd

Macbelh

aDd

Lady

Macbeth

s loud

cxchanges

nrusi halc

been audible

in elery

comer

23

April 1955. Scenes

from

nrc Me.chLttt

of

Ve irc *d Otl,elo.

Raj Bhavan

Cclchmtion

ol

Shakesperrc

Day

by

Bangiya

SlrakesPeai:

Parishad.

Scc

Chaptcr

I

D.

IO8

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STAGE

11

May

1955.

Indian

People's

Theatre Association

(IPTA):

fte

PI{ODUCTIONS

IN

BENCALI

Sarya

Bandyopadhyay

as

Cassio,

Rabi

Ghosh

as

Roderigo'

Sova

Sen



Merchant

oI

verrce.

St

Paul's

School

Hall;

(from

June

1955)

Min€rYa

Theatre

Under the

auspices

ol

Lhc

Bangiya Shakespearc

Parishad-

Nhmal

chosh

as

Shylock,

Kalikrishna

Banerjee

as

Anlonio,

Asima

Chaudhuri

as Portia,

Tapan

Chatterjce

as

Bassanio,

Anjali

Som

as

Nerissa,

Nani

Banedee

as Lorenzo,

Hasi

Chatter.jec

as Jessica,

Samir

Banerjce

as

Cratiano.

AjitBasu

as

Solanio.

Kamil

s'rt'r

'q

Salerio'

Satya

Chakabarti

as

Tubal,

Dhhaj

Basu as

l"auncelot

Gobbo,

Dwijen

Milra

as

Old

Gobbo.

DhecEd

by Nirmxl

Ghosh.

From fte

review

in The

Statesru

,

l0

June

1955:

'lThe

productionl

demonslrated

anevr'

that

howcver adroitly

a

irans

lator

may

do

his

job,

much depends

on

perlormen

lo

liit the

Bengali

version

of a

Shakespcare

play

oul

ofan unnatuBl

and

inelastic mould'

... Tlre

IPTA,

which

once

scrupulously

followed

ihese

Principles

ir

their

dramatic

produclions,

havc

thrown

them

.lll

away in this

play

30

Aprit 1956.

Little

Theatre

Group:

Scenes

from

'h'elfth

Night

^nd

Julius

Caesar.

South

Poirt

High

School

The

occasion:

l-elicitation

ol Salyajit

Ray lbr Potller

Pancllali'

Casl

ior

n

.#rlr Nishr:

Tarun

Mitra

as

Sir

Tobv Belch,

Rabi

Ghosh

as Sir

Andrew

Aguecheel,

Sova

Sen

as

Maria, Utpal

Dutt

as Malvolio'

Cast

for

Jrlirr

Cr€rdi

Rabi

Ghosh

as Casca,

Tarun

Mitra

as Brutus,

Sekhar

Chatlerjce

as Cassius,

Ulpal

Dult as Cacsar,

SalilBhattacbarya

xs

Trebonius.

The

scenes

presented

fron]

J

lius

Caesat

werc

rhe

r

urder scenc

and

rhe

scene

in

Brutus' tenl-

The

scenes

liom

Tn)ewh

Night

werc

repeated

on I 7

August

and

5

Oclober

at Tilak

HaU,

Maharashtra

Nivas'

(Cf:

Dul's

English

produclions ol J,liur

Caevr

a$d Tfelfit

Niiht

in

Chapter

I-D,

15-17

July

and 2

8

sep 1949.)

FebruarJ

1957. Little

Thcatrecranpt

Julius

Caesar-

Venue

unknown

Translatcd

by

Jyotirindranath

Tagorc.

(Ct

laler

cnlry undcr

10 April

r964.)

8

Dec€mber

1958.

Little Theatre

Group:

Orrre

o.

Bismrupa

Ulpal

Dutt

3s Othello,

Nilinrn

Das as

Desdemona,

Tarrn

Mitra as

Iago.

".

i,niria.

Lr,lt.o

Cuha

as

Bianca,

Sunil

Rav

as Brabantio'

Chandi

Chalterjee

as

Graliaro.

Bidhai

Mukher.jee

as

Lodo ico'

Nimai

Ghosh

as lhe;ukc,

Dipcsh

Scn

as

Montano'

(Cf' Dutt's

English

pDducdon

in I948,

Chapler

I D.)

l0

April,3

Mny

1964.

Little

Theatre

Group:

'I

tizs

Cdesar'

Minerva

Announccd

as

a production

ol

J,lli'r

Ca?rdr

'ihrough

conEmporary

eyes'

('sanakatet .hoilP

)'

though

;t used

the

l9th

cenlurv

trans_

lation

by JYotidndrunath

Tagorc'

The

cast

list

was

divided

inlo

three

groups as

fbllows:

'Followcrs

ol

Caesal

('Caes'rrpa thi?dn'):

Utpal

Dult

as

Caesa

Satya

Bandyop&lhyay

as

Mark

Antonv,

Ni'jr

l Guha

Ray

as Ocravius'

patanr

Oas

as

Lcpidus.

J.ryasri

Kar

as Cxlpu'nia'

Suiil

Gupta

as

RcnLbli.' n.

\-sadt

oL\14n\dn'':

Arun

Rr)

r'

Brulu''

M:rli)

v',irrcrrec r, C*su',

Brrc'htrnr

\rrkhel

J' Ca'ra'

SdnrJnu

Gho\h

rs

Decius.

Anil

Mrndal

as

Trcbonius,

Bircn

Majunldar

as

Mcrellus

Cimber.

NabakumarDas

as

Cinna

ftc

Conspirulor'

Nilima

Das

as

Portia'

Krishrn

Kumar

as

Ciccro,

Anil

Ghosh

as

Popilius

lrna

'Tlrc

Pcoplc

(rd,a/.i):

including

Pralrv

B.lsu

as

Cinna

tlrc

Poet-

From

rhc

repori

in air,,l,

slum

Sta

daftl'

I?

Apdl

1964

bv

RoyNK

aN.K.

Rov):

:sLatespcrre

ncsti,rt

tnauguralcd.

As u\ual

wilh actor-producr

Ulprl

OuLr

anrl

nls troupe,

rtrcre

was

a

good

dealofsplendour

ol

lerbiagc

and

scenes

-

about

thc

show.

...

The

distinction

ahout

lllc

prcduction

was

thc modern

shape

of

idcological

strugglc

givcn

1o

the

play

located

in

a

lasoist

counlry

comPlcte

trith

ils

diabolical

insignia

The

lcliisl

bias'

could not be

nlissed

Lrtpal

Dutl

[spokc

hilbrc

Lhe

pertor

manccl

learnedly

on

the

Poe

dramxtisl\

sooial

consciousness''

(Cf.

Dutl's

earlier

producrion

in 1957

and

English

prcduclion

in

l9:19.)

23 April

1964.

lndian

People's

Theatre

Associstion

{Sirnantik

Sakhnl:./xlias

Ca€sa,:

Ambasan

Nlaidan

ai

Dtrm Dtrm

Dircctcd

bY

Chirrunjan

Das.

From

the

rcporL

in

Ja.q.7nn

,

l8

April

196'l

[lranslated

lrcor

the

Bengalil:

IIO

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA STA6E

'The

Simanlik

Sakha of rhe IPTA has organircd

a monlh-long

PRODUCTIONS IN BENCALI I I I

this

occasioo

artistes of "Udayachal"

will

slage "Hamlet" in

Bengali.'



progmmmc

10 celebrate

Shakesp€are's 4tuh birrhday.

J

lius

Caesar

will b€

prtsenled.

There wil,

also

be

rhe

snging of

selecred

scenes

from O/,ello. one-act

plays

and discussion about lhem,

and seminnrs

and

debates. These

even$

will

circulate round

Calcuua

and

rhe

suburbs. A souvenir

volurne

will also

b€ issued.

The tint

pcrlormancc

ofJ /ids

Cderar will

be on 23 Apdl at the

Ambagan Maidan

at Dun)

Dum.

The

play

has

been.direcred

by

Chiruranjan Das.

The

music

and

lishts

are h€ing direcled

by

Kshilish

Basu and

Rabi

Chakrabarti

24-26Ap.il,9

and

17 May

1964.

Little

Theatre

Grotpt Ronteo

and

Jrliet

Minerva

Translated and dirccrcd by

Urpal Dutt.

Cast lis1

divided

as

iollows:

The Capulels:

S ntanu

Chosh

as

Capulct,

Nilima Drs

as

Lady Capulet,

Reena Ghosh ns

Juliet, Sova Sen as the Nurse, Arun Ray

as

Tybalr.

S|nrar

Nag

as Peler, Ami Gupta as Sampson, Bireshwar

Sarkhel

as

Grcgoo.

The

Montagues:

Anriya

Bisw,rs

as Montague, Jalns.i Kar ns Lady

Monlague,

Malay

Mukherjee as

Ronrco, Nabakumar

Das as Benvolio,

Pralay Basu

as

Balthazar,

Sujit Gupta as Abraha

.

Thc Valeniinc lamily:

Jiten Bhaltacharya

as

Duke

ol

Verona.

Urpal

Dutt

as Mcrcutio. Palash Das as Paris

Priesls

('Sa,n

ar6'):

Satya

Bandyopadhyay as Friar Lawrence.

Indrajit

Sen

as

Friar John.

Mrch-doctor

('OJrd',

prcsumably

representing

the

Apothccary): Biren

Majumdar.

(Cf.

Dutt's

English production

in

Chaprcr

I

D,

6

March

1949.)

26

April

1961.

Udayachal: Ha,rla. Nlahajati

Sadan

'16

May, at the Biswarupa Shakespeare [estival at Bissarupa

Theatrr

20 MaJ,

at the

Rabindra

Nlela

at Rnbindia Kanan,

in

Beadon Square

Amar Chosh as Hamlet. Dircclcd

by Anar Ghosh.

Frclll reporr

in

A/rrira Ba.ar

Patika.

18 May 196,1:

'Sri

Suhtid

Rudm. General

Sccret$y. Rabindm Mela, announccs

thc

obscrvancc ol the

Qutrrter

Cenrcnary

lri.l

of

William

Shakespeare

on Wcdncsday

20lh May a1

6-30

p.m.

at Rabindra

Kanrn. On

ISee

also Chapler

IVI

26 Apdl 1964.

Shotrvanikr O.rlslro. Muktangen

SubsequenL shows

and,27

Novernber

I964 onwards,

regular

perfor-

mances.

Tolal

ol

9l

nights.

Translaed

by

Krishna

Kundu.

K

slrna Kundu as Oftello- Shuvra Ghosh as Desdemona- Govinda

Gonguly as Iago,

Gope,

Mukherjee

as Cassio, Gaur Charcrjee as

Roderigo,

Aloka P3l

as

Emili4

Ruma Goswami

(laler

Jyolsna

Bancrjee)

as Bianca,

Ashok Milra as

Brabanlio, Gopal

Sanyai as

Montano, Shibu Majumdar

as

Duke

of

Venice.

Dirccted

by

Krishna

Kundu.

Sets hy

Bimrl Chakraba.li.

Lights

b),

Swarup

Mukherjee.

Music by Debashis

Dasgupta.

From the review in Jtga ta\ 2 Oclobe. 1964

[rranslated

i.om the

Bcnsalil:

'Although

this

iive hour

ls,.l

play

has been reduced lo tryo and a

half

hours, and somc cuts

havc

becn neccssrry

to

achieve

this,

fte

subtle lhrcad oflhe

originalplay has

never snappcd. Rather,

the aciion

has acquircd a new

pace.

... Thc design, wilh

r

single sel uscd

throughout, is excell€nl.'

27-29

Aprtl,T Mar,24

August 1964.

Little

Theatr€ Group: Chaitali

Rater Swap a

(<A

Midsunner Night\ Dream). Minerva

Translated and direcred by Utpal Du1t. Sets by

Ninrxl Guha Ray.

Lights by Tapas Sen.

Cast list

dividcd

as

lolklws:

The fairica:

Sanlanu

Chosh

lls

Oberon. Sova

Sen as

Titania,

Samar

Nag

as Puck, Manisha Sarkar,

Seenra

Bakshi.

Mitra

Bakshi and Swari

Bakshi

as

fairics.

The aristocrat

(

ab,trAri?/a

):

Arun Ray asThescus, Chhanda Chaxerjee

as Hippolyta.

Santaresh Bandyopadhyay

as Egcus, Salya

Bandyopadhyay as Llsrndcr. Ami

Gupl|

as

Demetrius. Nilinla

Das

as Hcrnria,

Gita SEn

as Hclcna. Arup

Bakshi

as

Philonute.

The workers

(

rr,zrrit,u

):U1pal

Duu as Boltorn, Arubinda

Chakraba(i

as

Quiocc,

Bireshwnr S,r'khcl

as

Flulc, Dcbesh

Chak.aha(i

as

S

out,

sLji

Gufra

a.

Srr\rlin.r.

Indrujll

sen

r.

sntr

I 12

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STAGE

From

fie

revie\r'

in A

a

da Bazar

Patrika

l

Mav

1964

ltrans]ated

PRODUCTTONS

IN

BENOALT

I 13

19$(?)

Macbeth.

Bangabasi

Coll€ge

(?)



frcln

the

Bengalil:

ln

r

$ord.

Ih

pruducrion

I'

erquisite.

Thc

'el\

dre 1'

rrlrac

r\e

J\

dre

magical

lighling

('alot,ra)a').

The show bcars

u0mistakablc

signs

of

eood

planning

and skiltul

technique

The

aciing is

of

a high

orde'

The

icanlwork

is admirablc:everyonc

has

acled

well.:

However, special

menrion

is

made

ol

tlllal

Du1 ,

Sova Sen, Gita

Sen,

Samar

Nag Salya

BandyopadhyaY

xnd

Atri

Gupta.

From

the

review

i\

Jdnasebak'

I May

19#

ltramlated

iiom

the

Bengalil:

'Chaitali

Rtter

Str?pra

has

madc us

laugh our

hearts out.

hut

thc

shali

ol

concsaled

sxtire

has

rlso

pierccd and

stirred our

coxscious'

ness

again

and agrin.'

From

the

review

in ,€Jlr,

16IUly

196'1

ltranslal€d

from the

Bengnlil:

'Tlrc

{?y thc

pl|y has teen

presenred

in

Bengali'

lreservins

lhe

mood

and

i]awur

of Shakespeare's

orilinal,

calls

for high

praisc-

'

Thc

produclion

calls

for

the

wannesl

praise.

The

stage

design

is

as

excellcnt

as rhe

lighls.

The

ahosphcrc

and hackground

ol

lhc

aclion

have

becn

wonderfully

hrought

out bv the

Ilawless

scls and

bewirch-

ing

lightins.

..-

The

music

is

pleasing-'

This

revicw,

too,

fraiscs

thc

ge crallv

high levcl

oi thc

aclors

and

lhcir

teanlwork.

lt

singles

oul Ulpal

Dull. So\,a

Sen

and

Gila

Seo

for special

traisc.

(Cl.

Dut's

Erglish

Production

in

1948.

Chapter

I

D.

Hc

aiso

reviveil

Chah

ti

Rdtet

Sro,,ta:

see

15lanuarv

1989)

28

April

196,1.

The{tre

U

nitt

Julius

Cus.rf,

Nlahziati

Sadan,

at the

Shakespeare

Festieal

Directcd

by

Sekhar Chatrcrjce.

Kironmoy

Raha

cxlls

it

'an excellen

prodLrction'

('Shakespearc

and

the

Bengali

Slagc

,

in

A Tribut?

to

Shake\pearc)'

t2 Nl^y

lg(A.

Othetlo.

Rabindtt

Bharati

UniveNitv

Cast:

Ajitkum

Ghosh

as

Othello.

Anrar

Ghosh

us

Iago

Mamata

Challedce

as

Dcsdefl)na.

Dirccteo

b)

Sirangshlr

Maitrr'

The

director

and

nrany

actors

werc leachcrs

ol

thc

Univcrsily'

lGhosh

Translated

by

Nircndranalh

RaY.

Cast:

Murarimohan

Sen as

Macbelh,

Ajitkumar

Ghosh

as Banquo,

Sadhankumar

BhatlaclBrya

as the

Porter.

Directed

by

Sadhankumar

Bhattacharya

and

Murarimohan

Scn.

[Ghosh

7

Apr

1965, Shouyanikt

The

Mercha t

of

Venh?.

Muktangan

25 August

1965

onwaltls,

regular

performances.

Tolal

of

30

nights'

Translaled

by

Govinda

CangulY.

Govinda

Ganguly

as Shylock,

Krishna

Kundu

as

Antonio,

Mamala

Chatlerjee

as Porlia,

Copen

Mukheriee

as Bassaoio.

Nimoo Bho\''lmik

as

Lorenzo.

Jyolsna

Bancrjee

as

Jessica,

Nani

Das

as Cratiano.

Bireshwar

Milra

as

Launceloi

Gobbo. Sukumar

Chosh as

Prince ot

Morocco.

Directed

by Golinda

Gangulv.

Adviser,

K shna Kundu'

Scls

by Bimal

Chakrabarli.

Lights

by

Swarup

Mukheriee

Music

bv

Debashis

Dasgupta.

From

the

review ]n

Hind$than

Srazda.rl.

3

September

1965:

' "The

Merchanl

of Venice"

is at once

a drama

ol matchless

lii€ndship

juxtaposed

againsl

a

nation

s

torlured

pcrsonalitv svmbotizcd

bv

Shylock. the

Jew oI

Venice.

The

performes oi

the evening

lilied

themsclves

admirably

iolo

an

exotic

sel_up

3nd extracted

the cream

olfie

tbemc

wilh

compctcnce.

None helped

them

b€ttcr than

Govinda

Ganguly.

whose Shylock

was a

tleiLt

to wa1ch.

He went

into

the

very

marrow

of

the

part and

projecEd

Shylock\

tragic

image

like a truc

artisle.

Krishna

Kundu

did

good

jusrce

lo

the

charucter

of Anlonio'

... Mamata

Challcrjee's

portrayal of

Ponia

had lhe

requisite d.amalic

bearing about

it.'

r

Jun€

1980.

N.B.

Enterprise:

Bhla tibilas

(<The

Coneb

of

Enom).

Aban

Mahal

Translatedadapbd

as

a

prose na ative

by

Ishwarchandra

Vidyasagar'

Dramatic adaptation

by

P.ashanm

Deb.

Cast wift

Shakespearcan

equivaientsi

Santosh

Dalia as Chiranjib

I

and

2

{Antipholus

of Ephesus

and

ol S}racuse),

Nimoo

Bhowrnik

as

Kinkar

I and

2

(Dromio

of

Ephesus

and

of

Svracuse)'

Bulbul

Chaudhuri

as Chandraprabha

(Adriana),

Shibani

Basu

as

Bilasini

I I'1

SHAKESPEARE

ON

TIIE

CALCUTTA

STACE

(Luciana),

Subir

Ganguli as Basupriya

(Angelo).

Rabi Sinha

as

Sulradhar

(narraror).

Produced

by Nimoo Bhowmik. Directed

by

Sanlosh Dalta.

PRODI]CTIONS IN BENCALI

I 15

Sekhar Chatlerjce also

did not relax his

restrained

hold over rhe



Sets and lighting

by

Anil

Laha.

Music

by

BhaskdrMilra.

Songs

wrincn

by

Sunil

Baran,

sung by Manna Dcy

and Shipra Basu,

Anita

Majumdar. Haimanli

Shukla.

From Ihc review

in Ananda Bd. 1r

Pattika,27

June

1980

[lranslated

from

the

Bcngalil:

'In

lhe

cinema

it

is

possible

to

work

rricks

wilh

rhe

camera,

bul

il

is

difficull

to

sustain

a

dutil

role on

stage. Ycl

rhis fear

was

performed

very

smoothly

in

lthis

production].

.-. The

audito

um is conlinually

fillcd

wirh

pcak

ot

laughter.

'[t

is a

bold

task

to ltcl

S

hakespeare and \.ldyasagar's

Bftrardbilas

on

stage..Prcducer Ninroo Bhowmik's

boldncss has

paid

ofi. The

actor-director

Santosh Da(a has

cnsured

lhat lhe comcdy

ol'errors

grows

inesistible by

the

pace

ot' action. ... when linally

Sanrosh

Daita's

dLrmmy Subhash Sinha

Ray

[as

rhc

scrond

Chiranjib/Antiplrolus]

appcars, thc hall resounds

with

applausc.'

The other

actors

too

arc

praised.

lt

is

noted

rlut

rhis

is lhe first

time

Manna Dey sang

playback

lor the

stage.

2 August 1980. Theatre

Unir Srinati Bhalankari

(<The

Taning

o

#e 5?,r?l,). Bijon Thcatre

Translared/adapr€d by

CauLam

Ray.

Cast

with

Shakespearcan equivalenls:

Sekhar Chauerjec as Pralay

(Pet,uchio.

Basabi Nandi as Dolon

(Katherina),

Rabi Ghosh as Milan.

Ofier actorc: Kalyan Chakrabafli,

Ulpal Ray, Gautam Dey. Soma

Mukherjee,

Sudhana Raychaudhuri. Dircctcd hy Rabi

chosh. Sets by

Sushil

Ray

and Anil Saha. Lighls

by

Bijay

Chaiterjec. Music di.ccred

by Anup

Ghoshal. Song,

Soumilra Chatteljee. Produced in inodcm

From rhe review in A

andt

B.tur Paoika,

August 1980

llranslared

from

the Bengalil:

'tThe

productionl

has all the

qualities

ftal

make

fbr a

popular

hit.

...

The ingredients are

tmditioflal,

bu1 direcror Rabi Chosh has

o(ercised serere

control over fte

production,

so

that

the traditionnl

returns as

the

ne\ . ... His own actirrg makes

the

characH oI Milan

exceptional:

his conric trail

is the

use

of chaslc

Bengali diction. ...

characterization

of

his

prrti

in

such

prcductions,

lhcre

is

always a

danger ol cxcess.

... When Pralay arrives

ibr

his

wedding,

h;s

vcry

coslurne

js

his theatrical

rfump

card. .

[Bu1l

Dolon's

stock of fou]

words is

too

limitcd: her

abusiveness comes

to

appear

an eccenh.iciry

rdrhcr

lhdn

d

lurld.

.1cntdl

lrJ ol ch

.acrer.

.

