British
playwright Mike Bartlett’s modern play Cock
found its dramatic adaptation on the stage of Mumbai, courtesy
actor-turned-director Jim Sarbh with his small motley of cast- boyfriend
Siddharth Kumar, girlfriend Aditi Vasudev, father Suhas Ahuja and pianist
Kaizad Gherda. Cheekily titled Cock;
presumably the boldness does not end with the title. Confronting strong
thematic elements like homosexuality, bisexuality, identity and sexual
politics; this Allmytea Productions’ latest theatrical presentation toyed with
a truthful territory:
The Stage:
Bare.Empty. Minimal…and a white circle. This is the new age stage. Devoid of set,
furniture, chairs even, props…nothing that will take away from the words of the
actor and the imagination of the audience. The circular periphery acted as a
befitting visual display of the protagonist’s repetitive but futile questioning
of his sexual orientation. The claustrophobia felt by the protagonist John (Jim
Sarbh) when constantly compelled by the society to define his sexuality, is
well communicated through the stage space restricted by the circle. This kind
of stage design releases the production from the compulsions of representing
reality…the emphasis is therefore, on the play and provocation of ideas.
Lights and Sound:
Lights
played the integral role of transitions throughout the performance. Guiding us
from one scene to another was absolute darkness and absolute silence while the
actors maintain their spot on stage; no entries, no exits. But, the next strand
of dialogues picks up mid-way and the audience catches up with the characters’
already lived experience. This structure contributes towards the pace and
movement of the play and keeps the audience engaged. The concept of live music
on stage is getting popular and the notes of the piano add to the dramatic
effect of the powerful dialogues without intruding into the voices of the
characters.
Acting:
Bold actions
like kissing between the male lovers, holding of the cock and a simulated
orgasmic experience during sexual intercourse tear apart pretentious masques
and portray bare naked truths of the thickly veiled bedroom life. What became
primal in the capturing of the issues of sexuality was the subtle looks, the
deliberate eye movements, the sexual nature of the caress to convince the
audience about the sexual nature of the human body. Vital was the examination
of the naked bodies of lovers- it foregrounded the sexual component of that
thing we call love and marriage. To essay these characters seemed challenging
because it was not what the actors could do with their bodies but more so how
they could react to the presence of the body of another that created the
friction of emotions on stage. The estrangement that exists between the male
and the female body before the first sexual union is beautifully captured when
John looks upon skeptically at his first female partner.
Script:
There is very
subtle humor embedded in the tone and nuances of the script. It also contains
thought provoking nuggets like the short monologue of John when he questions
his partner’s father about the meaning of the cultural politics of the 1960s.
Instead of being helpless about his confusion, when John attempts to sever the
ties between sexuality and identity, Bartlett’s words are truly invoking the
libertine and the egalitarian. However, what can also not be denied is the
monotony and boredom arising from the repetitive nature of the conflict and
dialogues in the second act of the play especially since the dinner
conversation only reiterates the problem rather than uncovering new
perspectives.
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