English theatre fest in city

CHENNAI: Chennai continues to be a welcoming stage for English theatre artistes from Mumbai, and in July, a horde of stars including Lillette Dubey, Mandira Bedi, Darshan Jariwala, Suchitra Pillai, Joy Sengupta, Kabir Seth, Punam Singh and Zafar Karachiwala will descend on the city. And a back-to-back treat awaits patrons of the English theatre between July 15 and 17, when three plays will be staged in the city.Written by Mahesh Dattani, Brief Candle' featuring Lillette Dubey is a hilarious farce, written by a terminally ill cancer patient who dies of AIDS. Set in a hotel near the airport, the story offers plenty of room for a comedy of errors and complicated love affairs.
Conditions Apply' revolves around Mandira Bedi and Darshan Jariwala, two normal city dwellers who lead a hectic life and try to infuse the same energy into their relationship. A play designed to take the audience out of this world is Blithe Spirit' by Noel Coward. Directed by Punam Singh, the play revolves around Charles Condomine, a novelist who sniggers at the medium' Madame Arcati, and invites her for a seance hoping to expose her as a fake. But a spirited turn of events take place.
Dubey, Bedi, Jariwala, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak , Anupam Kher and Shabhana Azmi are all familiar performers to the eclectic theatre crowd of Chennai. For further details on the theatre fest, call 044 2452 7941/ 98846 63342