'Thc lightirg

nralchcs rhe

rcsl

of

the

producrion.

It is never

cxcessive-

At

one

poinl

thc

interior

ol-a

train

is

suggesred

wirh

a

lew

deft

touches.

Sushil Ray

and

Anil

Saha

have

nor

done

anything

very

original

about

thc

se1s.

Ar times they sccm

to have

recyctcd

ex ier

sets: clsc why

should Namdurlabh

s

house

have

a iireplace.

as thc

sedng is enlirely locai

and conlcmporarll

It mighr

have

been

symbolically

nlore

acutc

and suggestivc ro have

had a

Uij

exlin-

guishe.

Anup

Choshal's rnxsic is

convenrional. Sounirra

Chxrrcrjee.s

so.g is well,written,

but was

it really necessary?...

At

one

poinr,

Dolon

is shown

in

I nrclancholy

nrood. which

jars

wirh

thc spiril

ofthe

play.

-..

'Quilc

a

few

times

noe:

small

thearrcs

have

been

druwing

big

audicnces.

This is an

encouraging change.

Suclr

prcducrions

ncces,

sarily

nrake

compronriscs.

bur neveroirhe

tearsomc conventionat

sorl.

tlany

pcople

view

thcsc ellarts

in thc srnre

jight

rs rhe

rraditional

commcrcial

staget

but

they

arc difLl.lrnr in

narurc and

nr flavour,

29

December

1980.

I00th

pcrlbrnrance

oiSrn,Eti

BtuDa kai

a\Bijon

Thcal.e.

Report in.4,,,"ra

Bd:ar

Pan

il&1.2 Janlaty

l98l:

.Mr

Amilava

Chowdhury presidcd

ovcr lhe l-unction

and Mr

Sunjt Gangopadhyay

was thc

Cucsl-in,Chicl.'

See also

l0

March

t992.

March,

l8

and

27

Ap

l,

2

lvlay

1982.

Open

Th€at

et

Hantet.

Max

\Iueller

Aha\an.

Sr Paul

. Calhedral

ground\

Directed hy

Anjan Durr.

Anjan

Dult as

Hamlel, Pradip

Sahi as

Claudius, Chhanda

D0(

as

Gcrlrude, Milali

Bhalticharya

as Ophctia.

From thc rcview

in Tlrc

Sdatnan.30

NIarch 1982:

'No

cogent

interprcrarioi

appears to govcrn

rhc reworking

ot rhe

rexr.

The

scenes which

come oli hcst

are rhose Jeli

intacl.

'...

Dult rcliains

liorl rcordering

thc

sccnes. Thc one

exceprion

ooncerns

the ccllarage

sccnc

(he

Ghon ncver pronrprs

Hanrct rnd

I 16

SHA(ESPEARE

ON

THE

CALCLMA

STACE

Horalio

fiom

"benealh"

)

which

takes

place

belore

the

first

court

PRODUCTIONS

tN BENCAII

I I?

Shekhar

Biswas.

Lighls

bY JoY

Sen

From

the

Theatron

brochure

[translaled

fmm

the

Bengali]:



scenes.

Insl€ad

of

the tamous

opening,

two

drunken

en'ries

make

fun

of

HoBtio

for

identitying

ihe

Ghost

as

Hamleas

fathe'

The

Prince

tries

io

rape

Ophelia

oD

their

first appearance

together

As in

Zadek's

veNion,

a

death

mask covers

his

face

and he

holds a

flower

in his

hand-

Hamlel

presents

The Mousetrap,

reduced

10 a dumbshow,

with

the

help

oiRosencrano

and

Ouildenstem,

lbr

the

players are

omircd'

In the

closet

scene,

lhough

Polonius

remains

absolulely

silcnt'

the

clairloyant

Prince kills

him.

'Fron

Stoppard's

Rosencrantz

a6d

Guildenstern

Are Dead

Mr

Dufl

gets fie

idea

for

the tableau

of

Hamlci

dangling

Claudius'

secrel

lelter

in

tronl

of

its

original

carriers,

the

attend'nr

lords The

mad

Ophelia

wea.s

an

immacularcly

ironed

whiie

d'ess and

screams

at

regular

inlervals.

She

is

not

drowned

ofl

slage,

but slabs

hersell

lo

d;th.

Laertes

dcsc.ibes

his

quarrcl

with Hamlet

as

'class struggle"'

The

swords

are

not exchanged

during

fte

final duel,

Ieaving

Laeftes'

death

a

mystery

wodhy

of

Sherlock

Holmes'

Hamlet

commits

suioide

h\

drinkine

lronr

lhe

nor\oncd

cup'

Iorlinhrl'

cnrer'

Ihc

'uge

rt,rougtr

rtre

.,rairor,rrnr

and

orders

lhc

bodie'

lo

he

rcrnotcd'

'Ndking

pliblior

.lenocr,cl.

E\celr

lor u

'ummr^

ol

-To

he

or

nor

Io

hc

'

inc

gcngr,t;

rran'tarion

ej.clude'

all

rhe

'olrloquics

lhc

'uccr

mu'ic

...

dulls

the

impact

of the

$accalo

dialogue-

'Yet

this rigmarole

deserves

attention,

the

Principal

reason

bcing

Mr

Dutt's

superlatjve

perlbmance

in

the title

rcle'

"

Pradip

Saha's

Claudius

combines

regal

poise with

Machiavellian

shlewdness''

25

June,

2 and

16

Julv,

13 Ausust

$A6'

T\e ron'

Raja

ladr'

Academy

of Fine

Arts,

Rabindra

Sadan

Translalion

assisted

by

Diptosh

Majumdar

Salil

Bandyopadhyay

as

Lear,

Biswaroop

Purakayas&a

as Cloticester'

Diptosh

Majumdar

as

Edgal

Babu

Dulta

Ray

as

Edmund'

Pari

Bandyopadtryay

as

Goneril,

Sanjukla

Basu

as

Regan'

Arundhali

Bandyopadhyay

ad CoLdelia

and

Fool,

Mantu

Bandopadhyav

as

Kenl'

Debashis

Raychoudhuri

as

Albany,

Bijay

Chakrabarti

as

Cornwall'

Sh\antlcndu

Bcnd)onddhlay

as

frinrc'

'druP

Dey

a'

Bursundv'

nriruLCh.rlrahenia'

O.wuld.

DirecreJ

by

Salil

Bxno)opadhlJ)

Scrs

and

costumes

designed

by

Arundhati

Bandyopadhyay'

Music

by

'The purelying

sociely

thal

Shakespearc

depicls

in A:nlg

'?ar

is

tamltiur

to

u".

it;s story

of

man's

greed' envy,

ambition

and

dosire

is eDacted

around

us

every

day.

The

darkness

of

the

time

we

live

in is

aki to

Lear's

mcntal

blindness

we

do

not

know

whether'

like

Lear,

we

can find

rclease

lrom

this darknessl

bul

we

hope

that this

production,

300

years

'ater,

can

illuminate

the

darkness

in

some

part''

10

Jsnuary

1987.

Grafihik.

Macbeth'

G'D

Birla

Sabhagar

Casl:

Bipla;

Dasgup€

as Macbelh.

Regina

Bandvopadhvav

ai

Lady

Macbeth.

Sets by

Manu

Dalta.

Lighls

by

Joy

scn'

From

review

by

Snehashis

Gnha

in

Baia

an'

22

Jxnuary

1987

[lrans]atcd

from

the

Bengalil:

:ttrere

is

nottring

let

1o be

s.rid

about

this

plavi bu1 it

does

need

saying

ihat epic

drama

of this

sort

needs

to

be

acled'

and

ncted

in

Bengali.'

l5 Ja

uary

1989, folowed

bv

regular

run from

26

Januarv'

Paschimbanga

Naaya

Ak,lderI,i:

Chaitali

Rater

Sr)qpM'

Rabindra

UtDal Dull

'

lrdnsldrion

(\ee 27

2')

April

1064''

lnaugurrt

iunrrion

or

Pdschimbanga

Nrlvr

AlJdcmr

rGovemmcnr

ol

Wesinengal

Theatre,lca<lemy).

The

actors

were

drawn from

various

iheatre

groups.

ciled

in

parentheses

afcr

$e

actors' namcs:

Satya

Bardyopadhay

(Calcutta Choir)

as Oberon'

Snigdha

eandyopadhyay

(Calcutta

Choir)

as

Titania.

Ramaprasnd

Banik

(CbenamLrkh)

as

Puck;

Pollv

Sen,

Bidipta

Chakrabarti

Bidisha

Chakrabarti,

Sudjpla

Chakrabarti

as

Fahies;

Omkarnath Chosh (Class

Thealre)

as

Theseus,

Mala

Bhattacharya

(Pcople\ Liide

Thearc)

as

Hippolyla.

Subhas

Sarkar

as

Egeus'

Sabvasachi

Dasgupta

(Thcxtre

Commun")

as

Lysander,

Pankaj

Munshi

(Samikshan) as

D€metrius'

Simr

Mukhopadhyay

(Rangakarmee)

as Hcrmia,

Bishnupriya

Dutl

(PLT) as Helena,

Saibal

ChdttoPadhyay

(Samikshan) as

Philostatei

Meghnad

Bha(acharya

(Savak)

as

Quince,

Mrin'l

Ghosh

(PLT)

a{

Botiom,

Biplabketan

Chakrabani

(Chehna) as

Flute,

Pradip

Bhatucharva

as Snout.

Paran

Banrllopadhyay

as

SlarYeling,

Sandip

Das

as Snug'

I

18

SHAKESPEARE ON THE

CALCUTTA

STACE

Thcre wcre

some changes

in

later performances.

Directed by

Utpal

Dutt. Lighls

by Tapas Scn.

PRODUCTIONS

IN BENOALT

I 19

anrdversary

ltranslated

lrom

lhc

Bengalil:



Sets by Manu

Datta.

Costumes designed

by

Bishnupriya

Durt. Music

rekcn from

Mendelssohn

and

Tchaikovsky.

Fronr

rhe review

by Aflanda

Lal in Th? TeLegraph.24

January

1989:

'His

[UIpal

Durt'sl

trandation

is on thc $,hole

laithful,

and

wherc

he

does deliale Iiom thc

original

-

as in the

Pyramus

ltnd

Thisbe

enactment

his

interpolations

seem

permissible.

justified

by the

spirir

of bulToonery that infbims

the

cralismen's

an(ics.

For

inslance.

Dutr

adds considerable

horseplay ro the

dealh of Pyramus.

But he str;ves

to relain couplels in

Bengali

for the

play-wirhin-a,play

and

otherwisc,

too, uses

an adequatc vcrse

lorm lbr

Bcngdli

delivery

... he

paints

the

lorest

as a darker. morc mysrerious placc

than

Slukespeare

pcrhaps

intendcd. The

lighl-heared

tiivolily

oirhe r€xr makes

way

iora mthcr

Ioo'serious

approach

until lhe sccond

hall.

'None of

the cast outshone the

others.

which in

one respect is

a

good

sign. Puck

(Ramaprasad

Banik)

appeared the nro(

energetic.

bul

his

somewhal

sinisler

laugh and

aspcct seemed

oul

oi

place in

an early

Shakesp€are conrcdy.

Oberon

(Satya

Bandyopadhyay)

and

Titania

(Snigdha

Bandyopadhyay)

failed ro

express

a

proper

royal

bcaring,

evcn

it

they merely rulc

orer

lairyland. BishnuJ,iya

Duit

acted

in

character as Helena hut

was allowed io overshadow

Hcrmia

(Sima

Mukhopadhyay).

thereby oplettiDg

the

balance

belween ihe

roles. Lysander

(Sabyasachi

Dasgupra) and Dcmerrius

(Pankaj

Munshi)

made

a

valiant

attcmpi

1o individualise

pa(s

ihar

Shakcspeare

probably

overlooked.

The

besl perfo.mances

came

lrom lhe citizcns,

parlicularly

Botlom

(Mrinal

Chosh). whose

pompous

air

and asinine

lransfolmation

camc across

well.

'Although

thc

se1

lbr

the forcst

gave

the

inrpression of

a

magical

environment, Tapas

Sen\ scheme

ol-

chiaroscurc

placcd

too much

oI

il in enignratically

sombre hu€s,

fic(uri0g

a shdowy narure

that

contmdicls

ils

essenlially

henign

quality.

...

The

use ofMcndclssohn

s

Wrddittg Llarch lot Mitlsu

l tu

Night's

Drca

as opcning

(and

lheme) music

sl.uck one

as

illogical

when

rhe

s.lme composer

has

leli behind a beautilnl

Oye,1 r.e to the

play

ftar

would

have

been

ideal.'

Frcm rhe

review

hy Samik Bandyopadhyay

in Ad,dd

Bazar Patrika,

l6

June

1989, of a special

performance

lbr

Shakcspeare's

425rh birth

'll rnigh seem

ar

firsi

sigbl

that A Midsumnrcr

Ni9htb Dredrr is easier

ro

produce

than

Shakcspearean

tragedy.

Aclually. the reverse

is lruc.

This

single

play

combines rhrce

plays

in one that touch

one anolher

ftom

time to

time. or

even

get

enlangled;

but they demand

the creation

of three dislincl

styles. ... Ulpal

Babu has

nol

faced up

to the

problem

at all.

He

does

nol

even

aLlempt

to realize

in dramatic Iems

his

splendid

perception

of

lhe

piay's

signjficance

in

his

Director's

Notel

JThe

critic

fiDds

gra,re

faults in the

presentation

of the .ourtiers and

ihe

fairies.l

Finally. Chaitali Roter

SnpM

gathers

force

only

from

lhe

humour

of the

Mcchanicals.'

In

this

performance,

Bottom

was

played

by

Meghnad BhaMcharya.

28

April 1989.

Thestre Arts

*brkshop: /rr)n?/

Rat

(<Tyelfth

Nianr). Sisir

Moncha

Translation,

direclion,

art, design and

music

by

Daxatreya

Dut1.

Casa Bhaskar Chaxerjee

as

Orsino,

Mahua Challerjee

as

Olivia,

Rituparna

Chakraborty

as

Viola,

Suraj

Mukherjee

as

Sir

Toby Belch,

Siddhartha Dey as Sir

Andrew

Aguecheek.

Nandini

Sen

as Maria.

Jayanta

Chowdhury

as Malvolio. Daltatreya

Dult as Feste,

Kaushik

Mukherjee

as

Fabian, Raja

Mukheiee

as

Valentine,

Milind

Kulapkar

as Curio.

Debu Chakrabarli as Sebastian,

Dcbabrata Chakrabarti

as

Anlodo, Siddhartha

Biner.jee

as

the Captain, Parthasarathi

Kumarand

Shubhrajit Cha(erjce

as

Oficers, Arka

Basu,

Shabidul

klam and

Submla Banerjee

as lhree

Jeslers.

Songs

in

Bengali

se1

to original

Elizabclhan

lunes.

Revellers' song

riten ,iom O,ir?//o ll.iii.

(See

also

entry on revival,

13

August

1991.)

May-Jun€

1989.

Calcutta Group Theatrc:

Svapt,alatulha

(<A

Mid-

su

ner

Nietu\

beam).

Rabindra

Sadan, Academy

of Fine

A.ts,

Girish

Mancha

A

play

hy

Parrha Chanerjee, based on

,4 Mihunmter Night's Drean-

Tbe

relaiionship ro Shakcsp€are\

play

cmerges

l'rom

thc reliew

Casti

Seshadr;

Mukhopadhyay,

Runu

Chaudhori,

Molly Goswami,

Debanjan Sur,

Diiip

Majumdar, Dibya Bhallacharya,

Prabha Sivastax

SHA(ISPEARE

ON THE CALCI]TTA

STAGE

Directed by Anal

Gupta.

PRODUCTIONS

IN BENCALI

t2l

Sec

account of original

produclion,28

April 1989. The l99l revival



Irom

rcview

by 'Shibsharma'

in ca

ashakti

[rranslated

from

the

Bengalil:

'\Nhen

Clnita|

Raaer

Swlpna

has

been regaling

the

Calcufla

audience

for

four

and a

half

months,

a second version

oI

the same

play

might

draw

plaudits

for its

boldness. ...

The

Calculta

Group

Theatre has not

cited Shakespeare\ name

anywhere

-

neither

io

the

announcements,

nor

ar rhe srarr of rhe

play

irselt _.. why

conceal

lhe dramatisl whose

very name

would

acl as

a dra\,r'? The reason

'In

Svapnakbdha.

the setting and

chamcters are

all

Indian. ...

The

play

wiftin

a

play

at the court is

based

on

the

Mesh

adbadh-

kabla. ...

B mos(

striking

of all

is a

novel

character callcd

lhe

Computer.

The

Compuler

Inusi

count

as a characrer

for it speaks

(though

i1s

words

cannot be undersrood)

and aids o. opposes varjous

acrions

on stage. Whatevcr

rhe

imaginarive

impulse

rhat

created such

a

cha.acter, ho\y is ir that

an

experienced

lroupe could not realize

how

much

il

slackens

the

structu.e

of

the

playl

...

'Were

these

superfluities meant

to outdo

Shakespeare?

h thal

why

his oame is not menrioned

in rhe

play?

If

so,

the atGmpt fails,

because

whatever

is

vilal and enjoyable

in

the

play

is

solely ou,ing

to shakespeare.

...

'But

takjng an overall vie\ the

play

sarisfies us

by

rhe

quality

of

its

production.

This is chieUy

owing

to

the direclor's

skilful

planning

and the

sincere

eflom

of the actors.

There was

no

scopc

10 follow

authentically

Shakespearean

techniques

here, ,or has rhe

director made any such cffon-

The

production

contrasts

in this

rcspecl

\tith

Chaitali Rater

SNap

a.

...

'Before

the

play

opens, there

is

an

a(empl

lo

present

another

play

wilh

the same characters.

This

pa(

is nor

related

ro

the main

plol,

and may

appear sup€rfluous.

-..

[n

the same way. towards the

end

of the

play,

near

the

climax,

there is

a

long

song whose neccssily

might

be examined afiesh by the

direclor. ...

'In

scts,

ligh6,

direction and acting,

the Calcutta croup Theatrc

retains its

brighl

reputalion

untamished.'

13, 15 August

1991.

Th€atr€ Arts

Workhop:

Ilbrirr Rat

(<Tteewh

NMr). Muktrngar

had

the

following major

changes in the

casi:

Barna

Maitra

as

Olivia,

PrasanraBhattacharya as Sir Toby Belch, Antara L,tukherjee as Maria.

Music by Pranab Das.

Frc the review by Ananda

Lal in

The

Telegtaph,26 August l99l:

',,,

not so much a aranslation

as a

compression

of

Shakespeare's

play,

Done in undea two hours, and be.eft

of many verse

passages,

it

turns

morc

into

an exposition of

plot

...

than

characte..

. . ,

B ut then

the

Bard

himself subtilled it

Whar

you

will

--.

'lDaxatreya] Dutt simplifies fie lext into a stmight comcdy,

his

interprctation sunrmed

up in his

owo

performance

as Feste.

A line

singer and nlerrymaker in molley,

he nonetheless neglccts Fesle\

detached,

lhoughrful sidc.

...

Only

Jayanta Chowdhury touches

this

sombre note

wilh

an accomplished

portrayal

of

Malvolio.

'...

Dutt's set design makes some

cffcclive use of backlighiing.'

lO

March lv)z- Madhurcna

(<The

Taming of the Shrcr).

Univcrsity

Institute

Hall

Translated/adapted by

Gautam

Rry. See also

Srimoti

Bhq"a

kati,

2

Augnst 1980.

From the review in Basu

tati,

3

April

1992

[translalcd

from

the

Bengalil:

'When

Gautam

lRayl

lransforms The Taning ol rhe

Shrc||

into

MadhurcM,

rhe

laughler

becomes only

the extemal covering ol

thc

play.

in the fotm of satirei within it, it

retains the

Shakespcarean

ideology. Naradurlabh Haldar. the avaricious. mcan

mindcd trader in

dried

fish, Milan.

Kanak,

Dipak- allenter the

play

as

representalives

oI

capilalisr values.

And

beneath

the

wrapping

of

arrogancc,

Pralayshankar

[=Petruchio]

presenls

the audience

wilh

an unclu(ered

humanity that

surely

repr:sents

the

value-system,

prized

by

Shakespeare, that had been

pillaged

by feudal and capitalisl

society.

Pralayshankar raises alofi

the

pennant

of

hu

anily

and

human

relations rhat had been crushed by

the

weight

of

weallh.'

3 Octobe. 1992, Chetana: Corrolarrrs. Sarala

Memorial

llall

Brecht's veEion of Shakespeare\

play,

lranslated by

Suman

Mukherjee.

TotaUed

I

9

performances.

Supriya Dutta

as

Coriolanus. Nandila Ray Chaudhuri

as

volumnia.

PRODI]CTIONS IN

BENGAL1

t21

SHAI(ESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STACE

Mihir

Banerjee

as

Menenius,

Sudip

Chakrabarli

as

Aufidius

Prabai

Kanti

Ray

as

Sicinius,

Supriya

Palas

Brulus,

KalPana

Panda as

Valeria'

lo attain

me\imum

impact

...

'The unlikely,

diminulive

Supriya

Dfta

in

the eponymous

role

logethcr

with

thc only

Brechlian

pcriormance'

onc



Directed

by

Suman

Mukhcrjee.

Sets

by

Kaustrbh

Sen'

Lights

bv Dipak

Mukherjee.

Sound

by

Kalyan

Chakrabarti'

Fro'n

th;

review

by

suraj

il

B andyopadhyay

in

P'a"dl'r,

24 December

1992

ltranslalcd

fiom

the

Beogalil:

'The

dircclor

Suman

Mukherjec

has

succeeded

in

preservirg

lh€

proper mood and

atmospherc

liom

beginning

1o

end'

He

has

guided

ihe

reins

oI

a

dilficull

plav

with a

finn

hand'

"

UntbriunaElv'

onlv

rwo

of

the

actors

assisi

his

puryose to

any nolable

extent

llhe

ones

playing

Coriolanus

and

Volumnial

."

-

'it" ,"lt

helP

in

rccreating

thc

pedod and seltirrg

oi the

plav'

The

idea

ol

bamboo

scafiblding

is

cxcellent,

and

Snman

uses

it so

well thal

il can

suggcst

everylhing

l'iom

$e

palace to the

balllelicld

ir

an

inslanl.

