India-adaption of Caryl Churchill’s play to take center stage

New Delhi, April 7 (IANSlife) The National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai present the first-ever professional production of Love and Information, in collaboration with an award-winning director Mohit Takalkar.  Written in 2012 by celebrated British playwright Caryl Churchill, Love & Information is a creative and experimental presentation that delves into the contemporary lives of the present society through an unconventional yet immersive theatrical experience. 

The play is set to invite the audience to the Experimental Theatre from April 25 - 29.

Written as a series of over 50 disparate scenes divided into seven sections, the play is an exercise in reimagining the medium. The disruptive format of the script provides no stage directions, no character attributions and no notes for performance. Additionally, the play follows a non-linear narrative and is devoid of central characters, emphasizing the cumulative impact of diverse, brief scenes ranging from seconds to minutes. The scenes are of varying lengths and the structure allows for the viewer to narrow in on a world oversaturated with information. The vignettes mirror the rapid pace of channel-hopping or scrolling through social media, highlighting potential implications for relationships in an era dominated by instant gratification and short attention spans.

The play doesn’t limit itself to its technical uniqueness but also promises to challenge the audience by addressing a wide range of subjects covered from mental illness to privacy erosion to memory atrophy that cloud modern-day lifestyles.

Speaking about the first-ever professional production of Love and Information, Bruce Guthrie, Head, of Theatre and Films, NCPA, expressed, “The NCPA is delighted to welcome Mohit Takalkar to direct Love & Information by Carol Churchill. She is a true trailblazing playwright in every sense of the word and is known as something of a disruptor of English theatre. She rarely, if ever, talks about her work, where the inspiration comes from and why she does what she does. She constantly reinvents her style as a playwright and explores what more theatre can be. It is a matter of pride and joy to pull off this combination of two extraordinary artistes – writer and director to realise this quite extraordinary play. We hope that the audience will come with a curious mind and an open heart as we continue to create theatre that challenges and inspires.”

The ensemble cast comprises Ashish Mehta, Dusha Madhav, Kashish Saluja, Lovleen Misra, Mahesh Saini, Mallika Singh Hanspal, Mrinmayee Godbole, Prajesh Kashyap, Rachel D’souza, Rytasha Rathore, Siddhesh Dhuri, who will be performing around 50 scenes in rotation. Love and Information most definitely promises to be a must-attend theatrical show this summer.

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--IANS

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