Stage is set for the Bard's tales

BANGALORE: This festive season, William Shakespeare will rule the stage. Theatre lovers can look forward to adaptations of his works in the theatre fest hosted by Ranga Shankara.
The festival, from October 27 till November 11, opens with 'Piya Behrupiya' by the Company Theatre of Mumbai. There will be a screening of 'Maqbool', Vishal Bhardwaj's Hindi adaptation of 'Macbeth'.You can look forward to performances in Kannada by Srinivasa Prabhu and Laxmi Chandrashekhar, among other troupes from Bangalore.
Atul Kumar's adaptation of 'Twelfth Night', a musical comedy and throwback on the nautanki-style of theatrical performance, and Gujarati musical comedy 'Maro Biyu Gayo Rangoon' by Sunil Shanbag are the other highlights.
'The Merry Wives of Windsor', a play by Kenyan Theatre, and 'Cymbeline', staged by South Sudan Theatre Company, will add international flavour to the festival. 'Cymbeline' weaves together the tale of Sudan's political upheaval and juxtaposes it with Shakespeare's play.
• Oct 27, 6.45pm: Launch of Ranga Shankara Theatre Fest '12
• Highlight of the eve: Shakespearean montage by theatre artists of Bangalore
• For details on the schedule, check www.rangashankara.org