Tlrc

ambicnce

has becn

vitalized

by lhe

sound ol

sticks

and

thc

clash

of

weapons

coo$ircd

wiih

microphonic

sound''

From

fie

review

by

Dharuni

Ghosh

in

TIrc States

nn'

1992:

'Chchna's

Coriolar.rr...

needs

to be

praised not so

much

tbr

what

ir

achicves

as

tbr

the

couragc

of

its youlhiul direclor

,'

howeleL

amateurish

the

atlempt

may

b€' cxploring

a

difiicult

tcxl

withoul

aoy

hopc

of commcrcial

success

has

hs own

rewa'd

In the end

the

vielvcr

gains

somc

undershnding

of the

political mrn

'The

version

tirst

pcrfomed bv

the

Be

iner

Ensemble

in

1964

'

shows

no more

than

two

nrajor

cuts'

"'

Since

Mr

Mukherjee

does

no1

make

further

delclions,

..

Sh*espeare

saves

him

fionr

sinking

beyond

'The

bed.aggled

costumes

(russel-coloured

forRomans

and

green

tor Volscians),

noi to

menlion

thc

omission

of

leathcr

t'iom

soldicr's

uniiorms

on

bolh

sidcs. once

morc

demonsnale

fte futility

of

staging

Brechl on

n shocstring

budsel

Hc

ob

ned ausierity

at

greal

expense

...

A

revohing

disc

ought

to

carry

Coriolanus,

who reluses

1()

stir

out

of

h;s

corner,

to

rolcrs

during

his

campaign

tbr consulship'

Mr

Mukherjec

spoils

thc

eflect

by

having

lhe arrogant

ge$eml

walk

up

lo

cvery

ordinary

cirizen.

Wcre

lhc

man

able

to

do that

il

would

hJ\e

hecn

J dilicrcnr

slu).'

From

rhe

review

by

Anan da

Lal

in

me

Telesr'tph

'

23 Januarv

I

991:

'The

productbn

...

rarelv

chatlcnges

what

Rrechr deridcd

as

re

"bour;eois

lhealre",

nol allowing

anv

of

lhe several

political conllicrs

holds

Ibe

show

is reminded

of

Brecht's

own

commcnls

on

this

pffl which

does

not

requirc

phlsic.rl iorce

to

inspire

fear,

therelbre

no

nced

lbr a'sixleen_

srone

Coriolcnus'

...'

Apiit

1995.

Hillol:

J

liur Cae&tr.

venue unknown

Translalor unknown.

SupriyaGupla

as Caesar,

Rakesh

Sahanias

Brulus,

Alok

Mitra Thakur

as

Cassius.

Abhijit

Mandrl

as

Mark

Anronv.

Directed

bv

Abhijit

Mcndal.

From

Ipshita

Mukhopadhyay

s

review

in

D.

,

l9

Mav

1995

[t'ans-

lared

iioln

the Bensalili

'Thc

renson

why

$is

noble

lragedy

has suflered

a

loss

of

weight

is the

naturc

of

thc

translalion.

...

The translalor

has

sclected

quick

llowing

colloquial

prcse

as his

mediurn' -

Bul

'/'li's

Caer'ir

cannol

be

judged

sole,y

by

lhcme.

without

considering

thc distinctivencss

and

lariet)

oi

its

P.osody.'

23

April

1996.

Shakespeare

Socieav

ofEast€rn

Indis:

Sc€nes

from

Hamler.

British

Council.

Amar

Ghosh

as Hamlet

Dora

Mukherjce

as Gertrudc'

Frcm

Tie

strrerr,.,r,

29

April

1996:

'Thc

evening

began

wiih

the

rcading

ol ShakcsPan:

sonnec

by

{he

English

pocl

Joc

Winto

and

was lbllowed

bv

a rcmsftable

oreali\e

output

tlre

stoty

ol

Macbeth

rendered

drrough

qanntti

8a

' "

Su;g

in

the Bcngali

style

\T ere'Tomorrow,

tomon)w

and to

orrow"

and 'Out

ou t briel

candle"

that had

fte

audience

in spl ils

of laughter'

' ' '

'As

if

io bring in

an element

ol

scriousness

Acl

lV

from Hamlet

was

cnacted

in

Bcngali

bv

Anrar Ghosh

and

his

group''

lSikdar

23 April

llx.

Theatrc

Nbrkshop:

Scenes

fmm

Ma',e"L

Madh$ndan

Nlanclu

Dirccted

b]

Ashok

Mukhoprdhyay'

20

June

1996. Theatre

Passio

n*

Tempest

A/lademy

of

fine

Arts

Translaled

by

SYed

Shamsul

Huq.

SHAKFSPFARE ON THE CALCI]TTA

STACE

PRODUCIIONS

IN

BENCALI

125/

Chandan

Sen as

Prospero,

Saplaparna

Basu

as

Miranda. Manik

Das

as

Ferdina d, Kharaj

Mukhopadhyay as Ariel, Shanlilal Mukhopadhyay

22

July

1997.

Total

The.tre:

Ilomr?,

Rsbindra

Sadan



3s Caliban,

Barun

Gangopadhyay

as Alonso.

Deb.anjan

Nng

as

Conzalo,

Shahzada Parlez as

T.inculo, Arun

Tapadar as

Stephano.

lndranil

Sa.karasAnlonio. SukeshChakraba(i asSehaslian.

Dircclion

by

Ramaprasad

Banik. Music by Baniprasad Banik. Sel and costumes

by

Manu Dutla. Lights by

Bdal Das.

Makeup by Saflrirr

De.

From

the

,€yiew by

Shekhar Samaddar

in,4,ard,

Ba.ar

Patrika, l'7

Augusl 1996

[translated

from thc Bcngali]:

'The

Tenpert

has not so far

been

performed

ti.e..

in Bengalil

... using

Syed

Shamsul Huq s fairly faithtul lranslalios,

Theatre Passion has

slagcd

the

play

in

a

manner suited

to our limes-

'The

dhecror

has on the one hand crcated rhe illusion intended

by &e

dramatist

... hut also. atnidsl it. certain scenes rhai touch rhe

mind, like rhe ]caves sudde.ly

lighting up with a green ghw when

Ferdinand

and

Miranda

join

hands.

or

Ariel

at ihe end

flying

a

nag

on

thc

mast

of the moving

ship.

Septemb€r

1996.

Saurabh

(women's

r,trine')t

stimtti

BhaJankari

(<The

TaDins

of

the Shrelr).

Kalakunj

Gautam

Ray's adaptalion.

(See

2

August

1980.)

Casl

(all

women):

Polly

Mukherjee

as

Dolon

(Kurherina),

Sandhya

lliswas as

Pralay

(Pelruchio),

Kalpana Nlitra .rs Naradurlabh.

Swapnaiekha

Ray as Kanak,

Moli

Ganguli as Alu.

Shubhra

Mitra as

Dipak,

Dipali

Ray as Chatak,

Sunanda

Mukhcrjcc as

Sanalan.

Directed

by

Kalpana Mitra.

Froin the review

in

P,zrdni,27

Scptember 1996

[lranslatcd

liom the

Ben*qalill

'This play

was

bng

perfbflned professionally

by

well-knowrr

actors

on thc

professional

stage. I had been afraid

I

would bc disapfDinlcd

by

rhe

prescnl production.

But

as

lhe

play

progressed.

the hall

filled

with more and more laughter ...

By

olie

ng

a

resume

o,

thc

story

in

song

bctb.c

the

play

started. and by

making

the chrmcters

inrrcduce

ftemsclvcs

anrong coloured

lights.

an excellent cinematic

'All

the roles

were

played

hl women.... The coslumcs

and

makcup were so effeotive drat

lhis could only

be

madc

out

lmlll lhe

voiccs- B. Brothers

[the

makeup

lirml can

lay

claim to

praise.'

2 Norember

199?

onwards,

regular

run

at Sarala

Nlemorlal

Hall;

6 Iuay

1998

onwards,

open_air

performances

't

the Fort

willia

grounds and

the

gmunds opposite

th€

Academy

ofFine

Arts'

apart

from

pedormances

at Sarat

Sdan,

Howrah

Adapted

by

Santanu

BandyoPadhyay.

Santanu

Bandyopadhyay

as

Hamlet.

Indranil

Pal

as

Polonius Direc-

tion,

design,

music,

costumes,

lighiing

by Saolanu

Bandyopadhyay

From

the review

by

Ananda

Lal

in The

Telegraph,25

Julv

t997:

'...

lrom

the starl,

we

become

pleasantly conscious

of

walking

inrc

an

unusual

show:

a meticulously_planned

se(

oi

dark

rnetal

abslrac_

tions

-

tin barrels

heaped

on

the side.

a

nanow

bridge downstage'

an

ominous

hollow

coffin

dangling

overhcad.

a

lone

'in

slowlv

bcaiing

a

huge

drum

-

all

backlil

by

a blue

grcen cvclorama'

The

lights

remain

this

colour

throughout

...

'Marc€llus

and Bernardo

enler

flashing

lorch€s

into the

hall'

"

When Hamlet

enters

in

white

(against

the

black

coslume

schenre

lor

the

rest

oI

Deninark)

we smile,

recognising

thd

Bandvopadhvay

knowingly

upsels

the acccpled

convenlion

of

drcssing

hnn

in blrck'

'He

charactcrjses

th(r hince

e.ccntrically

too

-

unheroic'

grimacing

and stammering,

his

gangty {ranc

someLimcs

leaping

aboul

like a

wildebeest.

This

invenlive

yct apl

streak

manilests

ilscll'

variously-

Claudius

speechifies

into

a mike:

Hamlct

traps thc

Ghost

in a

nct

and

asks

him

questions

raised

on

signboards

"

fte

dumb

show

involves

two

hand

puppets

wift

nasal

nlllradot

'

Claudius

interogales

Hamlet,

trussed

and

hung up

lrom

a

rod' about

Polonius'

body;

Laerles

displays

prowcss as

a martial

arlist'

'Not everything,

of

course

is

praisewonhy.

...

A

pas

dc

deux

bct\,ren

him

lHrmlel]

and Ophella

is ludicrous,

but the

big

mislakes

'He

makes

Hamlct

guilty

oI Polonius'

prcnreditaled murdcr,

and

rhc

las

scene

fealures

a hallhour

duel

reminiscent

of

Hindi

iilms;

hesides,

Hamlcl

rciuscs

lo dic

and ins;sls

on

having

the lasl

word'

Neverlheless,

a fine

altempt

holding

promisc of

grcater things

to

From

the

rcvicwby

ChailiDhar

in P,add,n,

30

Januarv 1998

ltrunslaled

i'om the

Bengalil:

Thc

aclors

lake

over lhree

areas

-

the shge,

the

SHAKESPEARE ON THE CALCUTTA STACE

PRODIJCTIONS

IN BENGALI

Thc

production

was

part of the Colden

Jubilt'

celehrations o{

the

grorlp Srimrncha

ot

Paikpam,

Calculln.

See

review

in P'a'dr'

8

auditorium wherc the audience is seated, and

the

balcony

abovc

-

as

(hcir

acring

space. This rcmoves thc distrnce belwcen the ac1i,s



November

198.

(R)

BY

BANGLIDESHI

COMPAN'ES

3

D€cernber

1988.

Nagarik

$nd

Theatre,

Dhaka:

Mac""'

Acad€mv

of Fine

Arts

(at

the

litth

Nandikar

National

Theatre

Festival)

Translated/adaptcd

by

Shamsul

Haq.

Aly

Z.tkcr

as Macbeth,

Ferdousi

Majumdcr

as

Ladv

Macbeth'

Akur

Rahman

as

Banquo,

Khairul

Alam

Sabuj

as

Malcolm

Atxlul

Hayat

,s Duncan,

Tari.tAnam

as

Mrcduli:

Direcieil

bv Christopher

SaDdford'

Stage dcsign

by

Kim

Witchcr.

Light

a'd

sound

bv

Howard

Han'ison'

Fm

lhe relicw

in

Jegdrrdr.5

Decembcr

1988

llranslatcd

iiom

rhe

Bcnsalil:

'Th;

ranslrtor

is lhc

lamous Bangladcshi

l,e1

Shansul

Haq

"

Bul

a

lot ol the

diahguc

has

bcen

rcndercd

heavv

bv

'ii

cxcess of

rhcloric

rndallireralion,

which

mostottheacrorsarc

unahl.

r. h..r .- Direcrcr

Sandfo.d's

grand design

lvas nippcd

in

the bud

by

thc

poor skill

of

(hc

actorsi

yet

hc

ha.l

a(empted

to

introduce

some bold

choreography

and an

cpic

notc.

Slrangely,

the

lighting

direcror

Howard Harrison

did

not

avaiiot

a singlc

opporlunilv

to create

stage'illusion

\''hich could

have

madc

up lbr

many

oJ

thc

shorlcomings

ol

lhe

producdon

"'

The .ostumcs

werc

altrxctive.'

From

the

review

by Dharani

Ghosh

ln

The Stat"t

nn l0 Dccembc'

r988:

'... rhe

dislrcssing

spccracle

ol

a oast

at

cross

f'urposcs

wilh

the

dirccior...

bewildered

nren

and

\\'onren,

without

a

clue

lo thc

rhythrrr

ftc hcadlong

rush

ol

elcrts

demands,

dispose

o[ lhcir

lincs

11

breakncck

spccd,

as

il

rliaid

that

the

words

sould cxplode

like trombs

honr thc

rc iew

by

Anrnd

rLal

hThe

Telesaph

l0

Dccembcl

1988:

'...

The Nasarik'The.rlrc

productnnl

sanely

ioUo\lcd

thc

iexl

"

not

sn,rying

into

intcrprcti c

nuances.

It

convcvcd

adcquately

the classic

case

ol

selffuliilling

prophccv

rcprcsenlcd

bv

thc

pla)''

and

fie audience,

but

prevonls

cerain scenes

liom

gelling

properly.

'Sanlanu Bandyopadhyay's dramatic

version is not only

a

trans'

larion: il is a

synlholic

presenlalion of the

prescnt

rcality of our

smicty.

This

is brought

oul

though

many

scqucnccs ol diakrgue,

soliloquy

and

song.'

5 August

1997. Anya Theaire: IclYt lu Tithit Calpa

(<h+,elfih

Nrgrrr). Sarala

Mcmorial Hal,

Translaled

hy

Dattakeya Dutt.

(See

als{ Jll)r,idr ]?rr,

28

April 1989.)

Bisrvanath

Mukh€dce

as Orsino, Seenia

Blrdlacharla as Oli.,,ia

Mahua

Srrkar as Viola. Uiiwal

Chalt€rjec as Mi},olio, Dcbabrata Chalirabarti

as

SirTohy

Belch,

Bidhrtridev

Sarka. as

Si.Andrew

Asueclcek. Aiur)

Chakraba(i

as Feste.

Direcled

hy Dallrtrcyn Duti.

Frorn thc

relicw by AnandaLal;n The

Telestaph,28 Notcrrbe. I997:

'.

-

Dult does not adapt but

mnslates Shakespcarc\ TvelJih

Niqht

lailhlully

-

albeir not

in vcrsc.

..

The rppealing

aspecls

oflhis

show

are Dutfs

dircctorial

mise-en-scene

...

and

his abilit

1() cast a

Viola

and

Scbastian

who

hok

rcasonably

alike.'

Dulr acted Sir

Tohy

in this

show.

From

rhc

rcview

by

Saumitra

Basu

in Anokla

Ba.dl

Ptnrika,29

November 1997

flranslated

lionl the Bengali]:

'A.ug

is laid out in dre

middlc

ol

rhc auditorium. Steps co'ne

down

lrom thc slage to the

levcl oflhc audicncc. A slrelch ofolen

sprre,

likc a

coffidor

surnunds

thc audience

seatcd

on lhe rug.

whcn

thc

play

opens.

iL is sccn

thal

the entire area,

ercept

for

the

pa.t

where

Lhc

andicnce is

seated,

pl.o\idcs lhc

acting

space.

...

For vrrious

faclors,

this dcsign fits in

ve.y

well wilh

thc

play:

it

does

not secm

an

exrinsic

gimmick.

...

The

acting spacc

c.rn be expanded

or

contaclcd

ns

necessary. ...

Inslcad oi spccially dcsigned scencfl,.

th.

aclual

airhitccturc oi the auditorirm

is

put

to usei even ils delccts

ean be turncd

to

good purpose.

... Unxhlc lo drcss lhe shge as hc

rnighl

wislr, the direclor

has had lo corry)cns:rlc by somc ertrn

brightncss

in fie coslumcs

and makcup

-

rnd in Lhe .lcting.'

2 November

1998. Srim{ncha:

Cofl.rl,trxs.

Cirish Nlanchg

SIiAKESPEARE

ON

TIIE

CALCUTTA

STACE

'...

Questions

could

atso

b€ raised

abour

Christophcr

Sandford.s

direclorial

decisions.

He dropped

-

needtessly,

it seemed

-

the

scencs



of Banquo's

murder

lnd

young

Siward's

dealh at

Macbeth's

hands.

He cunailed the

dagger

scene

and

the

conversation

betwe€n

Malcolm

and Macdufl which

conrains

essenrjll

retiections

on

chamcter

and

political

rarnilications.

Aod

why was

Lady Macdut}

stabbed

to

dea$

on slage bul Macberh

dispatched offstage,

in

contralenrion

of

rhe

lext?'

3 May 1991.

Nagarik,

Dhaka

Darpa

(<Eantet).

Academy

offin€

Arts

(at

the Bohurupee

festival)

Adrpred and

directed

by

Ali

Zaker

Khaled

Khan as Hamler/Daryan,

Nima

Rahman as

ce.trude/

Begum,

Kaisar

Chaudhuri

(as

Claudius),

Abul

Kalam

Shamsuddin

(as

polonius),

Shahin Khan

(as

trertes),

Shannishrha

Rahmao

(as

Ophelia).

From thc review

by

Ananda

Lal

in

The T"tegrph,

t7

May l99l:

'Nagarik

... refer

lo Da,Zan

--. as an

efforr

to make

Hanld.,more

deeply

ou. own".

They nced not apologise,

for ir is a

iairl)

straight-

tbrward

albcit

sho(ened

prose

tmnslarion

with

the

cha.acters

and

,rluJrion

Irrn,po\cJ

inru

Lhc rL,Jl

BrnplJJe\hr

cn\

onnrcnt.

'Among

rhe

more

successfrl

alrera(ions,

thc

ghost

ot

Hamlel

Senior remains

unseen.

its

presence

suggesred

by

an eerie

spottight

that shines up

cenlresragc

liom

above,

iIS voice

heard over

the sound

slstem.

The roving playcnj

get

rransftrmed

into

one

main

ilincrant

minstrel,bard,

and

Zaker

pcrceptively

rerains

rhc

elaborate

dumb show

prccetling

rhe ll,lousetrap plry.

...

Pcrhaps

the

only maior irritanr

in

Bengalifying

{hc tragedy

is rhe

conve.sion

ot

Rosencra.tz

and

Guildenstem

into

identical

lookiog

mu

ahs.

'But

in Acr

Five. all

o[

a

sudden,

Shakcspeare gcrs

thrown fbr

a toss

(panicularly

in rhc

final scene whjch

abruplly

opcns wilh

Hantel

and

Laei(cs wrestii,rg).

In an

almosl imparienl

hu.ry

to

end.

Zakcr curs

lhe Fortinbras

subplot, the

G.avediggers,

sccne

... and

the episode

wilh

Osric.

Alrhough a

rheatricalty

lense

duel

lollows when

Hamler

and Laefies brandish

rasry

swirchbtades

atier

rheir

wrcslling

bou(

...

the

truncated

conclurion

finds

Hamler

slabbing

Claudius

but nor

ib.cing

him to

drink liom

rhe

poisoned

chatice

as

Shakespeare

m

PRODUCTIONS

IN

OTHER LANGUAGES

(A)

BY LOCAL COMPANIES

'Al lhat time

[lhc

lgth ccntury] some

phys

of

Shatespeare werr

trarslated into Urdu by Ahsan Lakhnawi. Aficr him.

the most

importani

pcrsonaliry

and

successtul dramatist ofthe

Urdu

thcatre

was

Agha Hashr Kashmiri.

--.

To

produce

the

plays,

he set up the New

Shakespeareao

Theatrical Company.'

lTranslated

from

the

Bengali of

Rafiq-ul Islam,

'Kalkatat

Uftlu

Natak'('Urdu

Drama

in

Calcutta'),

Prat

iitt.26 Febt.uary 19951

Dec€rnber l9lS. Parsi

Alfrcd Theatrical Comprn):

Some

Shak€sp€arean

adaptations

in U.du.

Alfr€d Th€aare

B^zm-e-Fa'ri

lRomeo

a

n

Juner)

Shaheed-e-Naz

(Measxre

Jor

Measuft,

Mureed-e-Shak

(7rr?

Wintet\

Tak\

Khoon+-Nahaq

(flai,

re,

Thc

leading

ackess

was

Miss Gohcr

[a

laDous

singer

loo, known

as

Gduhar J.,nl.

[The

Be

gal?e.

Dccanbet

t915

Ad\<ru.emenr

ii thp

Bcryatpe.

l

'

Defembcr

IqI5:

'Afrcd

Thedtre /

9t. H$tison Road / The Parsi

Alfred Theatrical Co.

/

will

perform

/

To-night, Friday

ar

9

p.ni.

/ Mnfted E

Shak /

Shakespeare's

Wi

er's

Tale /

(In

Orienul Garb) / Prices:-

Rs. 3. 2,

I

Anr l)&6

In the 1920s,

Calculta had lwo 'Parsi

Theares'

(rheatres

run

by Palsi

129

I3O

SHAXESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA STAGE

managers

for

the

staging of

commercial Hindi-Urdu

plays).

the

Corinthian

on Dharamtala

Street

and the

Alfred on Hanison

Road.

The

PRODUCTIONS

IN OTITER LANCUACES

I3I

Cordelia,

Arun

Sharma as Edgar,

Ashok

Walia as

Edmund,

Mehmood

Alam

as

Albany, Kunal

Padhi as

Comwall,

Pradip

Ray

as

Kent, Rajaram



mosi celebrated

writer

for

the Parsi

theatre was

Agha Hashr

Kashmiri,

an Urdu

poet

who could write

quotable

rhymed

lines and

knew

the

art of atracling an

audience

wilh

plenty

of melodrama

and music,

grand

scenery and colourful

costumes. and enchant;ng

visual

settings

and illttsions'

[Mukher]ee

By i950,

the Parsi thealre had closed

down comPletely except

for the

Moonlight

Theatre in Calcutta

under the renowned Fida

Hossain. He

produced

adaptations of Shakespeare.

