Of Audience-Driven Plot Twists

The Guardian theatre blog has a interesting piece on theatre that seeks to be "different every night"

…there is a growing interest in theatre that embraces difference. Here, individual performances go further than being mere variations; not only is each a one-off event, but its status as such is made perceptible. You see the gaps deliberately left open for choice and chance, and accordingly you become aware of what else might have been.

The trend applies equally to theatre in India. At a smaller level, it exists in the actor-audience interaction in plays like Hamlet the Clown Prince or Five Grains of Sugar. The plot does not vary, the details do – a quip about someone’s name, a question posed to a couple in the front row, jokes based on where the play is being enacted.

Evam brings in a lot of variety in their performances. In a recent contest, the winner was awarded a part to play in their show of Five Point Someone. With Urban Turban, their USP is "No two shows are the same". The cast is shuffled, the stories are improvised.

Then there’s Yours Truly theatre which specializes in productions that let the audience decide the ending. The Common Man is one such, and Bhagwan Dhundoo that Ranji mentions here, is their latest.

Read more about unplanned scripts and extemporized twists on the Guardian theatre blog.

Article by Shuchi

Shuchi lives in Bangalore (mostly), when she isn't traveling out of town for work. She adores theatre and writes about plays she watches whenever she gets a chance.

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