I'Calcutla's

Urdu

Theatre Revived',

Atnrita

Bazar Patrika,g May

1981

25 and 27 April

1964. Prachlav,nij

Venice-Vanijon

(The

Merchant

o/

yedc€

in Stnskria).

Biswanrpa

Theatre, Mahqiati Sadrn

Translaled

by Jaindra

Binal

Chaudhuri.

Pandil

Anath Sharan

as Shylock, Urmi Chatterjee

as Porlia,

Anindyasundar

Chatterjce

as

Bassan;o.

Dirccied by Jatindra

Bimal

Chaudhuri.

From

the

report

in Antita

Bazar

Patika.

S June

1964:

'...

ihe Prachyavani

Sanskrit-Pali

Players' troupe staged

lhe Sanskril

version of Shakesp€are's

Merchant

of

Venice.

This

is

lhe

first-ever

staging

of a Shakespearean

drama in Sanskril.

The excellent

lransla_

tion,

singing

and acting

... drew

applause.

...'

From

the

review in

Darsldi.

vol. 4, no. 20. 1964

[tmnslatcd

from

fie

Bengalil:

'Venice-Uanion

was

such a

failure as

thealre

thai

il

is unworthy

of

discussio$.

The audience

referred

to it fie nexl

evening

by

the

witty

query,

"How

did

you

eojoy

The

Comeb

ol

Etots

last

evening?"

'

lsee

also Chapter

Ivl

5

November

1988.

Padatik n4la

kdr

(Hindl).

Gl'an

Manch

Translared

by Ak.hay

Upadhyay.

Shyamanand

Jalan as

Lear, Shakil

Khan as Gloucester,

Cheha Jalan

as

Gonenl,

Sanchayita

Bhattacharya

as

Regan, Shampa

Ghosh as

Yagnik as the Fool,

Balmukund Hada

as

oswald.

Directed

by Fritz

Bennewilz

of the Weimar National

Theatre, German

Democratic Re_

public.

Siage

design

by

Franz

Havemann.

From

the

review

by Ananda Lal

in The

Tekgraph,

15

NoYember I 988:

'...

it

did

not offer any new angle,

style

or

adaptation:

it

was

a faithful

bur )omeqhal

condensed lranslalion.

'Indeed

jt

nay have been

this compression

fiat

diminisbed

the

impacl one

normdll)

anLicrpate(

from l^Pdr.

'.-.

Shyamanand

Jalan's approach

of

underplaying

the role

lof

Learl cannol rLselt be laolled

... a

qureler

charactert.rtion

providcs

a

welcome

and different

perspective.

At

the same lime, Jaian's

Irar

never rose

to he;oic

heights...

so

thal the downfall

was not

steeP

enough

to

sufficiently arouse

either our

pily

or

tenor.

..

'lt was Rajaram

Yagnik.

fte

Fool, who

made

lhe

most of one

of Shakespeare's

splendidly

theatri€al

parts.

...

[I]n

the mid-seciion

of the

play

...

there is

a

buill-in

tendency in

the lines for the

FooI

10 overshadow the

king,

wbich

is

wha happened as Yagnik imper-

ceptibly cornered lhe

spotlighl

...

'[Gloucesiet

Goneril and Regan

a]so said to be

too muied

l

In

comparison.

Ashok

walia's depiction of

Edmund, evil manifest

in

buman shape,

proved

much

more convin€ing

.-. building up

a

confidential

reladonship

wilh the spectators by

employing

glances

direcied knowingly at $e

audicnce.

...

'Franz

Havemann's stage

design

disappointed.

centring on a

massive throne consisling

of

an amorphous

torso, the

groin

of

which

(for

som€ reason) seNed as the

seat.

Overhead

was susPended a

rocky

ceiling,

as

backdrop

a

cyclorama

on

which clouds

flew

past

during

lhe

slorm

scene, and upstage a

few sPodighls mounled

on scatTolding

to

give

the

eff€€a of

Brechtian

alienation. The use

of masks in the

opeling

scene was

inleresting

and suggestive

of hypocrjsy:

the actors

remole.d them

after

Cordelia

-

honesly

embodied

-

Iifled

her mask

and

utiered

her

firsr

speech-'

From the review by Sekhar

Das

in

Aajkal,

16 November 1988

laanslated

from the Be,tgali]:

'To €ome ftom the rear to

the main acting arer, one

has lo cross

soma

psnitiom

of

broken

planks

and drawn cunains:

a stage \rithin

..;a-; ,: q- --

I32

SHAKISPEARE

ON

THE

CALCUTIA

STAGE

a stage,

the

gate

ro "the greal

stagc

of footi..

From

a few

iron

rods

geometrically

arrangcd

there

hang two

lamps

on

each side,

as wel

PRODUCTIONS

IN OTHER LANCUACES

(B)

DY YISITING

COMPANIES



as a crdne:

clear sign

ol the

lron

Age.

Ihc

certing

eloke,

rhe

Srone

Age.

Alrhough

nol

obtrusively.

rhe

srage

is divjded

inlo

three

liers

as

on

the

Shakespearean

srdge. On

rhe

middle

stage,

and ro

the

tefl

of

the

back stagc,

the.e is

brighr

modcrn

fluorescena

ljgiring.

...

Bur

to

the

left

of rhe

lronr

slage

is

the ruined

Rcnaissance

archilecrurc

of

Albany's

paiace,

with

a royal

flag

stuck

on it.

To rhe

righl

is

a

throne made

up of

broken

images.

... The

dramalic

tlllte

of

Raja

Lear

extends

from

the

primeval

to

(he

modern.

'[Of

LLar

after Cordelia.s

retusai in

I.i:]

Where

is

that rnger?

It

begins

1o

seem

as

though

Lear is not

a

king

but

the head

of

a middle-

class

joint

famill

and

thc

story rclts

of rhc

breakup

of

such

a fhmilv.

The piay

fem. ro hr\e

bcen srificn

l-) C\ethov.

\\h

e i.

rh;l

surge

of emotion.

rhat grear

craz_ed

griel,

the

rhsorplion

in the poetry

of

pain?

...

'This

play

h very

much a

director,s producrion,

and

thc

director

does not

like

emotionat renderings

....

5, 6 Septemb€r

1994.

Pad

^tikt

lo

Dil

Chahe

l<TwetIth

Night).

Cyan

ll,Ianch

The Hirdi

.itle

means

'Whar

your

Hearr Wanls'_

Casa

Shakil

Khan

as Feste,

Sanchayila

Bhaliacharya

as

Olivia.

Seema

Adhikary

as Viola,

Subrat

Chowdhary

as

Orsino.

Azhar

AIam

as

Malvolio,

B.

M. Hada

as Toby

Belch, Luna

pan

as

Maria.

Dirccled

by

Israfil

Shaheen.

Music

direcred

by

Debangshu

Sengupta.

From

the review

by Ananda

Lat

it The

Teteeruph,

g

Dccenrber

1994:

'...

direcror

Israfil

Shaheen

neglects

this aspecr

[of

Twelfth Nilht

beingadarl.omcdil.Lon\cnlionatt)

tahetrng

il.the

g,eJle,t

con,eJ)

of the

greatest

playwright,

the

ultimate

challengc

{or alt

theatre

directo.s,"

withour

recognising

rhc

sombr€ rrurh

behind his

hyperbole.

'Thus,

[the

aciors playing

Orsino.

Olivia

and

Malvotio]

...

miss

thc

gloor

ier

nuances

ol

rlrcir moody

melancholia.

...

lFesrel

sings

dreadlirlly

out of

tune. ...

Seenta

Adhikary (Viota)

and

Luna

pan

(Mar;a)

managc

to

save rhe

show

with

some

effervcsceor

acting

and

rhe former\

colouriul

cosrume

design.'

13-18

April

1981.

National

School ofDrama

Rep€rtory Compary,

NewDelhi.

BarnA Ua

d

(Macbeth

inHindi).

Vidya Mandir,

Kala

Mandir,

and

lSApril

st Academy of Fine

Arts

Adapted

by B. V

Karanth

(into

the Kannada

traditionat

forn

oi'

Yakshagana).

K.

K. Raina

as Macbeth,

Utara

Baokar as

Lady

Macbeft.

Fron

the rcview

\n

The

Statesna

.24

April l98l:

'... Karanlh purs

the

tempestuous action inlo

the slrairjacket

ofa style.

Maskcd witches

wave

pieces

oI cloth with

rre€s

paintcd

on them. In

Act

IV the

appadtions

greer

Macbeth from

behind hand,hetd

currains.

Apat flom these

irnovations,

lhe

production

looks qujte

shabhy.

The

exits and entrances

ol all characten

arc in rhe

same

way.

Rolt

hLl

of

drums

rendcr

large

parts

of

Macbeth's

grcat

speeches inaudible.

Thc appearance

oI

Banquo's ghost

at

rhe banquct

and the concluding

batlle

scenes

yield

no1 a

single memorable image

of

horror

or violencc.

Even if

excuses

can be

offered for rhc'omissjon

of th€

porrer

and

thc

kiUing ofMacduff's

family, Macbcth

slaying

Malcolm amounrs

10

a

perversion

oflhe

Shakespearian

design

oforder

succeeding

disorder.

K.

K. Raina's

excellent Macbelh

is shocked at

lhe

evil within

himseli

Handicdpped

by a

clumsy

dance

in

rhe

sleep

walking

scene, Uuara

Baokar

nevertheless

brings

out the

savage

tenderness

of Lady

Macberh.'

27

July

1984.

National

School

of Dram,

Repertory

Company,

New

Delhi:

Orrrlo

(Hindi).

Academy

ofFin€

Arts

(sr

the

trirst

Nsndikar

Festival

of

Theatre)

Trttnslated/adapred

by

Raghuvir

Sahay.

C.ll NJnrde

,,,

Orheilo.

Hinrdri

Bhafl J, DcdcmonJ.

yu\rdj

Sharmx

.ls Iago,

Lalit Tewari

as

Cassio, Basu

Paril

as Rodcrigo,

U(ara

Baokar

as

Emilia.

Directed

by F tz

Bcnnewitz.

Sets by

Robin Das.

From

the revic$ in

?Ic Sr.r/"rnra,r,30

July t98,1i

'Benncwilz

avoided

any kind

oI interprclation,

telting

Shakespeare

"spcak

for himself'.

adding nolhing,

subtracling

nothing. The result

was

a

babel of

individual

voices,

each speaking

tb.

ilsetf.

'Ir

is

nor rhat

Bennewitz

,ever interfbred wirh

lhe

action.

He

134

PRODUCT'ONS

'N

OTHER

LANCUAGES

I]5

looks] more

like

a

strapping

wrestler

lhan an

idealistic

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCI]TIA STAGE



,eedl€ssly

began

with

the ending,

interpolating Cassio\

words from

rhe

drinking

scene:

"Gods

above

all, and there be souls

thal musl

be

saved. and

there be souls

musl not be saved",

and treating

the

rest

of

thc

play

as a

nashback. A translucent

panel

bearing Othello's

line\.

"..

perdirron

crlch

m/

'oul

lelc.l

ua'

lit.d

near rhe fli.\ and

lit

Lrp

severrl

times

during

the

pcrformarre

...

'Robin

Das's setting broughl

to mind Caspar Neher's

design

for

The

Life

ofCalileo,

particularly

because

of

the economic

use

ofprcps,

including

a

geographical

globe.

aDd the

criss_cross

of two

wide strips

olcloth

above. .:. The coslumes

lvere

an uneasy

mixture of

the

ftodern

and the semi-Elizabelhan.'

Fron

the

review by Prabodhbandhu

A.lhlkati

h Anatula

Bazar

Pdrl,?d, 30

Augusl 1984

[iranslated

fronr

thc

Bengali]i

'The enrire

produclion was in

the

spirit of

a

light Hindi fiIm

... One

feels

like asking

Bcnnewitz, is

a(

only a literal

reproduction

of

experience,

or ils

ptucessed

fbrm?

...

'

'Thcrc

was

no

struclure

on

stagc,

only

lwo

crossed swathes

of

light

greenish

cloih, like

an awning, overhead.

... This reviewcr

is nol

aware

that

Ot ?llo

had ever been slaged

on such a

widowed_looking

From

the

review by

Chittaranian Ghosh

in

D?rr. 8 Seplcmber

1984

[translaled

from

the

Bengali]:

'Thc

chiefquality

of Bennewitz's

productiofl

is

ils

clear_cut trimncss.

There

is

nothing superfluous.

As

a rule, we do nol

make this lype

of

play

so

free

of flab. Everything

is minimalr unchrtlered,

sharp,

lbcused.

The slage

is devoid of

propsi

only

once a

high

throne,

once

a

bench,

and in

the last scene

a white unadorncd

bed. Only

$e

lighting

is

lavish.'

9 March

191 National

School

of Drama

Repcrtory

Company,

New

Dethi:

Julius

Caesat

(Hindi).

G.D. Birla

sabhasar

Directed by

Ebrahinl Alkazi,

lransiaied by

Arvind Kumar

Shrivallabh

Vyas

,rs

Caesar,

Abhijit

Lahiri

as

Anlony,

Ravi

Kaushal

as Cassius. Ravi Khanwilkar

as

Brutus.

Fmm

the review

by Ananda

Lal in The TebstaPh,

3

April 1992:

'Jllius

Caesar...

was the

biggest distrppoinnncnt

IiD

a

wecklong

festival

of

plays

by

the NSDI. .-.

tcassiusl

behavcs

as

if ir a

permancnl fienzied

fit. Brutus ...

has

no clue

of

the

man\

dilemma

or nobility. ...

'[Antony

ycl

shrewd

young man.

... Alkazi's

own

sel desigs.

of

imposing

steps

topp€d

by

pillars, tlorks

well in $e

first half

but

becomes

a major

negotiatory

nuisance

during the

batlle

scenes.

Arvind

Kumar's

Hindi

translation

misconslrues

several

passages.'

2l

Dec€mber

1993

Pratvav,

Kolhapur:

naJ:o

r'sd' (Marathi)

Acad'

emy of Fin€

A

s

(at

the

Tenth Nandikar

National

Theatre

Festival)

Translated

by

Vinda

Kamndikar.

Sharad

Bhuthariya

as

tear,

Prakash

Phadnis

as

Glouccster,

Anjalika

Tamhane

as Coneril,

Rupa

Gokhale

as

Regan.

Manisha

Rajopadhvay

as Cordelia. Hrishikesh

Joshi

as

Edgar,

Sagar

Talashi*ar

as Edmund'

Anaod

Kale

as

CornwaU,

SamirDaini

as

Albanv,

Sukum

Patilas

Kent'

Direcicd

by

Sharad

Bhuthariya.

Stage

design

by

Sharad

Naware,

Anani

Rashilvadckar

and

Vinayak

Bhonsle.

Sets by

Anil

Sadolikar

and

Kimn

Khcburkar.

Lights by

Anil

Sadolikar

and

Bhushao

Kheburkar'

Music

hy

Narzar Kulkarni,

Pawan Kheburkar,

Avinarh

Yadhav

and

Nivedita

Khare.

From

the

revicw by DharaniGhosh

in

Ir,"

St letnrd,r.

I I

January

1994:

'Erccpt

lbr ahe

stamina evidenl

in

a thrce

houl

perfornrance' there is

noi

nruch

to

praisc.

-..

If the

evenls

on the slage

still

sustain

inlercsl

till

the

cnd, the entire

credit

goes

to Shakespeare.

. .

Sagar

Talashikr's

Edmund

eclipses

the rest

of the cast,

including

..

Lear

...'

From the

review

by

Anar'[J.aLal

itt

The

TelegruPh,

l4 January

19941

'... too

much fidelily

can bc

counterproductive,

as

proved by $e

Mararhi

edition

of Rajo

Lear'

... On sLrgc,

nexl to

dircctor

Sharad

Bholhariya's

lirtuoso

periormance

as Lear, thc

resi ofthe

cast

behavc

so

unresponsivcly

that one

relalls

the

l91h

century

aclor

manager

tradition

i. which lragedies

wcre

merely

vehicles

fbr stars'

23 December

1993. Naya

Theatre,

Delhi: l:am

r€, ka

Apna'

Basattt

Rilu ka

Svap

a

(Hi

lit'Scen.{

frotJJ A

Mi

umnt

Night\ Drcam')'

Academy

of Fine

Arls

(at

the

Tenth

Nandikar

National

Theatrc

r'6tival)

Adaptcd

by

Habib Ta

vir

Govind

Ran as

Bollom,

Ram Charan

as

Quince,

Chait Ram as

Flute'

Bhulwa

Ran] as

Snug,

Cirish

Bhai as

Puck. Directcd

by Habib Tanvir.

(o'rume'

anJ

prons

b) l\4oneeka

N4i'ra

Tantir.

From

fie

review

by

DharaniGhosh in 7re

Sralerrur,

I

I

January

19941

136

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCU'ITA

STA6E

'-.. colourful,

boisterous,

and

hence

Elizabethan

in spirit

...

'Habib Tanvir

removes the Lysander-Hermia-Demerius-Helena

PRODUCTIONS

IN OTHER LANOUAGES

131

edited,

slicedup

and

reassemblcd

in a

purposely

random

nonsequenlial

manner

slariing

Irom

the end,

while slides

p.ojecled the

equivalent

played C{'son

wellei'

film



subplot

without causing

the least discomfo(.

...

The

loss

ofthe

coualy

comedy

is balanced,

in

parl

i{

not

enlirely,

by the

Chhattisgarhi actors'

enlhusiasm

for

the

fhrce of the

mechanicals.

'Nandikar's

l0th

National Thealre

Feslival

has

yielded

nothing

more

delightful

than ihis

rehearsal

of

Pyramus and

Thisbe:

... Puck\

final

apologia

to

the

audi;nce

becomes

a

haunting

song

by

Bhulwa

Ram

siepping oul

of

his

role.'

Fron

the review by

AnandaLal in The

Telesrapl, 14 January 1994i

'This

venturc mises

furlher

questions

on

thcatrical

fidelily.

Tanvir

omils

Ihe Hermia and

Helena subplots completely,

pushes

theTheseus-

Hippolyta

story

to the baokground,

and

concentrates on

the {airies

and fie

artisans'play....

Yet

he is failhlul

in his

own

fashion:

in the

scenes

rhat he does

incorporate. he

lraoslales

blank

verse

into Hindi

blank

yerse,

rhyme

into rhyme,

and

prose

into

prose;

he

lavishes much

care on Shakespeare's

allention

to

planl

and

animal

life, rcdiscovering

the

Bard's love

of

naturc,

which

most contemporary

critics

neglect;

he

transposes

the dramalic

rdrd into

the Indian context supe$ly

-

for once

the

Baslar lribals.

who know

nature so well,

lll in

perlcctly.

'Among

thc innovations

he

inlroduces. the

mos(

elfective

arc his

musica, compositions.

all

in

metre,

lvhich owe a lol to

the

s/arals

ad thu

j/is

of old-time

Parsi thealre

and Nautarki.

...

Tanvir\

Chhattisgarhi

probges

make

for

ideal caslingl

they dre

carpenlers,

weavers, tink€rs

and

Dilors

anyway.... Ultimalely, this

may

not

be

Shakespeare's

play,

but

Tanvir's

comedic

direction

captures

Shakespearct

spirh

nonetheless.'

25

NIarch 1999.

El T€atro,

Trois: Orrdra

(Arabic).

Rabindra

Sadan

Sponsored

by

the

Indian Council

for Cultural

Relations and

Govcrn-

ncnl

ol

West Bengal.

El

Teatro

is

a

Tunisian

group.

Directcd

by

Taoufik

Jebali.

From

lhe review by

Ananda Lal in The

Tel"Enph.g

April 1999:

'...

a

morr

unlikell decun"uucle,l

rcndcring.

..

'Taoufik

Jebali,

the director,

created

lhis highly

unusoal OlYllo

for

lwo

players,

in the

parts

of

othello

and Desdemona,

who

occasionally

mouthed

olhe$' lines as

well.

namely lhose

of

lago and

Bmbantio. They delivered the

lext in

Arabic

lranslation. ruthlcssly

English

passages

and a

Tv

"'

'switching

the

Bard's typcs,

the Semitic

aclor

and Moorish

actress

physicalised the

inGracial

passion

rnarvellously,

even daringly

by

what we know

of

north

Afiican

Islamic cullure.

Bul

lh€

only other

polilical

angle

comprised

taped

recordjngs

of lhe US

Presidenfs

anli-

Saddam

dialribe. The

high-contrast

lighting, black

and

white

mono-

lilhic decor

anil cosume

design

proved

effeclive:

however'

the

colour

scheme looked obvious.

Most obviouslv

of all,

Othello

kcpt donning

an

apish

mask

whenever

in

green eyed monsler

mode

-

far too

lileral

a

rcading.'

SHAKESPEARE

QUAT.ERCENTENARY

FESTIVALS

Minerva

Thealre, using

recorded songs'

The

programme

was revised,

as evidenced by

laler newspaper

reports:

see relevant

entries by

date.

l]9



IV

SHAKESPEARE

QUATERCENTENARY

FESTIVALS

(l)

Litde Theatre Group: Shak€sp€are restival,

April-Msy 1964

Arnouncement ;n

lhe

A

anda Daz Pattika, l?

January

1964

ltranslated

from the Bengalil:

'The

Qualercentenary

of Shakcspeare's

bi

will

be

celebrated

across the wor,d

in

1964.

On

thisoccasion,

the

Little

Thealre

Group

has

undertaken

an

exlensive

programmc.

Thcir

Shakespeare

Festival

will

begin on

I0 Apr,l and end on 2a April. Thc

fro3rrmme

i,

gr\cn

l0 April: Discussion at Mi.erva

Thearre on

'Shakespeare's

Social

Consciousncss'.

Strging

of a

few scenes in

Bengali

and English.

17 April:

Public

meeting

on the Maidan.

Discussion on 'Shakespeare, the

Poet

of rhe

People'.

Performance

of

parls

of

Co

tiolanus

and JuLiLts Caesar

in Bengali.

23

April:

The

programme

will

be

inaugurared

by

Mr David Hughes, Rcgional

Representative of

the

British

Council. Othe

o will

he suged

in

English.

Venue:

Minerva

Theatre.

(See

Chapter I-D.)

24, 25

and

26 Aprili

A Midsu

€r

Night\

Dreant

(Chaitali

Rrier

S,',ap

q

lo be staged in

Bengali at the Minerva.

(See

Chapier It.)

ln addition, there will be a

programme

of

Shakespearean

music on

23

April

momjng

al

the

133

(2)

A

rita Bu Patrika,

1l

April

1964' reported

a

'Shak€spcar€

Utsab'

tf€stivall:

'The Calcutta Arl Society

is holding

shakespeare Utsab

ton

Bengau

New Year's

Day,

14

Apdl.

at Singhi Park.

48

Girriahal Roadl.

'Thc special featu.e

of

this funcdon

will be

readings liom

Shakespeare

in different

languages

of the

world

anang€d

by

the

dilferent lbreign

missions

in

Calcutta.'

(3)

To c€I€brat€ ahe

400th

anniveNary

of Shakespeare's

birth, the

Biswarupa

Natya

Unnayan

Parikalpana

Parishad

organized

Shak€speare

performances

from

25

April to

1

May 1964

and

9

Mey

ro

13

June,

every Saturday

(excluding

holidays)

at Bis$.rupa

Thestrt-

LH

ittdusthan

Stund 1rd,24

April 196'{

'fhe

Hindustla

S,arrlard announced

the

tbllowing

programme

for

25 Ap.il.

Prachyayani:

vsni.e-Uaniiam

(<The

Mercha t of

yeni."

in

Sanskrit).

See ChaplLr

III-A.

9 May.

IPTA

(Simantik

Sakha):

"I

lrxs

Carrar

(in

B€ngali).

See Chapter

IL

16

May. Udayachal:

ganre,

(in

Bengali).

See

Chapter

IL

30 May, Ainateur

Unit:

The Tenpest

(in

Bengali)

6

June.

Rupadaksh.:

Mrkha'mu*l&n

kThe

Tuni

gofthe

511I?]r,,

in

Bengali)

13

June. Eureka:

As

You

ait?

L

(4)

A Shakesp€are

Festiyal

was held f.om

25 to 28 April

1964 at

Mahqiati Sadan.

[Anita

Ba?ir

Pattika,24 April 1964

25 April.

Aikatan: fre

Me

rchant ol

Venice

{h

Eng}ish).

See

Chapter

I-D.

26 April. Udayachal:

Errrre,

(in

Bengali).

See

Chapter It.

27 Aprif. Prachyavani:

yenice-Vania

t

kThe

Merch^

of

ve"i." in Sanslffit). See

Chapter

[I-A.

t40

SHA(ISPEARE ON lHE CALCUTTA

STACE

APPENDIX

A

28

April

196,1.

Theatre

Unit,Irrirs

Caesa,

(in

Bengali),

See

Chapter

U.



PUBLISIIED

SHAKESPEAREAN

TRANSLATIONS

AND

ADAPTATIONS

IN

BENGALI

lwhere

oo

Bengali

title

is

gilcn.

il

can

be

$sumed

to

be the

samc

;s

the Engtish.

Sources

for

this

compilation

-

which

is

no doubt

lncomolete

-

inctude

Ahmed.

Ah'Jn

S'

V;lra'

A

T'ibut'

to

\hnl.'n.are

a

Choudbtrry'

ed"

A Checklisl

ol

Tran'lalion\

of

Europ;an

Texts

in Bengali"l

CoI€{tions

1895:

Hitabadi,

Shakespeare

cranthaboLi

[Vr'orks

of Shakespeare]

1896

1903:

Haranchandra

Rakslrit,

S/ule'?ea'?

(12

volumes)

ls23: Basumali

Sahilva

Matdit,

Shakesp"nre

Ganthal'ali [works

of

(5)

Announc€ment

in A.n ta

Bazar

Patika,6 May 19641

'Procceds liom Shakespeare Shows

to

Army Welfare.

The Shakespeare

Festival

Committee, represenling

the

Amareurs and thd

Dramatic

Club ofCalcutta.

will

stage two

dramas

at

the

New

Empire Thealre

to

celebra@

the

400th

anniversary

of william Shakespeare.

The commiitec

will donate

all

of the nett

proceeds

of

the

shows

for

thc welfare of

troops

in

Eastern

Command.'

See

rhe relevana entrics

in Chaptcr

I-D.

(6)

Reports of

performanc€s

of Shakespearcan

plays

in Baruipur'

Chinsurs,

Jalpaisuri

i) From

lhc

report

in Anvita

Bazar Pat'ika, 19

May

1964:

'[On

l0 May. at

the

Hooghly Mohosin

College

Hall,

under

the

auspices

of

the Shakespeare Sociely,

Hooghly-Chinsural Two

scenes

of

Julius

Caesar

were

enacted

in

play-reading

by

lan

Hastie

as

Mark Antony ard

Mirza

Mahammad

as

Brutus and the

bed-chamber

sccne fionl Olhello

was

stagcd

with Miss

Aparna

Bhattacharya

as

Dcsdemona, Sri

Narayan Roy Choudhury

as

OrhellD

and Miss Dhira Dutta as Emilia.'

il)

Dainik

Rasunnti,

25 May 1964, carried

a

photograph

of

a

performance of t'lacbeth

ar lalpaignti organized by the

Jalpaiguri

Shakespeare

Quater-centenary

Samiti.

iii) A

review

in Dairit

Earxmari,

I

June 1961

ltranslaled

from

lhe

Benga,il:

'

'An

a(raclive

programme was

organized

on

fte occasion

ol

Shakespeare's

Qualer-centenary

by

Baruipur Cullural Unit. ...

The

second

balf

consisted

of singing

of Elizabethan songs and

thc

performance

ol

the

last two scenes of Orrero. The

aclors were

Basudev Chakraba(i,

Baladev Banerjee.

Jaydev Chaknbarti,

Ramaprasad

Khan. Mukul

Bhatlacharya,

Shyamali

Cbaudhuri,

Kumar

Nath, Gopeshw$ Banerjee and

Mohinimohan Chakmbarl;.'

(7)

Report

in Hindxslra

Sta

dqrd,19

JUn.e

19641

'Chakra

Baithak staged

selecled

scenes from Jlllixr Ca€rar

on

June

14 on a specially

conceived Shakespearcan

slage to cel-

ebrale

the

quarer-cenlenary of lhe

Bard of

Avon.'

Shakespearel

VOLLTME

I

l.

Macbeth,

Munindranath

Ghosh

2.

Maner

Matan

(<As You

Like

It

L1D'

MukhoPadhYaY

3-

Anto,\-

o Cledparra'

Devendranath

Basu

4-

Rotneo

Jutiet,

Hemnhandra

Batdyopadhyay

5 veto ar

Rhodrqiusat

(<The

T\')o

Centlenett

of

ven

a)'

Saurindramohan

MukhopadhyaY

6.

J

lius

Caesar,

Jyotirindranath

Thnkur

(Tagore)

VOLL]ME

tr

/.

Oriello,

Devendranath

Ilasu

?

Vznicer

Banik

(<TIE

Mercha

t

oJ Venice)' Saurindranohan

MukhopadhYaY

J.

Raia

aear.

Jalindramohan

Glmsh

a. Dwadash

Raiani

(<T\'?lfth

Ni8[r'

Pasupati

Bhathcharya

5.

Riti,nta

(<Measure

for

Medslrc)

Saudndramohan

MukhoPadhYaY

6.

Crmbeline,saurindramohan

Mukhopadhvay

1974:

Reiact

Publications

shakespeare

Rachanabali

lwrilings

of

Shakespearel

l4t

Saudndramohan

142

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUT"TA

STACE

IndiYidual Plays

1805-1809:

C.

Monkton,

fre Tenqejt

l?l

1848:

Gurudas

H?ira, Roneo

evan

Jutietera

(<Ro

PI]BLISHED

SHAKESPEAREAN

TRANSLATIONS

1892: Surendrachandra

Basn.

Roneo

and Juliet

1892

93: Lalitmohan

Adhikari, Ha,t/e,

1893: Kaliprasanna

Chattop ddhyay,

OtheLlo

t43



teo

ann Juiet)

1852

|

Jogendrachandra

GuDta, Kinibitas

(<Hamten

1853: Harachandra

chosh, Bhanumati

Chitabitas

(<The

Mercha

t

1864: Harachandra

Ghosll, Charunukh

Chitahara

(<Romeo

an,.l

Juliet)

18681

Satyendranath

Thakur

(Tagore),

Sushita

Birsinha

Natak

(<CJmbeli

e)

1868:

Chandrakali

Ghosh,

Kutunkunati (<Ctnbeline)

18681

Hemchandra

Bandyopadhyzy,

Natini

Bajanto

(<The

Tempest)

1872: Kantichandra

Vdyaftina,

S

shita

Channruketu

(

<helfrh

Nigh,

1873:

Benimadhab

Ghosh, Bhtanakautuk (<The

Co

e4 of Etots)

I874i

Rabindranath

Thakut

("talorc).

Macbeth.

Onty

a few scenet

a.e

1874:

Harachandra

Ghosh.

R drapat

(<Macbeth)

1874i

Pmmathanath Basu,

Annni

ha (<Hontet)

1875: TarakDath

Mrkhopadhyay,

Md.rd,

1875:

Tarinicharan

Pai,

Bhinsinha

(<Othello)

1876:

Biharilal

Adhya, Madanmanjari (<The

Whter's

Tale)

1877:

Piyarilal

Mukhopadhyay.

Srrdlara (<The

Merchant

ol Venice)

1878: Jogendranarayan

Das

Ghosh,,4rFdld

o

Bitasbati

(<Roneo

1878: Radhamadhab

Kar. Aasantakumori

Natak

(<Roneo

a

d Jutiet)

t878: Kedarnath

Ganguli,

fte

Tenpes,

I

882-83: Charuchandra

Mukhopadttyay,

prakriti

Natok

(

<The

Tenpee)

1882-83:

Nilratan

Mukhopadhyay,

Sharatshashi

Natak(<?

A

Midsum

mer Niqht\

Drean)

1884:

hhwarchandra

Vtdyasala\

BhrantibiLas

(<The

Cotnedy

ol

1885:

Nagendranath

Basu,

Kannbir (<Ma$eth)

f887:

Gobindrachandra

Ray,

Roiteo

Juliet

1888:

Gobindrachandra

Ray.

Bhishak-Dfita

(<ALl's

WetL That

En(ls

Well)

l89l: Dhirendranath

Pal.

Bhtanar

(<Macbeth)

l89l:

Surendrana6

Bhauacharya.

Surusundai (

<Othelto)

1894: Siddheshwar

Gupta.

Chondranath

(<Hamlet)

1894; Chandiprasad

Chosh,

Hdrler

t894r

Hemchandm

Bandyopadhyay,

Ro reo

Juliet

1894:

Nabinchandra

Sen, Naidagh Nishith

Swapna

(<A

Mihunmet

Ni9ht's

Drcanl

1895

96: Nagendranalh

Chaudhuri

(published

in

Amarendranalh Dult's

collected

plays),

Harimj

(<Hanlet)

189?:

Annadaprasad

Bas\, Anangarunsini

(<As

you

Like h)

1897:

Satishchandra

Datln. nn

Bhaqini

(<KinE

Lea,

1900:

Ashulosh

Ghosh, Mocbeth

1902: Jalindramohan Chosh.

a?4,"

1903:

Girishchandra

Ghosh, Mdcber,

I

903:

Salishchandra

Chatt opadhyay, lahanara

(

<A Midsunlner

Nis}'k

1907i

Jyolirindranath

Thakur

(Tagore),

Jtrliur

Cderdr

1909:

Bircndraoalh

Ray.

Biiimat"

(<Meas

e

lot

Measure)

l9l3:

Nagendraprasad

Sarbadhikari.

Jiarura

(

<The

Tenqest)

l9l4:

Pramathanath

BhaMcharla, Cllop.rrfa

(disputed:

some

influ

ence

ot Anto

a d Cbopatro

claimed)

1914

(1918?):

Dhanadacharan

Mita,

Rani Tanalini

(<The

winter's

Tale)

l9l5:

Bhupend.analh

Bandyopadhyny,

Saodagar

(<The

Merchant

ol

1915:

Krishnachandra

K'rrld\,

Cleopatra

(<Antonr

and Cleopatra)

I9l5:

Nagendmnarh

Raycha

h$1,

Sadkhot

o

Saodogar

(<The Mer"

l9l5:

Manojmohan Basu,

Sonq

Soha?a

(<The

Merclant

ol

Uenice)

1919: Pashupati Cha(opaihyay,

Tenqest

l9l9: Devendranalh

Basu. Arr?llo

1920:

D€vendranath

Basu,

Kuhaki

(<A

Midsunner

Night's

Drean)

1920i

Pashupati

C-haltopadhyay,

Merchant

aJ

Venice

l92l:

Surendmchandra

Ras]u, Dtuma ba

Rat apuri

(<KinB

kor)

1923: Upendrakumar

Kar,

Macr€rl,

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTIA STAGE

1925-26: Ashutosh

Ghosh.

Merchant

of

Venice

1926: Mahadeb

De, Ve ice Banik

(<The

i|erchant

ol Ve

ice)

1952: Nircndranath

Ray, Ma.rerl

APPENDIX

B



1956:

NirmclkdnU

Mallik rChduJhuri:r

remp"v

1956: Manindra

Darta.

Ma.rzri

1956:

Surilkumar Chatlopadhyay

(Chafterjee).

Mercha t

of

Venice

1956: KalyaDbrala

Datta,

l,lercha

t of

Ve

ice

1956:

Manindra

DaBa.

/

Midsu

unet

Night's Drcant

1957:

Kalyankata

Dalta. r(rua Ze.r.

1958:

Suoilkumar Chattopadhyay

(Chauerjee),

Ar

yor

tiie

/r

1959: Ashok

Cfia, As

You Like tt

1959:

Ashok

Cuha. Ma,I'erl

1959i

Ashok

GD.ha,

Melchant

of venice

1959: Sudhindranarh

Raha.

Julias

[email protected]

1959i Sudhindnna$ R*,a- Ma.t)?th

196l: Ashok

Gufia- ,ralr/.i

1960, Ashok Gt]l|,a, l

lE

Tenpest

1960:

Sudhindranarh

P.zha.

Rotneo.Juliet

196l: Ashok

Cuha, Azrol) anl

Cleopatru,

Cohe.b

of

Ertun,

1962:

Ashok

Guha, lrerry

Vlll, KinE

Lear

1967: Sunilkumar

Chattopadhyay

(Chauerjee),

Orlello

1976: Abu

Shariyar. ,ex nn*et

RajkuMt

(<Ha"let)

1995: Sunilkunrar Chalropadhyay

(Chalterjee).

Arrary and

Cleopatru

A MISCELLANY

OF

BENGAL

SHAKESPEAREANA

1772:

'An oliicial

document

of

1772

indicates

ftal

David

Gariick

helped

in

the

slaging

oi

plays

al

the New

Playhouse.

At

lhe

request oi

lhe

directors

ol

Johr

Company,

Ganick

senl

his associale

Bernard

Massinck(?)

1o

Calcutta,

who irnparted

spccial

inslruction

in

lhe

srAging

('l

Richard

ltl and

Hatnlet.'

lTranslated

frotrr

Ahmed

1790:

A number oi

lhcalte

patrons

trom Calcura

sent

a medallion

to Mrs

Sarah

Siddons

in apprecialion

of

her

hlcnt

in

playing

the

rcles of

Shakcspearern

heroirles-

1798:

'In Novembcr

1798,

Shakespea.c

was

paid

homage

in

Calcutta

bv

an

unusual and

altractivc

,neans.

A

paintcr named

Mr

Monis

adorned

ihe walls

of the Calculta

Thcatre

wilh

various

piclures

represcnting

lhe Garick

Thealre

on the banks

of

thc Thames.

One

piclurc

showed

Garick

staoding

bctbre the

slatue oi

Shakespeare

This

was reported

h

the

Caldita

l o,tthb

.lotmal'

lTranslated

Ircm

Ah'ned

1827:

'The

following

extraordinary

scene

occurred

r an

enteruinment

given

by Sir

Charles

Metcalfe on

fie

21st December

1827

to the

Right

Hon'ble

the Govcrnor-General

and

th€ Countess

Amhersl.

The

com_

pany amounrcd

to about

400

persons comprising

all

thc ranks, bcauty

and lashion

of

Calcuth.

In

the course

of the

evening,

a

group of

visitors

madc

their appearance

in the

proper

oostuore

ol

lhe

principal

characters

in

Shakcspeare's

plavs, lcd

on

by

Prospero

and

(he

rear

broughl

up

by

Dogherly.

On reaching

lhe

gorgeous

pdvilion

where

145

146

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE

CALCUTTA

STAGE

the Govemor-General and

his

parry

were

seated, Prosp€ro delivered

an appropriate address. The

several

perconages

in

rhe

group

then

mixod

in

the

dance,

exhibiting sundry

amusing anachronisms.

Fahtaff

A

MISCELLANY OF BENCAL

SHAKESPEAREANA

141

Othello'sjealousy,

fiese

were the

things lhat

roused

us

to enthusiastic

admiration. Our

restricted social

li[e, our

narrower

field

of activity,

was

hedged in

with such monotonous

uniformity

that tempesluous

Ieel_



led out a fashionable

beauty of

the ancie

regime.

The

chost

of the

father of Hamlet too

might

haye

be€, observed

holding commerce wirh

Titania

until scared

a

liltle

by the suddcn

appearance

ofBoitom,

who

jusl

brayed

his appreciation

of

the

scene

and

then

vanished.

Shylock

also,

for

a moment,

forgot his

bond and

spoke

to

some

lady

whom

he

recognized.

while Henry VIII

addressed Lady

Percy and Anne

Boleyn replied

to Drrcaius who did not

at all

ger

surprised

to see

Oberon treading on

(he

toes of the vernacul.r

Dogberry or rhe

haughty Wolsey holding

a long confab wirh a

jolly

car er.'

[w.

H. Caren The

Cood OA Da -s

ol the

Hon'bte John

Companr.

ot.

t,

pp.

t24-2s

1854:

'Nothing

will

giye

us

g.ealer pleasure

than to

behold Shakespeare

springing inlo

new ljfe

under

the hislrioric

talent

of

our

cducared

countrymen, but wc cannot

calmly look on while

the old

genlleman

is being murdered and mangled.'

lcirishchandra

chosh. foundecediror

of the

Hinrloo Patriot

(nol

to b€ confused

wilh

rhe

actor of the same r]?'rf,e):

Hindoo

Patrior, 11 May 1854

1917:

'...

Our

literary

gods

then we.e

Shakespeare. Milron and

Byroni and

the

quality

in their work which slirred

us most was srrength

of

passion.

In the

social

Iife

ofEnglishmen

passionale

outbursts a.e kept severely

in

check. for which very reason,

perhaps.

they so dominate

their

'

literature, making i(s

characteristic to bc

the

working

out

of exrrava-

gandy

vehement feelings

to an inevitable conflagration.

At least this

uncontrolled

excitement

was what we leamt

ld look on as rhe

quintesscnce

of EngUsh literature-

'[n

the impetuous declamation

ol' English

poetry

by Akshay

Chowdhury,

our

initiation

into

English

literarure.

rhere was thc

wildness

of

intoxication. The frenzy

of Romeo's and Juliefs love,

ihe

fury

o{ King kar's

imporcnl

lamentation.

lhe

all-consuming

fire of

ings found

no

enlrance;

-

all

was as cahn

and

quiet

as could be

So

oLrr

hcaris

naturally

craved thc

lile_bringing

shock of

the

passion-

ate emotion

in English

literature.

Ours

was

not

the

jubilant

welcome

by stagnation

of

a

turbulent

wave, even

though

it should stir up

to

the

surface

the slime

of

the

bottom

'shakespeare's

contemporary

literalure

represents

the war-dance

of

thc

day

wheo the

Renascence

came to

Europe in all the

violence

of

its

reaction

against

the

sevcre

curbing

and cmmping

of fie hearls

of

men. The

examination of

good

and cvil.

beauty

and ugliness,

was

not

the

main object,

man then seemed

consumed

with

the anxicty

ro break through

all

bariers to

the

inmost

sanctuary

of his

being,

there to discover

the

ultjmalc

image of

his

own

violent desire

That

is why in this

literature

we

find

such

poignant,

such exuberant.

such

unbridled expression.

'The spirit

ofthis

bacchanalian

revclry

of

Europe

lbund

entrance

inlo

our demurely

well-behaved social

world,

woke us up, and madc

us lively.'

lRabindranath

Tagorc,

Remiticences

1964:

'From

this morning Calcu(ta

will have

a road named

aftcr

Shakespeare.

Theatre

Road

will

now be

called

"Shakespeare Sarani".

'The

renaming

of Theatrc Road

was

proposcd by ihe Mayor a1

Friday's meeting

of Calcutta

Corporalion,

and

the Councillors unani-

mously

agreed

to

the

proposal.'

lFrom

a rcport i Hhdustha

Sta dnrd,25

April

l9(,4

Thcarc Road had been

so named after thc

Chowringhee

Theatre. The

reason

for its renaming

probably

had less

10

do wilh

this

historical

association

rhan with the

facl that the Calculla

office

of the

British

Council

was. and is, located on

this road.

tg87:

'Why

then is Shakespeare

so

neglecled

in our

theatre? Can he not

salisly

us

aoy

more?

Has he

grown

old? It

is hard to accept this'.

I48

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE

CALCUTTA

STAGE

In the

most

modcrn

and

progressivc

counries'

Shakespcarc

is al

the

oeut

of

li"

poprta.ltv.

in

soviet

Russia,

Germany

and

Englttnd'

shJkesDe.re

is being

pre'enlcd

in

new

way''

Bul

in

our

counlrv

rn

APPENDIX

C

.HAMLET'

AT

A

BENGAL

FAIR



te moaern

thearre

movemcnt

lhxl

gol

under

ur)

in thc

lq40r'

ue

Doinlcdl\

isn.rrcd

sha[e'pcdre

and'

in

our

3n\icly

lo

be modern'

wenl

i",,irr,'

tr,.

dooF

ol

r$cnlierh-ccnlur)

Euro$Jo

rhedrre'

i""J.t;.,'",

rhc

dr.rmdrisL

ror

all rime

couu

n'rr drcs

us'

Ir

i'

a

.r,,.4"r'

Or.'**.'rf,"

advanccd

lhcatricJl culture

ul

lhe

sorld

ir

,,r.,

*

*.*

Jnd

u'e

Shdte"pedre:

-bu(

lhi'

PIcd

poet

and

d.amalist

hxs

becn

exlled

from

our

ttrge'

lTranslated

from

SuPriYa

Dhar'

'Ban|la

Thedre

e Ni'bdr'a

S'dt"rp?4rc'('Shakespeare

Exiled

f;m

fte

Bengali

Theate')'

Ganashakti'

5

April

1987

(Blackwootl's

Magazine,

October

1910)

It

was

at

an

Up

counlry

Fah

in

Bengal

that

we saw

'Hamlef

played

by

a nadve

company,

and

it

rounded

otf

our

fairing

in an

inslroctive

and

delishtful

wcy.

.r-'...

'"

i"

w:rndering

lrorn

lhc

Farr'

and lhc

chi'l

c\cnt

in

it,

which

was the

pertbrmance

of'Hamlef'

I

look

place

la1er

in

the

Jrv.

hcsinn,ns

ar eighr

o

cl.'ck'

and

lasled

u,]lrl

drrer

mrd.lighr'

Ir

."'.c".,"-fu

p"L,rrnce

ro

$hich rhe

Railh

hdd invired

u'

rnd

it

;as

thereforc

not to

be

wihess€d

without

duc

ceremonics'

We

had

lcod

save

tne

ring'

as

we entcred,

and

wcre

ushered

bv

the

BanisleF

ui-ir*

to

th"

aro*;ngrnom

suite

in

green brocadcd

satin

liom

which

$'e

had

been

privilcged

to

watch

the

camel-iighl'

tt was

now

the

tronl

row

of

the

siaus

in

the

big

marquee

thar

consrkuled

ihe

theatre'

The inside

orchestra

consisted

of

(l)

a

hamonium-player

on

thc lett

wing

of

the stagei

(2)

a lom

bm

playor

on

the right-

Whal

it

may bc

asked

-

had this

orchesrA

to do

with

Hamlef

l

what

-

as

far

as ihat

goes

-

lras

any

orcheslra

10 do

with

'Hamlef

l

As

a

matier

of fac1,

lhis

pai. was

pretty busily

engaged;

ior

'Hamlef

in

Bengali

is

-

if

I nay

attcmf,t

a

delinition

-

a musical

tragedy

of

imbrogiio.

wbencvir

the

action

palled

(and

there

was

lots

ol

action)

orc

oi

rtre

players sang

a song

not

so

much

accompanied

bv

the

o..t

"rtro

u,

a"l"a

ly

1,.

Hamlet

himsclf

was the

only

man

thal

had

a

chance

againsl

lhe harmonium,

and that

was

duc

lo the

penetralingly

nasal

qualiiy of

his

roice. Again.

I have

nevcr

hcad

any

onc

so

nasal

as

Hamle .

...

Here,

belbre

I

enlargc

upon

the

acting,

I

will

set

down'

act

bv

acl.

the

progrannne

ofthc

play, ofwhich

the

ploi

was

specially

prirtcd

ibrus

in

lnglistr.

so

lhat

we

rnight

uDdcrstand'

'The

plot in

sho("

it

is called.

it

lics

bctore

me as

I

wrile

I

givc

it

as

priitcd'

The

lii\r

(ene

olc.s

with thc

King

chcltins

$ith the

Queen

in a

'ooi'

nr lhe

c (10.

tte

$en

fcels

drcurv

anil

subeqkntl'

f'lls

tsleepr

\hetuupon'

ii"

d,*"

"*.

ior

hcr

husband\

brorhe'

Fatrukh

nd

induccs

hnn

to drop

149

I5O

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CALCUTTA SfACE

pokon

in

his

ea.

Tho

KnrE dies

of

ils elTecrs, rnd lhe

Queen

gives

oul,

nnponunately

atdbutng the

cause

to

a

ieee.au

bie. ,ahangn

mou,ns hn

larlEfs

death and

AlhBr, his

i,iend .nd Nociate, conlons hih.

.IIAML,ET'

AI

A

BENcAL

FAIR

I5I

a lit(le

disappoinling.

Here

is the syllabus

of

it

-

At lhe

openine

of lhe

s(o.d

acr Faftukh

in coun

putine on the

guie

of

anxiery

fd hhrngn's

s.fety

shows concems

dd

enqunes.

Musoor

Ihe



This,

it

will

be

observed

is Shakespeare,

though not

in

the order

we know

it.

Liberties have b€en taken, but

what aclors have nol

taken

rhem?

The

point

to be noliced

is that

the

plot

servcs

India

admnably.

Look

al

the

Queen

imporlunalely

atlributing

her

husha.d's death

to

a

serpenfs

bile.

k

is

rhoroughly

Bengali.

Olficial

returns

of

to'day

atlribute

an enormous

proporlion

of

dcaths

among natives

to snake-

bite:

individuals say that

lhe

variety

of snake is a human one.

Anyhow,

the

pi1

understands.

Jahangir is.

of

course,

Hamlel. In his

make

up he conformed to the

English tradition so fhr as

to

wear

Hamler's

black cloak. Otherwise

he was an innovator. He wore rowing

shorts,

puttees, and a

pair

of

football

bootsi also a big

pislo

in his

girdle,

such as highway-men used

to

carry,

and, fully exposed

like

a decoration.

a

large

gun-metal watch and chain over

his

hean.

We

supposed at

iirsl

from

its

calibre that the

watch was merely a

der:oralion.

bui this was not

the case.

It

had

a dmmatic

value

loo.

You

remember the famous

lines

in Act

III.

:-

'Tis

now the

lery witching time of

nisht,

When churchyards

ya$n

and hell nscrf bB0rhes oul

Conrigion

ro lhis

*odd : now could I dnnk hot

blood,

And

do such bitter business as

th.

day

would

qu*e

to l@k on.

Well,

Hamlet

wanted

to make

quite

sure

that

it was the

very

witching rime ol ,ight

when he could drnrk hot blood,

and he

consulted

the

gun'melal

waich accordingly. There

was a

pleasing

accuracy about

this thal

seems

lo

indicale

fiat

the

actor

took the

view ihal Hamlels madncss

was only feigned.

what with the

watch and the

pistol.

Hamlefs

was

a sporiing

rather

than a historical makc-up,

and I think

Akhtar

(Horalio)

was

rather

envious of

il. He was somewhat of a Job's comfoner.

but

nothing

wns likely to

qucll

Hamlot's mouming. ln

Bengali

it

had to

be

of a

prisdne

ceremonial

order

There was no

possible doubt about

its

inieDsity.

He

simply

'waked' his

Falher. and,

wilh

the

assistance

of the

harmonium, approached

the banshee ai its best. One

fell lhat

some acrion

was

bound

lo ensue.

and

Acl lI.

was

in the circu

rstances

Wuiz.d talls

lore

wilh

Meherboo.

Sulenun

ente^

lnd

3 conle6ado'

pNses

on

Akhtar @ox

s

the

lccidenl

of

$e

gr.ve

to

Strlemar

Seine

Jahangn

enrenng,

Sulemln

wirhdmws. Akhhr

quenions

lahangn

lho c'ifidcs hin wilh

th€

disclosor€.

Mansoi

in tEn2,

il€clffis his

lov€ for

h€r

'Her'

h,

of

cou.se, Meherbano

or

OPhelia.

The chief

inlerest

of ftis

act consisted

in

the

introduction

of fie

characters

new

to

Shakespeare.

Mansoor ihe

Wazirzada

was the

most

importa,t

in rank.

but

Suleman

was more

important dramatically.

He

was,

so

to speak'

rhe

ShdlerDeJrian

cloqn

lndidni.ed

taler

he

became

lhe Firsl

GrJ\edigger.

The

(hing

abouL him

was

Lhrt

hd

w's 2

hl"l

m'n nol

a

brown

one.

Thal

was the

comedy

of

him. The

audience laughed

when they saw

him.

Everylhing

he said

was ajoke.

I could

not make

out

quiie whai his

rclations

were

to lhe other

chara.lers,

bul

I'do

not

think

they

greatly matered-

The clown

may enter

arywhere. He

giv.s relief,

and

in

lhis

act one

was

g.aleful

for

reliei

The acting was

all

very emotionally

pronounced, and fte

harmonium

was at his most

energer,c.

With

.exl

scen€

we

come

lo o r@m

wheE

lhe

Quecn

is *en

ervrnlkins

uiil,

Fdrukh

Then

enteB Hum,yun

th€ Lord

Ch.mbcrlain

vno. s@n

lfter.

i;

despotched lo console

the Poncc.

The

Queen,

then,

gives

publicitv

lo her

union

*ith

Fanukh.

Meanwhile

e Wazi.

des to

solae

lhe

PrinF

who hea6 hir

wnh flighliness

.nd cynical

disdain, dnd

PouN

fonh in

soliloqv hh

honor at

his Motheis

mafiileo.

'soliloqy' hardly

expresses

the

prolonged and rampant

vocalism

to

which Hamlel.

undetened

by

lhe harmonium

and

the tom-tom,

treated

us. Bul here

again. of course.

his horror

had lo-be

very

great.

Not only

was

his

Qucen

Molher

marrying her

hrrhind\

mtrnlerer'

but

she

was remanying;

and to a Hindu

Hamlet

a

widow's

maniage

would

jusrify

any oulbursl.

The

Queen's

action

rcpr€senled

shame

lessness

and

passion,

or

was supposed

toi bu1

none

of

the

womcn

in the

play

showed any

emotion comparable

wilh thal

of

the

men.

I1 would not havc

been

proper,

or,

presumably, like real

life. This took

away

a

good

dcal of the interest

of Ophelia,

who

had

her chance

in

I52

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCI]TTA

STACE

Act

IV. as

the

programme

shows

-

Meherb .o\

siving

wenl lo

her

love lor

.,ahatr-qir

Her

]tuids_of_honour

going Fatheas

Alhrxrs aM Sulem"

s

,HAMLET:

AT

A BENCAL

FAIR

I53

fte master

wills

it

After

this,

Acl

V,

though

full

of

incaent'

seemed

in

ils'way

qujet. The

Iollowing

eYents

look

pli'e

-

Mcnrcor's

md

Sahelink

iestins

wnh

each

orher

in

lhe

wav

His

going in lhc



soorhi.s

herl

lahrogir's

ro hh

smvc.

oleFighring

him

Th€

openins

ol

rlE

smvo.

The

arpeanng

of

the Ghost

md

infoming

hinr ol

hn death.

Meherbano

gave.

it

scemed

to

lne,

the very

meekcst

possible

'went' lo hc.love

for

Jahangir, and her

maids-of_honou'

had

liltle

or

no

difficully

in sooth;ng

her,

though

ihey spread

fteA

consolations

over

a considerable

period.

Meherbano

was a small

artiste,

wilh

thc

voice

of a

iield-mouse.

She

had

on a chcrry-colouled

satin

drcss'

which

reached

barely

to hcr

knees,

and

with

a

view to

caplivating

Hamlel.

no

doubl

-

a

pair

ol

European

black

stockings'

No

shoes-

The

exccedingly

loose

fit oftbc

stockings

led

to an

uninEniional

piecc

ol by-play

at one

point.

She

was

giving

'wenf

io her

love by

squeezing

a liny

pocket handkcrchiet

ol

which

she

made I

good

dcal

of

use

throughout.

passing it lhrough

ber

lingen

and

laying

i1

on

her hreast.

when

she

accidenlallv

dropped

ir

In Bengal

when

vou

drop

a

thing.

there

is

no bothedng

to

sloop and

pick it up

You

usc

yo

r

fooi.

One

of

the

courlicrs

not very

courbously

-

nudgcd

Ophclia.

and

pointcd to the

tallen

handkerchiel'

Absenl-mindedlv

she

p;l ou

one big

toe at

it

grrccl-ully,

lralf

raiscd it,

and

then had

thc

morrification

of

seeing

il

lall

again.

She

hxd forgotten

hcr stockings'

pdsoncd in

which

her

prchensile

toe had

lost

its cunning

She

had

io

bend

down

lo

gcl

it

lf

this

act

gave

ophelia

her

oppo(unitv'

it

also

gave

Hamlel

his al

the

graveside.

That

was after

lhe

ippearancc

of

the Ghosl.

who

looked,

il musl

be allowed,

more English

than

thc

rest

of

the drd,aris

pelro,l"'

and

had

a fairly

good speaking

part'

Roused

by h;s

tale,

Hamlct

did

a

sword dance.

prepurltory

to taking

lengcance.

It

was

a

grcat

c{fo

,

thal

dancc'

laslirg

roughly

lor

rcn

mirrutcs.

Hamlet

tloing

Iadian

clubs

with his

sword,

and shrickjng

at

'the

top

ol

his

voicc

throughout.

The

young

sn at the harmonium

appeared

to

be rcally

moved

by

it,

and,

as il

\n're.

challengcd

Hamlet

ro musical

combar.

The

conclusion

wm

a forcgone

one

Hanrlcl

did

hi\

hest. but

a

man

cannol

contend

with a

harmonium

;ndefinitely

The

young instrumentalist

rcduced

Hamlet

10

a hoarse

imPotencc

in

the end,

and

went

on

by

himscll

for

n minutc

or

two.

jusl

10

show

wbat

an agony

of organ

notcs

the

hamonium

crn

give

forth

when

-,*"

"',n

,*" *4. O..u"nP

hh

lo\c

ro

MlnerbrD

HJr oc

lin're'

Cotr'ing

ui

il;;;"

il;;.

;;il,-;,,."i'

r"'u

or

e\e4onr

i1

rhc 1J"''re

h

FJnurh

..d ;h,"",,

",,"-*s

prrrormJn'e'

The

Llc'rh

ol rll

The

nrosmrnnle

lr

nol

perlecll)

clelr'

A(

lar

ds I

relnelnber'

Il

*^

r"r-*"**

*",

inro

rhc

garaen

$ilh

lhcrr

l'clp

'

Arrlhos

he

*,.," rrrc

,:"raen,

in<l

rahdngir

canrc

cnd

IillcLl

h'rn'

Hc

killed

him

bv

c,minc

ip

b.

hind

3nd

shoorrng

hrm

in

lhe

hJck

wirh

r

'hinv

nc$

,,].i'.iii..

tJ,**

.,"

nrve

Frven

rdhangir

rhe

ruok

rifle

JI

rhe cnJ

of

.t.t

tV,

p".t ap.

instead

ol

a

bouquet'

I

teel surc

he

had

no1

."..".*a

,, U.,o,",

or

he

w.'uld

hJ\e

hruughl

il

on'

The

sounJ

",".r,,cea

br rr.

be ,je.

bcins

m^rrJl.

wlc ot

a

\er)

Tiinlul

nrrure

i'"i

la,n'.,or

aenicrea

il

sirh con'umnrste

'krll'

lndceJ'

apJn

ttom

u",.r"'.'**a

a""",-JIhcdeJrholdll

whrrh

lollo$ed

larcr'thcre

was

nolhing

more

apprecialed

by

fte

audicnce

On

lhe

English

stage

aeatt,

ar"

io.

ttte

lno"t

part

swilt.

il

dranralic'

ln

llalinn

opera

lhey

iof."

fo"g",

*.y

"li"r,

lrrt

the

ciforts

oi

the

artisrcs

are

concentratcd

,J",

,i',

g"i,l"g fteh

notes

out

successlullv

ftan

upon

depicting

*c o,,,,rle'lnO

'rrrrhing'

in

undulv

hdnoqrng

la't

Ihr'i*'

Singe^

"."

i"..*.frf

ot

rhem'el'es'

31d'

as c

rulr'

too

n^ul

Io

urrrhe

convincingly.

flere

werc

no

such

disabilities

here' Mansoor

had

sct

a sublimJexarnple,

and

all'

$hcn

dealh

camc

upon

them'

strcve

k)

",r.,i

rr't

*,i"r..*.

ldo

nul

kno$

wh) rhc

dearh

olall

occurreJ'

ii'

li

o,o'-

0,,,"

iuddcnl\

I

J ^uld

'J)'

:r

hcsan

ro

do

'o

quirc

*ia"nrr.

-

-a

though

il

canre

in rhe

lorm

oi

rhc

po}on

cup

pi'tol

.i"^

,"a,rr.

',"t.r

"

l.ss.jr.

ir came

s xh

'rmilJr

lingerins

$rilhing'

r,oiJring

preriIninuties.

Ophelia

relained

her

breath

the

longes

and

ifr",..".-f"

her

cnd.r

disiinct

touch

of

thc

star

aclr€ss'

She

had

,irii"a

n"'"",r;"

g".a,ime

with

a

verv

large

sragc

dagger

wrought

"i:*o.a

*a

.i,*.-p^p",

which

puckercd'

hut

she

rcservcd

hcl

death

for

the

last.

She

aliowcd

ahout

a

quarter of

an

hour

lbi

the

oficrs

a

".iin",

ono

then

staggered

lo

&e

ho$t

and

was aboul

lo

hll

A

ditficully

presenEd

itselt

Thc

stage

was so

packed

with

lhe

dead

iJi""

ti"i.p*"

"a"q*,e

fbr llrc

deceasc

oflhe

heroine

was lacking'

154 SHAKESPEARE

ON

fHE CALCUT"TA

STACE

at any

rare

in Iie

fronr. Ophelia

showed

rhe

practical

common-sense

that

has

before now

distinguished

arrisles.

Nothing

daunled

by

the

affair

of

the

handkerchiet

she agajn

used

her

foor

to

kick

one

of rhe

APPENDD(D

HAMLET,

HARIRAI

AND A

BENGAL

FAIR

l



crowd

in the ribs.

With

one

of

ftose

convulsive

spasms

that

have

been

known

lo

occur even

after

death,

he

jerked

himself

10 one

side.

Hamle(

was rhe

other too

foNard

corpse.

but a

poke

in

his

ribs

enabled

hjm to

pertbrm

rhe

same

phenomenon.

Then

Ophelia

coutd

really

abandon

herself t6

die.

and

djd

so.

.

The.e

was susrained

apptause

from the

whote

1hettrc,

particularty

from

the

front row

of

the

stalls. and,

after ir

was

over,

Mr

Chundar.

who

had

been busy

between

the acls

handing

us chocolate

and

biscuils, carne

up to find

out

what

we

rhoLrght

of

the

performance.

'You like

ir?

You think

it

was

wel

acrcd?,

he asked

us,

smiling.

but wirh

an

anxious

eye on

the Rqjah

at the

same

time.

We

all

declared

that

we

liked

it

immensely,

and

thar

il

had

been

acted very

linely indeed,

and

Mr

Chundais

smile

expanded

and

expand€d.

Only

rhe

Rajah

had

yer

ro

speak,

and hc,

judging

rhat

we

had

been

plcased

and

satisfied.

and

that

nonc

of the

faiture

araching

to

the

camel

races

could

be

assigned

ro

this

perfo.mancc,

said

wirh

complacence

'Yes_ ll was rletl

acted.

you

shall rell

the

cornpany

that

they

did well.'

And

he

added

courreoLrsly

to me,

who

sal on ono

side

of him, 'It

is

a

good

little

play.

Yes.,

Next

moment

rhe band

oubide slruck

up

.God

savs

ihe King,

for

positively

the

last

time, and

to

thesc

toyal

skains

we walked

out

into

lhe

Bengal night.

It

was a lovely

nighl.

The

srars

glinered

from

a

black

velvet

sky.

and

in

the srarlighr,

as we

drove

back, we could

see the shrouded

Bengalis

shuffling

home

atong

the

dusty

road_

Though we

had.

all

of

us, been

seeing Shakespeare's

.Hamlef,

I

had

lhe

strange

feeling that

we

were moving

in

some

lime

and place

that

were pre-Shakespearian.

R-E. }ERNiDE

Exactly

a

hundred

years

ago,

a

drama

review

was

published

in a

local

ne\|spaper,The

tndian

Mirmr(22 May

1900),

which

slaled:

'We

musl

confess

that

Babu

Amarendranath,

righdy

called by

the theatrc_going

public

fie

Carrick

of

the

Bengal stage. absolulely

surpassed

himself

in ir. It is

an

exlrenely

difficull

part

and

there arc

not

many

actors

in England

who

are

upto

playing

it,

and

yet

he

manages

it

so

well

as

to

compare

favourably

with

some

of

the

best

actors in

England

'

The'extremely

difficult

pan'being refened to

is thal

ofHamlet,

morc

correclly

of Hariraj

in

Nagendranath

Chaudhuri's

Ha,zlel

adaptation

of

the same

name.

HarrraJ.

The

play

was

first

pcrformed

on

2l

June

1897

(perhaps

a

private

show in

1896

predated

the

premiere)

by

Amarendranath

Dutt's

lroupe

at rhe Classic

Theaire.

It

held an

imporlant

place

in

his rePenoire

and

was

coniinuously revived.

ln

lhe

first

decade

ot

the

lwenticth cenlury'

Hariral

was

playing

at the

Slar Theare

with

a new

leading

actress,

Kusumkumari.

Amarendranalh,

a remarkable

cntrepreneur

ofhh

age'

sold

his

play

texts lo Basumati,

a Bengali

publishing house

Thus,

being mhtakenly

incorporated

into thc

€orpus of

Amarcndranalh's

plays,

the

text ot

Hatimj hns survived

to

this

day. Gramophone

records

of the

songs

and dialogues

of dariral

also

survive,

ahhough

in

private

colleclions.

However,

I have been

alerted by

Dr Amlan

Das

Gupta to

the

danger of

assuming that

the

facl

ol

re€ording

is in itself

an

index 1o

the

popularity of

the

play.

Recordings

of

Hotimj rnighl

have

resulled

from the

availability

of

alistes

mther

than

public

demand;

moreover,

Amarcndmnaft

had his own

interesls

in the

new

gramophone company.

The success

of

ildli,ai

on

the

commercial

Bengali stage

is

difficult

to

gaugc.

The

ge0eral chorus

of

apProbtrtion

atlests

to

its

popularity

while maintaining

that lhe

play

is a

poor

imihtion

of r/drler.

The only

dissenting

voice is lhal

of Ahindra

Choudhury,

celebraEd

actor of

the

generaion afier

Amarendranalh.

His

reminiscence

merits lo

be

quoled

in

full, since

il discusses

the

iabilir, ol

r

Benglli

Ha'alct

producrion

ttom erpericnce.

155

t56

SHA(ESPEARE ON THE CALCUTTA STACE I',4ML'I

I,/IT/RNJ

AND

A BENGAL

FAIR

'He

(Amarendranath

Dult) made a

great

deal ofendeavour

to see

thal

the drama docs

not obtain

lhe

samc

tate as Mrcbel,ft. It

was

ibr

A

play

that

could

atracl

altendon

over

de'ades

and be

consid-

erea as

iit

iext for

a

ctraritv

show

by

a

group

of

'disreputable'

female

desc

bed

on the

tidc

page



this reason

that the

grealtragedy

was re-named

Hari Rai in Bengali.

The

quccn

was madc

Srilekha. Enough money

and labour

was

spent

for making

il a

grand

success.

But

unfortunalely

it

could

not anract

sullcient

public

applause.

The author

of

this articlc

had seen

it

pcrfonned by

amateur

cluhs

in

Calcutla to whom

il

proved to

be

of

immense success.

It

wa6

also

highly appreciated by

amalcur

clubs

as

such even

;n 1906

and

1907. In his mighty rcle Amar

Duita

played

in such a

magnificent

way

that nobody dared to

perlorn

again after

his

death.

parlicularly

in $e

hero\ role.'

('Shakespeare

Worship In

Bengal',

Rabindra

Bharati

U

iversitr JounaL. Vol.

2,

No 2, April-

June

19tu,

pp.

l3- l,l)

Ahindra Choudhury's

repofl nra*es

it

clcar lhal the Bengali

versions

of Shakespcarc\

grca1

imgedies

whclhcr Girish Chandra

Ghosh's

translalion

of

lt'Iacbeth

ot

Nagcndmnath Chaudhuri's

:rdap-

tation

of tld,ir.q

-

could not

win

thc

heans

oi

Bengali

playgoels.

Amarendranalh

s

subsequent

production,

Kshirodprasad

Vidyavinod's

Allrdlrd.

brcught

grcater

commercial

succcss. Then could

thc reason

behind

thc continuous

rcvi\,al

oI Har?i

be the

parcity

of

good

playsl

Or was Amarcndranalh

trying to

c$h

in on the fascinalion

wi&

Shakcspeare

in rhe Bengalj nrind?

Latcr

rdvcrtisements sought

to

draw audiences

by calling,

Hatiraj

t

-Hindu

Hrmlet'.

Conlrary

10

Ahindra

Choudhury's

report, Monomohan

Goswanri had arcmpted

a

rcvivalaller

Dulfs death. The

extendcd

lile oflhe

play

on Lhc

Bengali

stage

is

besL

illustrated

by a

rcporl in N.r.rglrr-, thc

Bcngali theatre

journal,

which

stalcs lhal Hdlirat

will

bc

pertbrmed

at

Monmohan

Natyamandir in January

1925

by

rn

all

wooran

t

oupe named

Bhikhaini

Thcalre.

Morcover

this

would

bc

acharily show and the noncy

raised

by

selling Lickcts

would be

spent

fbr

sonle

public

beneiit.

The

announcenrenl

b

NLtchshar,3

Magh

l33l

(January

1925. tmoslatcd

irom thc

Bengali), slalcs:

'A lheatrical

group

called

'Bhikharini

Theatre"

will

nct Hariruj

and Hin

nn)i

on

Mondxy

next

at

lhe

Monmohan

Natyanrandir. This

group

consists

cntirely o1

women. The

procccds ol lhe show

will

be used

lor works

ol

public

welthre. h is

a

good

sign

tha(,

ahhough

they

are beyond

the

pale

oi

society,

the

heads

of

hapless

fallcn

women also

respond to the sutlering

of lhe

arristcs

requires

closer

alte.lion.

HdriraJ,

ol-

the

printed

texl

as a

lragedy-

based

on

history,

is neither

historical

or

a

lragedy

but

a

melodrumatic

tale

oi

murdcr,

revcnge'

passron

,nO

ae*t.

ittit

is

Hdrl?1

sans

madfless

sans

Rosencmntz

and

Guiklenstern.

sans

the players

and

lhc

mousetrup'

Critics

niighl

bervail

that

this

is

not

Hdnlet

^

all-

Il

thc

problem

of

na'tigating

cultural

mores

is raised,

the

playwrighfs

solution

is

o

lackle

th€

issue hcad_

on.

He

solves

the

problcm

oi

Ihe

widowed

Gerlrude's

inccstuous

rcnlarr;age

by

nraking

Hariraj's

mother

Srilekha

a

parrner to

the crime

commllled

ry Ceneral

Javakar

who is

not brother

to

fie

king

but

an lspirant

to

the firone

tn HdrirdJ'

characlers

commil

gmve

crimes'

givc ihLrnrlerous

specches

or mcel

in

gardens and

'cgularlv

brenk

inlo

iongs

(eleven. in thcr).

Inslearl

oI

Gerlrude.

the

ruthless and

arnbitious

oucen

who

hal(hc.

a

plol

lo

1;11 1,.,6q

n

'6n

1e'cmble:

Cl)

Iemne\lrn'

il,.

.p..ct". rhrouuh

which Srilckha

tnck(

her

lover

Jdlatur

are

lifted

straight

trcrn

Macbeth

(pcrhaps

this

lends

credibililv

lo fie

conjecture

thar

Har,rdJ

was conceivcd

by

NagendraDaih

Basu'

who

haJadapted

Md.rs

as

Kd,,L#ir

in 188'l)

An

enlircly

new

character

ca,led

Dadhimukh

has

be.,

introduced,

who

is a tradilional

Indian

surrxdhar

(aBrahman

direcior

manager)

and

a sympathizer

ot

Hariraj'

playing

a choric

rolc

ol

comnrentatot

messenger

and

clown

as

well

," on

r.,-.

gariolt

princely dignity

remains

inlacl

as

all

his mad

speeches

have

becn

tanslerred

to

the

moulh

oi

Dadhimukh

His

ill

;enl.rcnt

of

Aruna/Ophclia,

who is

betroihcd

to

hirn and

is moreoYer

a

chitdhood

swcethearl,

is assuaged

by$e

lact

thal

he

could

not have

marricd betore

thc

cuslomary year

of

Hindu mourn;ng He

takes

charge

of Aruna

when

Kuladdhvaj/Polonius

goes awny

convenienlly

on a;ilgrimage,

and

then

neglects

her

Aruna

does

nol

have

a brolher'

txr

iariraj

nas a

younger si(er

Suranra.

vr'i1h

whoor

Kalhan/Hora'o

is in

love.

In

$e

end,

afler

Javakd(

stabs

Hariraj

and

is slabbed

in

rcturn.

Srilekha

iumps

inlo

fie

river

h

end

her

lifc

and

Aruna drops

down

rlead

alier

showing

mild

signs

oimadness'

Kalhan

is lefl

alive

to

mal-ry

Surama

ani:l

presumably

to

irheril

the

ftrone'

tnstedd

of the

cold

and

bleak cdstle

ofElsinore.

the

backdroF

ic rhe vale olKashmir

with

its

gardens and

rivers-

The

ghost

appears

onlv once'

appropri-

I53 SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STAOE

rtel]

ar rhe

hurning

gha .

Il whal

happens in

Hrriral

seems

funny,

lhen

anorher

related

Iext

could

bc

scrutinized

jn

order to

I/,4MIEI,

H4Rl(A,/

AND A BENCAL FAIR

grcat.

Not

only was his

Queen

Mother marying her husbandh

niuderer,

but

she was remarrying;

and ro a Hindu Hamle( a widow,s

marriage

would

juctil)

any

ourhu^t.'



conduct,

as it were,

an

anatomy

of such laughler-

This

other rexl

is an article

by R.E. Vemede

entirted

'Hamlet

at

a Bengal

Fair',

published

in

(he

Brirish periodical

Bktckwood\

Maed.ine

in October

1910.

This

article ctaims

to be

an

eye.witncss account

ot'lhe

perfonnrnce

of

a

Bengali version

of

Hanlet at

an

up-counrry

.fair,. Ir was

a command performance,

held

in

honour

of

rhe

visir

o,'some

Englishmen

to

fte

estate

of

a local

raja. An

English-educaFd

barrister,

Mrchundat

had been

enrrusted

with providjng

eniertainment

and

he

had

arrangcd

for an

orchestra

playjng

'cod

Save

The

King'.

a

camet race

and Hanlet.

yefiiAe

informs

us thar the

synopsis

of

ihe play

$,as

prinred

in

Engtish

specially for

rhe

visirors,

and

proc€€ds

to

quote

yerbatim

from

this

syropris,

'Thc

plor

in shorr',

as ii

is

callcd:

'The firsr

scene opens

wkh rhe

King

chatring wirh

thc

eueen

in

a

room in

the

casrle.

He

then fcels

drousy

and suhsequentty

frls

aslccp;

whereupon,

rhe

Queen

sends

for

her

husband's

bmrher

Farrukh and induces

him

b drop poison

in his

car.

The KiIlg

dies

of ils

effects,

and the

Qucen

gives

our,

impo

uDalcty

attriburing

rhe

cause

to

a

serpcnl's

bire. Jahangir

rnourns

,ris

thrhcr,s

death and

Akhtar, his friend

and associare,

comforts

him.,

Vernade

ften

commenis:

'This,

it wiltbe

observed

is Shakespearc,

lhough not

in rhe

ordcr we

know

ir.

Liherties

have

been taken.

but

what

aclors

have

not taken

them?

The

point

to

be noiiced is

rhat

the

plor

serves

India admirably.

Look

ar

the

eueen

importunarely

altribudng

her

husband's

dearh

to a

serpenl,s

bite. Ir is

thoroughly

Bengali.'

The whole

accounr

is writen

in

rhis vein:

a kind

of discourse

thal ol]e

associates with

colonial

racial

pre.judicc

and

which

lhrolvs

up

randomly

such commenrs

as:

1)

Harrler

in Bcngali

is

_

if

I may

allempl a definilion

-

a musical

rragedy

ot

imbroglio.

Wlenever

ihe

acriol)

palled (and

thcre was

tors

of acrion)

onc

of the

ptayers

sang

a

song

-

nor

so much

accompanied

bv rhe

orchesrra

as dei]ed

by

i(.

2) "'Soliloqy'

hardty cxprcsses

rhe

prolonged

and rampanr

vocal,

ism

to

which

Hamler,

undcten€d

by

the harmooium

and rhc

ron_

tom.

treated us.

Bul

here again,

of

course,

his

horror

had

10 be

very

It

is

(o

be

noted rhat

VernBde

forgers rhat

Hamlcl

a\

Jit\angir

has undergone

yet

another

l.ansformation and rhat a Muslim

widow

maffying

a

brother-inlaw would

nor

b€ as objectionable.

The slip

is

curious.

Why

the

Hindu

Hamler

becomes

the

Muslim

Jahaogir

is

anybody's

guess.

The

changc

mighr

have been effected

to

draw

audiences in a

part

of Bengal wirh

a sizeabie Muslim

populaiion.

Furlhc

it

may

be conjecrured

rhal the

change was made,

and the

plot

Iurned

inside

out,

in

order

to

claim originality

for a

rural

production

which

was obviously borrowing

heavily from rhc

play

on

thc

Calculta stage

Ha,ir.r/.

A

comparativc sludy

of

the three

plays

-

Shakespete's

Hdhiet,

Harifti

^nd

the

Hantet

at

thc fair

,

reveals rhat

ihe

inspirarion for

ce

ain

sccnes

in rhe hirground

Hamlet.ould have come

only

f,om

Hariruj.

Fot inslance,

there

is

a sceoe

in which.

according

ro

rhe

prinled

plol

included

in

Vernide's

accounr,

Meherbano or Ophclia

givcs

'wenf

10 her Iove

and her maids of honour soothe

her. Vernade

thus describes

the scene:

'Mcherbano

gave,

il

seemed

ro mc,

the

very

meekest

possible

'went" to hcr love

for Jahangir, and

her

maids

of-

honour

hrd

li(le

or no ditljculty

in soothing her though

ftey spread

lhci.

consol.uions

over

a

considerablc

period.'This

seems

ro

mc

10

bc

a dirccl

borrowing

frcm

fie

scenes in

ltdn'lal

involving Aruna./

Ophelia and her

ra*nis

or

nuids

of honour. The consolarions

spread

over

a

long

period

are mos( probably

the

songs.

The

batflemenl

causcd

by

the addition of a

clown called Suleman is dispersed when

one remembcrs the

role

played

by

Dadhimukh

in

lrariraJ.

Howevct I

must meniion that this

perlormance

of H6nlet, ;n

spite

of having plenty

in common $)th

Harirat, is by no mcans

a

slavish

inrilation.

The

unknown

playwrighr

had

nor only changed lhe

names

ol characters

and added

the

scencs

of

the murder

of

rhe king,

bul he had

also

worked

out his own

sokrtion ofHarrl?r. A hve triangle

is introduccd

by adding the ligurc of Mansoor

rhe

Wazjrzada,

wbo

corresponds

struclurally

1lr

Laertes

but

in this

play

is not Meherbano/

Optelia

s

brother

Mansoor/Laenes is, rather, in lo,re with

Meherbano

and

thereby Jahangir/Hamlefs

rivaland encmy. The

faul fight berween

the

rwo rivals is

rhereby

retained-

As to thc

delails,

the synopsis

of

160

{I]AI(F,SPEARE ON THE CALCUTTA

STACE

,,AMLEI.

'Ai,&.1J

AND A

BENGAL

FAIR

l6

Act

V as

given

by

Vcrnede

does

not enlighten us.

Ii says: 'Mansoor's

and Sahelin's

jesling

with.each

olhel

in

the

way. His

going

in

the

garden with

their

help. DeciFrirg

his love

to

Meherbano.

Herdeclining.

Jahangir and

his kiUing

Mansoor. Coming

of

evervone

jn

when

the

Bengali

actors

die

Painful

and

prolonged deaths'

they

are

mc.ely fotlowing

in

Mr

Wopsle's

foolsteps'

H€ loo

had

dicd

by

inches

from

ankle

upwards'.

Unfo{unalely

for

us,

the

Bengali

language

production's



Coming

of

rhe

Tamasagah.

Farukh

and Jnhangir

witnessing

pertbrntance

The'

death

of all.'

This

version

of lrdrnle,

deviates so much

tmm Hrr,raJ

in

the final

ac1 that a suspicion

lingcrs

in

the mind

(hat

one ma) bc

commilting

an

error in

hssigning

1o

HaIil4J

the

posilion

of

an

Ur_

Text. Therc

are

indced

other

conlenders

in the

liay

The eadiest

tanslarion

ol

Harle,

inlo

Bcngali is Pramalhanaih

Bas]r's

A a$inha

(1874).

A

sudden spate

of Harle,

translations

i,

thc

last decade of

thc

ninelccnth

century

yields

three

more: Lalitmohan

Adhikari's

Hdnltet

(1892193),

Siddheshwar

Gwra's

Cha

.lranath

11894\

and

Chandiprasad

Ghosh

s Hd,ret

(1891/98). Moreover, Hamnchandra

Rakshit

ranslated the

whole ol Shakespeare

(obviouslv

including

lra,,1el)

io

twelve

volumes

between

1896

and

1903.

Nonc of these

plays, howevcr,

suggests a

Muslim adaptation.

ln

the

second decade

of

the

twentieth

century. Parsi

adaplations

ol

Shakespeare,

fbr

example,

Khoon

e'Nahak

lHanl?t),

werc

very

popular.

ln

1902. a

gramophone

record was

relsased containing

the songs

ol

Hoimi

and

Khoo

-e-Nahak-

In

I915,

an

adverlisement

ol Khoon'e'Nahak

tlc-

scribed

it

as Shakespeare's

Harle, 'in oriental

garb'.

In

the absence

of

more

inlormation regarding

Parsi

adaptations, onc

can

only specu_

larc aboui

i1s

influence

on

Bengali

theatre.

Vernade. upon

encountering

a Bengali Hd,lei

in

oriental

garb

and

wilh language

and slyli7-ed

acling

posing barrie,s 1I)

undcrstand-

ing, look

recoursc

b aivializing

the

performance as a

kind of inferior

aping.

Thus he can snceringly

ridicule

the unintended

byp,ay

created

by

Ophelia

picking

up

a

handkerchief

with hcr lbot with

such

comments

as: In Bengal.

when

you

drop

a

thing, there

is no bolhering

ro

stoop

and

pick

i1 up.

You use

your

fbot.' The

racisl

discoursc

raises

our

indignation

till

one

realizes lhal

ii is

wrilteh in a lypically

Dickensian

comic

vein

-

a

recognizable

type otiournalistic

iict;on

But

Vernadc

evidently

does nol know

aboul Mr Wopsle/Waldergarver's

Hamler

in

Chzptlt

3l ot Great

Erpectutioni.

All

the

esranging

or

outlandish

elements

of

production

menlioned

in VernEde's

account

have thek

coqnterpar(s

in

Wopsle's lrdnl€r

histrionics,

uninlended

byplay,

the

orchestni,

even Ophelia's

'slow

musical mdnesJ.

So

proves

io

be

an obslacle

1()

any

rea, estimtrtion

ol

the

Thc

Dickcnsian

mould

of

Vernadet

account

resisls

our

classifi_

catory

impulse

anll'HamLet

at a

Bengal

Fair'

cannot be

fitted

into

any catcgory.

cifier

Bengati lranslation or Bengali

adaptation'

In lact'

tre accoint

resurfaces

ln acolleclion

ofBritish

w'ilihgs

aboutcolonial

lndia as

an excerpl

from

Vernade\

A l?norunt

In lndi't

(1911)'

k

was

published

in British

Lile

In

hditt:

A

An

lolo$ oJ

Hunbtous

Wrnrrgs,

edited

by

Vernede,

by ftc

Oxford

Univemity

Press

and is

availablc

fbr

public consumption.

This

pmblern

of cl;ssificalion

brings

us

to a

final

problemi

of

chaning

onc's

course

through

a

bewildering

nrass

olinformation

while

rracing

the

history of

Shakespearcan

productions in

the nincteenth

and

early twcnlietlr

centurics.

This

is the

period

in

which

the

Bengali

thcare

was mosl

inf'luenced

by

Shakespeare'

The rise

oI

the

com_

mcrcial stage

was lacilitated

through

lhe earlier

European

or

indig_

cnous

amaleur

producrions

oi

Shakespearean

plays

in English

l

need

nol

go

into

the history

ol

the

sprcad

oi

fie

Shakespeare

canon

ihrough

figures

like

D L.

Richardson

and

Derozio

ai

the

Hindu

College.

The

cntire

galaxy

of

Be.gali

stalwarts

of

the Lhcalre'

bc

it

Nlichael

Madhusudlran

Dutt

or

Girish

Chandra

Ghosh

or

Dwijendra

l-al

Roy,

was

inspired

by both

the lorm

and lhe

cootcnl

ofshxkespeare's

plays.

Whal

role

did

the

lranslated

versidns

ol

Shakespcare

have

in

furtherjng

Shakespeare worship?

One

suspecLs

ihat

lls the transladons

originated

as tribuies

lo

Shakespcarc'

their

targel

audience

also

was

thc

English-educaled

Bengali

man.

Thev tolr'hed

thc

rest

of

lhe

masses,

whether

able |o

read English

or

not' only

tangenlially

Thus

we had instxnoes

of indigcnous

journals

carrying

revicws

of

such

publicrriors;

lbr

irrs[nce.

The

Be,ryatee

ot

25 i'rnc

1902'

an English

periodical,

carricrl

a

revie'v

of Jatindrantohan

Ghosh's

ranslation

ol

Bengali

trunslations

of

Shakespeare

are divisible

inlo lwo

main

calego.ies:

Iitcrxl

renditions

with lhc

nanlcs

of

placcs

and

charactcrs

rclained

or

changed

to

Indian

namesi

and

frec

adaptrtions

with

162

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CAICUTTA

STACE

varying

degrees

of

Indianization.

On

stage,

lhe adapled

versions

were

generally more

successlul

in

the

nineteenlh

century.

Prompted

by the

staging

ol

Kuswnkumari

(qnbeline'

1874:)'

Rdrapal

(Macbeth,

H,\MI-ET

,'I,4R/II,4./

AND A

BENcAL

FAIR

163

new

form

when

he

muses

al

fie end

of

his

reporl:

'as

we drove

back'

we could

see the

shrouded

Bengalis

shuffliog

home

along

the dustv

road.

Though

we

had,

all

of us,

been

seeing

Shakespeare's

Laflle''

I had the

slaange

lecling

thal

we were

moving

in

some

tme

and

place



1814)

ad Bhbnsinha

(.Othelo,

18'15),

Girish Ghosh

attempted

his

ranscrealion

ol

Mrcbe./1

at the

Minerva

Thealre

in 1893

He adver_

lised

it\

the

Antla

Bazat

Pdrrita

in the

following

manner:

'Opening

night

/

The Mincrva

Thealre

/

6 Beadon

Street

/

Saturday.

the

28'h

January

9

p.m.

/

Shakespeare

in

Bengal.

/

MACBETH

/

I

have

got

the

piece mounled

by

/

European

Arlists

and

Dressed

/ it under

European

Supervision

/ aod

"make_up

by

Mr

J

Pimm"

The

adver_

isement

poinG

10 Girish

Chandra's

altempt

al

an authenlic

Shakespeare

The

play

left

reviewers.

but

not the audience,

overflowing

with

praise.

Evcn

today,

cridcs

praise Girish

Chandra's

translation

while

i"g."uirg

lri" addition

of

exlra

songs

to

the tragedv

But

the

nineteenth-century

audience

was tolally

diseochrn@d

-

by

Girish

Chandra's

own

admission,

the

Minerva

Theatre

was

emPly afler

the

firsl

few

nights.

one of

the vjewers had commenlcd

in

his

presence

that

in

his ten

years' experience

of watching

theatre,

he had

never

Dcspite

this commercial

failure.

Girish

Chandra

showed

the way

for

latcr

experimentation

and also

evolved

a style

of acting,

dressing

and

slage

sedng

which

proved of immense

aid

10

Amarcndranath'

Righ

from

the

days

oi

Richardson's

teaching

in the

Hindu

College'

th;

appre.iation

of

Shakespeare's

plays

had

been

bound

to

watchins

oeriormance'

A hetghlened

emolionah\m.

flambolant

:peeche

antl

a

.pccracular drrmotii

Iorm

hao

rcsulted

which

owed

ir' rnspirarion

io

prevalent

Britisn

theatrical practice. The

efforls

of

Bengali

actors

an;

acrcsses

were

repeatedly

measurcd

against

those

of

Garrick

or

Mrs

Siddons.

Amarcndranalh

as Hariraj

was

slill

being

compared

anachronisiically

wilh Carick

as late

as 1900

i

the

Indian

Mirror

When

we

ideniify

rnelodrama

as the

vehicle

for

transmittiog

Shakesp€are

1o Bengali

audiences

in

this

period,

we

must

'emember

thal

ihe

\ictorian

fondness

for

melodrama

I'ooms

large

over the

scene'

At

a

lurther

stage

of

transmission,

at

the upcounlry

{air'

vi€bnan

melodrama

meets

indigenous

folk

fieatre

or Jatra

and

the two

forms

mingle

to become

one

are

trans-formed

Vernede

perhaps

grasps

this

thai

were

prc

Shakespearean.'

Divested

ofthe

glamour of Shakespeare'

the

plot ;hanged

beyond

recogoitiot,

this

ve(ion

of

Honlet

snc-

ceeded

as

thealre.

Vernedc

contirms:

'There

was

sustained

applause

from the

wholc

thealre.

parlicularly

from

the

front

row

of

the stalls''

The

question

thal

Mr

Chundar

anxiously

asked

tl]e English

viewers

-

'Y;u

,ike it? You

rhink

that

i1 was

well

acted?'

-

relcals'

I think'

not

anxiety

but

pride

in

his

counlrymen's

ability

to

malch

standards

ol

c\cellence

by

acring

Shake'peare

'

HafllP/'

.

If

wc accept

th^t

Homlet

al

the

Bengal

fair

is actually

a

take-

of

fiom

flarrai

and

not the

ignorant

half_educated

Indian's

version

of frdnlrt,

the

entire

entcrpnse

can

b€

viewed

in a

less Dickensian

lighr

Walter

Benjamin,

raling

the

translatability

oftexts

by

ayardstick

oiher

than

linguistic

fidelity,

slates

in

'The

Task

of the

Translator'

(l

tlntiiotion|.

oanslated

bv

Harrv

Zohn'

London:

Fon'an'Collins'

ISZO,

p.

St),

'ftt" tigt",

the

level

ofa

work,

fie

mor€

does

it

remain

transiatable

cven

if

ils

meanjng

is louched

upon

only

lleelinglv

This'

of course.

applies

1o origina)s

only'

Translations'

on

$e

olher

hand'

prove

to

te

untranstatable

not

because

of any

inherent

difficulty'

but

;ecaose

ol

the looseness

with

which

meaning

altaches

to lhem'

Judged

in

this

1ilht.

Hairaj

is a

successful

tanslation

of i/amkl'

Eve;

ihe

unintelligibility

of &e

fairground

Ha'nle|can

be

explained

by

jis

being

a translation

ol

a tmnslatiot'

Success

in

performance

forces

Lrs

to deviate

from

this

formulation

a little

and

say

that Bengali

versions

of lramler

succeed

as

they.achieve

thal

'lransparency'

which

Benjamin idendfies as the hallmark

of

a

rell

lranslation

'A

real

tranilation

is

transparent,'

Benjamin

writes

elsewhere

in

the

same

essay.

'it do€s

not

cover

the

original,

does

not blo'k

its

lighl' but

allo;s

the

pure language,

as

lhough

rei'forced

by

i's

own

medium'

to shine

upon

fte

original

all

the

more

fully''

(p

79)

we need

(o

reconsider;nd

rehabilitaie

the

Bengali

productions

of Shakespeare

in

this

light.

RANGANA

BANERIEE

APPENDX E

TIIE

THEATRES

THE

THEAIRES

165

Kumar Bhaduri

in lhe

1940s,

when

it

was called Srirangam.

Brislow The.tre

(1789-90)

residence.

An



lAn

asterisk indicates that the theatre

is still in operation.l

*Aban

Mahal

(establish€d

1974)

Located

in

Dhakuria. Set up

by

the

Children's

Litlle

Theatrc

group.

+Academy

of

Flne

Arh

(established

1970)

Adjacent 1I)

Rabindra

Sadan. Atlached to

what

is

(as

its nalne

indicates)

primarily

an

art

gallery

and

exhibition hall,

the

audirorium

is thc maior

ltnuc

for

Bcngali

group

lheatre. Approximarcly 750

seats.

Alfred Thertre

(est

blished

l9l0)

Locatcd

at 9l

Harrison Road

(now

Mahatma Gandhi Road),

rhe

iornrer

sitc

of the Curzon Thcalrc

(cstablished

1904).

A nujor

vcnuc

lbr

the

Parsi theatre.

Now

Grace Cinema.

Athenaeum

(1812-14)

Established at l8

[Lower]

Circula.

Road

by Mr Morris.

Poor

perior-

mances resulted

in

dwindling audienccs and

haslened

its

closure.

B€nsal Theatr€

(€stablish€d

1873), briefly

Udque

Theatre

(1903-04),

Natioml

Theatre

(190s-191r)

The first

permanenl

stagc

ior

proiessional

Bengali theat.c. Lmalcd

at

9

Beadon

Strect,

the

prcsent

site

of

$e

Beadon Strcet

Posr

Oflice.

Inlroduccd

actrcsses

on

stage.

+Bi&n

Theatre

(esrablished

1979)

Acommeroial theatre al5A Raja

Rajkrishna

Slreet. Apprcximately

550

Biswarupa

(established

1956)

A mrumerci.tl theatre at

2A

Raia Raikishra

Streeq

rhe

site ofthe earlie.

Natyanikekn

(established

l93l).

This

stage was

made

l'amous

by

Sisir

Establjshed by Mrs

Emma

Brisbw

at her Chowringhce

all

women amateu. company.

f,{e

CaIc

ta Cazexe.

? May l?89,

described

it as 'a

perlecl

thcatre

dilTering only

fron

a

public

one in

ks dimensions'.

It

was olosed

after Mrs Brislow

leil for

England.

Calcutta

Th€atr€

See N€w Playho|lse

CholYringhee

Th€atre

(1813-39)

Localed

al the crossing olchowringhee

Road and Theatre

Rond

(now

Shakespcare

Saftni).

It

was

the

longest-running

and

besFknown

English theatrc

in Calculta. Allhough,slyled

a

'private subscriplion

thealre',

il dcfiayed the cost

oI

consnuclion

by selling shares,

supplenrented by agencrous

donaljon

fronr

lhe Governor-General

Lo.d

Hastings

of

Moira.

The

building,

crowned

by

a

domc,

was described

by

Stoqueler

as a

'clumsy

edifice'.It

was

controlled

by the

Amateur

Dramrlic

Society, also known

as the 'Chowringhce

Theatrc

Becfsleak

Club'.

The male

rolcs

were

played

by 'gcnllemen

amrtcurs' and the

female

roles

by

wonren

who rcsidcd

on

the

prcmises

and receivcd

monihly

salaries. Among

lhem were

Mrs

Bland,

M.s

Francis, Mrc

Godieb

and

Mrs

Eslhcr Leach. Among

th€ amaleur

malc

actors was

one

Captain

W.D.

Playiai..

who

'as

Faislaffhad no

equal'

[Cal

Stage].

The

Chowringhce

Theare

rcached

its

highest

celebrily during

Lord Amherst's Govemor-Generalship.

Perfomances

wcre held every

week, usually on

Thursday

evenings.

The charge

was Rs- 8

(boxes)

and

Rs.

6

(pi1).

In

1835, when lhe Thealrc

was lacing closure

owing 1o

a huge

debt,

'Prince' Dwarkanath Tagorc

came

to i1s

rcscue. Some

changes

in the mantrgemenl

were

inlroduced

subseque

lly. In the

€arly morniog

of 3l May

1839,

thc

Chowringhec

Theaire was htally

dcslroy€d by

firc.

Corinthian Theatre

Located at 5

Dharaml

a S1ree1

(now

t-cnin Sarani).

Now thc

Opera

166

SHAKESPEARE

ON

THE CALCUTTA

STACE

Cinema.

A

maior

venue for

the Parsi

theatre.

Empire

Th€atre

Locatcd

at 48

Chowringhee

Place.

Now

fie Roxy

Cinema'

TllE

TIjEATRES

t61

+Madhusudan

Mancha

(1995)

Localed near

Dhakuria

flyover

in south

Calcutla

Built'

along

wilh

Girish

Mancha,

by

the

west

Bengal

GoYemment

to

crea(e

more

spaces

lor

performance.

Approxirnately

850

seats'



*c.

D.

Birla

Sabhagar

(1984)

Localed

at

l9

Queqn's

Park,

Ballygunge.

Perhaps

the Unest auditorium

in the

city,

bul

owing to

high

rcntal charges

used

mainly

to

stage

shows by

visiting

companies

Approximalclv 650

scats

*cirish

Maftha

(opered 1986)

Located

at

7611 Bagbazd

Streel

Built

by the West

Bengal

Covernment

in the locality

famous

tbr

its

past rcsident.

$e

aclor-manageFdranatist

Girish

Chandra

Ghosh.

Approximately

750 seats.

Creat

National

Theatr€

(1874'77)

Located

at

6

Beadon Street.

Built

by

a

group

oi

theatre

cnthusiasts

includirg

llnancier

Bhuban

Neogi and

archilecr

Dhrrmadas

Sur

*Gyan

Manch

(opened

1981)

Locatcd

at

ll Preloria

Strcet.

on the

premises of

Abhinav

Bharati

School.

Populnr

venue

for

the

Hindi and

English

language

iheatres'

Approximately

400 seats.

Hindu

Theatre

(1$r)

Establishcd

by

Pmsinna

Kumar

Tagore

at

his

garden house

at Sura'

Functioned

for only

one

or

two

years.

Jorasanko

Theatrc

(1854)

The

venue

of

pcrlbrmances organized

by

Pcarymohan

Bosc

in

his

residence

at Baranasi

Ghosh

Strect,

Jorasanko-

Not

io be

confuscd

with

the

Tagores'

thcatre

ofthe

same

name in thc;tJorasanko

mansion'

*Kalakunj

Basemenl

of

Kala

Mandir.

Approximately

360

seats'

+Kata

Mandir

(te68)

Located

at 48

Shakespeare

Sarani.

Appmxnnarcly

1100

scats

tMahajati

Sadan

(optred

1958)

Located

at

t6e

Chiitaranjan

Avenue

The

idea

ol

ihis

'hall

of

lhe

nation'

emanalcd

lrom

Notaji

Subhashchandra

Bosc'

Thc

foundation

stonc

was

laid

in

1939 bv

Rabindranath

Tagore'

but

ihe

building

became

operaiional

well

alcr

Independence'

Approximately

lmo

+Ntaharashtra

Nivas

Localcd

at

15 Hazra

Road.

A ccnlre

lbr

the

Maharashtrian

commuDily

ir

Calculta.

Has an

a$ched

auditorium

named

Tilak

Hall'

*Max

Mu€ller

Bhavan

(1969)

Localed

at

4

Pramathesh

Barua

Sarani

(Ballvgunge

Circular

Road)

The

cultural

cenlre

ofthe

Germrn

consulac

in Calcutta'

$ith

puryose

built

audilorium. Approximatclv 220

scats

*Min€rva

Thcatre

(established 1893)

Set

up

on thc

sitc

of

thc fomer

Great

Nationat

Thcatre

OPcned

with Matheth.

on

28

Januarv

l893

The

original

building

was

desiroyed

by

tile.

The

new building

continucd

as one

of lhc

chicf

commercial

stages

of

Calcuk

till

it i'ell

into

decline

in

lhe

1950s'

tt

was thcn

taken

o €r

by

Ulpal

Dutl's

Li(tle

Thealre

Croup'

who

stngcd

many

ol

their

signilicant

produclions

herc'

including

several

Shakcspeare

plays.

+Muktangsn

(est^blished

1962)

Locatea

ai

tZ:

Stryamaprasad

Mukherjec

Road

Small

theatre

owned

by

lhc

Beogali

grcup, Shouvanik.

Origirrally

lcmporarv

stage

(hcnce

tire

naorc

,Mrtrarga,r,

'frec'

or

'open

stagc')'

The

pcrmanenl

slage

was buil(

atter

a

lire.

Approximalely

zl00

scats'

National

Theatre

(1872'74)

Scr

up

3t

Madhusudan

Sanyal's

housc

in

Iorrsanko

(365

UDrrer

168

SHA(ESPEARE

ON TI]E CALCUTTA

STAGE

Chi(pur

Road,

now 279A-F

Rabindra

Sarani)

by

members

of the

Bagbazar

Amateur Thealre

or ShyrmbaTnr Natyasamaj. Among them

wcrc N0gend.anarh

Banerjee.

Ardhcndu

Se(har Mustafi and Dharmadas

Sur

THE THEATRES 169

Seminary, Ie.d

by

Keshabchandra Ganguly

and Priyanalh Datla. They

financed

themsehes.

Ire

BensaL

Ha,'karu,'7

Aptil

1853,

reported that

alumni and sludents

donaled Rs 800 to build a theatre dedicatcd

to

slaging

Shakespeare.

They

tvere

directed

by Mr

Clinger, fonnerly of

Sans

Souci. and

larer rrdincd

b) Mr. Ellir.



N€rY

Empire

Incated

at

I/2

Humayun

Place. Now

a cinema

hall

New Playhouse

or Calcutta Theatre

(1775-1808)

Located at the crossing ol

Lyons

Range and

Clive

Sreet

(now

Neraji

Subhas

Road). Founded by

lhe

auctioneer George Williamson, also

known as 'Vcndumas(er'. Patrons;ncluded Wanen

Hastings,

Richard

Barwcll.

Elijah

Impey.

David

Garick was approached

for help.

Hesent

an

associalei Bernard Massinck. Sec

Appendix

B-

Fron

a

lerter by Mrs Eliza Fay,

26 March l78l

(OrigitruL

Lettercfnnl

'The house was buill by subscdption; it is very neatly

fitled

up,

and

fte scenery

and decorations

quite

equal to

what

could

be expeclcd

here.

The

parts

fie

entirely

represented

by

amat€urs

in

thc

drama

-

no

hired

performers

being allowed to

act. t assurc

you

I have seen

characlers

supported

in

a manner thai would not

disgrace arl

European

stage

.-.

'...

lor

my own

part

I think

such a mode

of

an evening

highly

rational; and

were

I not debarred

by

the expense should seldom miss

a representalion

-

but a

gold

mohur is really loo much to bestow

on such a lemporury

gralification.'

twe

also

learn

that lhe

price

lor a seai in

the

pit

was

eight sicca

ruppes, and that actresses were

originally

barred

from

appearing

on

stage.l

Opeaa

House

Located at

Lindsay

Strcet.

Now

the

Clobe Cinema.

Orienbl Theatr€

(1853)

In Cour Mohan Auddy's Orienral Seminary, 268

Garanhata, Chitpore

Road

(now

Rabindra Sarani). The first attcmpl

by Indians 10 se1 up

a commercially-run English-language theatre,

though the acton

were

amateurs:

a company of

studenrs.

old and new, of

thc o

ental

lhe

Playhouse

(?1753-?1756)

Located opposite St

Andrew's

Church.

cast

of lhe

present

Wrilers'

Buildings.

Established

by the

'Young

writers

of

John

Company'.

Productions aided hy

David

Garrick.

No inlbrmation exists about any

plays

sraged

here. Reportedly deslroyed when Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula

arrrcled

Cnlculta

*Rabindra

Sadan

Located at the crossing of Acharya

Jagadish Chandra Bose Road and

Cathedral Road.

Planned as the leading auditorium in the slale, one

of the

chain sel up

in

Indian

s1a1e

capilals to mark

the

birth

centenary

of Rabindranalh

Tagore

in

1961.

Approximately ll00

sea$.

RqiBharrn

An

imposing

colonial

buildbg.

now

(he

office and

residencc

of

the

Governor

of

West Bengal. Contains

lhe

Marble

Hall, used

fbr

cerenronial

occasions.

Rungmahal

(€stablished

1931)

Commercial

theare

al

76ll

Cornwallis Street

(now

Bidhan

Sarani).

Sans

Souci Theatre

(189"40,

1840-44/49)

Mrs l-each,

who had been in England

when ihe

Chowringhe€

Theatrc

was

burnt down,

retumed soon

after

and renled

a

large

warehouse

at the

comer

ofGovernment

Phce

East and

Waterloo Streel. This was

converled

into

'an

eleganl theatrc lo

accommodalc

four

hundrcd

p€rsors'.

I1 opencd

on

21

Augusl 1839 and

ran lill

1840.

wilh funds raised lhrough

subscription

by Mr Sloquelc

a

contribulion

lro

rhe

Governor-General

Lord

Auckland, and a morF

gage

on the

propcrty

and its contenlsi a

new thealrc

buildiDg

was

erected in Park Strcet,

where S1

Xavier's

College

now

stands. The

architect was a Eurasian

genlleman

named J. W. Collins.

Il was

SHAKESPEARE

ON THE CAI,CL]TTA STAGE

completed

in

May

1840

and the

first

perfbrmance

was

held

on

Monday,

8

March

1841.

Besides Mrs

Leach.

notable acto6

at the

Sans Souci

included

Mrs Deacle,

who

as

Miss Dadjng

had

made

'a

gorgeous

Cleopatra

THE

THEATRES

ll

I

Star The.tr€

(1888)

Afr,er

having to

vacate

their

old

iheatre

the Star

company

built

a

new

playhouse

at

7613

Cornwallis

Street

(now

7913/4

Bidhan

Sarani)'

Burnt

down

in a fire.

1991.



ar the

Adelphi',

Miss Cowley, and Mr and Mrs

Barry-

On 2 Novemb€r

1843.

during a show

where

James

\aning

rendered

exiacts

horn

The

Merchant

of Venice, Mfi

Lgach's dress caught fire

during the subsequent

Dedormance

of a farce, The

Hanhome Hu|-

6afld.

She

was severely burnt. and

succumbed to

her

injuries on 18

November.

Soon

afler Mrs

Leach's

death, the

Sans

Souci

was

plunged

into

financial difficulties-

The last known

per{ormance

at the

theatre

(of

othello) rook

place

on 24

April

1844. Ir that

year,

rhc

building

was

sold to

Archbishop

Carew for Rs.

40,000.

bul

pcrformances

by the

company

continued elscwhere

till 1a49. OtheUo

(18.18)

may have

played

a1

14 Wellington Square,

Mr Barry's residence

[according

1o

Das Guplal.

*Samla Memorial Community

Hall

Located

at l/l Hadsh

Mukherjcc

Road. Part oI Gokhale School

and

College,

and named

after

their

lbunder

Samla Ray.

Shri

Shikshayatan

A

womenh college

at

11

Lord

Sinha Road

with

audirorium.

*Sisir

Mancha

(1978)

Locatcd

at l/l Acharya

Jagadish

Chandra

Bose

Road,

next to

Rabindra

Sadan. Buill

by lhe WestBengal Govenrment

in the memory

of celebrated

actor-director

Sisir

Bhadui.

Approximately

400

seaB.

S(ar Theatre

(1883)

/ Emerald Theatre /

Classic

Theatre

/

Momohan

NablMtardir

The Slar Thcatre

was sel

up

in

1883 at 68 Beadon Slree

by Girish

Chandra

Chosh and

Binodiri

Dasi,

wilh

finance

from

Gurmukh

Rai.

It changed namcs

and hands many times.

It was known as the Classic

Thealre

liom

1897,

when

Amarendranadr

Dutl

took it

over.

In

the

1920s, it was also

krown

as

the Monmohan Natyamandir.

Demolished

193 t.

Thestre

Royal

(1872)

Also

known

as

Mrs

Lewis'

Theatre,

on

Cholvrjnghec'

Town

HaU

(1814)

Situated

to the

west of4

EsplanadeRow.

Needless

to

say.

noi

priinarily

a

theatre,

but

some

perfolmances

were

hcld ficre'

*University

Institute

Hall

(established 1891)

Located at

7 Bankim

Chatlcrjee

Street.

beside

College

Square

Foundcd

;n l89l

at lhe

initialivc

of some

eminent

lgih-century

Bengalis

such

as

Dr Mihendralal

Sarkar,

Sir Gurudas

Banerjce.

the

Rev

Kalicharan

Bancrjee

and

the

Rev. Pralap

Chandra

Majumdar,

with fie

suppon

01'

Sir

Asutosh

Mukherjee

and

the

pdncipals

ol

various

Calcutla

collcges'

Originally

called

the Society

for lhc Highcr Training

of

Young

Men'

theinstilute

quickly

becamc

lhe

most important

centre

for thc

cultural

activities

ot

college

sludents

in Calculla.

It

suned

staging

plays

from

1899.

and

Soon becxme

fic

nursery

of

young

theatrical

Ialenl'

It was

destroycd

by

llre

in lhe I9?0s

and

rebuilt

wilh

assistance

from

the

West Bcngal

Covernmenl

'vidya

Mandir

Localed

a1 I Moira

Strccl,

owned

by

Birla High

School

(loflnerly Hindi

High

School).

Approximalclv

800

sents'

wheel€r

Phce

Thdatre

(u97-98)

Established

by

Edward

wheeler,

3

member

of

Warren

HastiDgs'

Council.

BIBLIOGRAPIIY

lRetiews

cited

in

the rnain

text

aft

not

i ctuded

hele,l

B'BLIOCRAPHY

I-13

Tagorc,

Rabindranath.

Re,,l,,ir.€rc?r.

London: Macmillan, 1917.

A Ttibute

To

Shakespearc.

New

Delhi: Theatre

&

Television Asso-



Bool'3

Ahmed,

Shafi.

Ran?adeshe

Shakrspearc.

Dhaka:

Bangla

Academy,

1988.

Ahsan,

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shakespeare in bengal checklist.pdf

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