Festival of one-man shows starts in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Most theatre-goers are wary of solo shows. After all, it's tough for one man or woman to hold the attention of the audience. But not when breathing life into monodramas are actors who have performed at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Olivier Award-winning Guy Masterson will offer insights into one of Shakespeare's most conflicted characters Shylock as part of Going Solo, India's only international theatre festival of one-person shows.
On his second visit to India after a gap of nearly 16 years, Masterson's award-winning, 'Shylock', will be one of three solo shows including Jaye Griffiths' 'Don't Wake Me' and Robert Softley's 'If These Spasms Could Speak'.
The festival, presented by Teamwork Arts and British Council, kicked off in Delhi on Thursday and will be touring Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai. It will also feature workshops for theatre lovers to learn about the craft of solo acting.
Talking about the festival, Teamwork's Sanjoy Roy says, "This year's primary theme explores the challenges of human nature and its spirit of survival. The idea is to celebrate the skill of a single artist to hold the audience through these acts." These shows have also been staged at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
'Don't Wake Me' featuring Jaye Griffiths, a British stage and television actress, is based on the true story of a mother's struggles for her disabled son's rights. "It's one of the most amazing love stories - between a mother and her son - a little funny and of course, sad too. One can empathize with the mother who battles all odds to get her child an education - which is, after all, the right of every child. And despite everyone telling her that her son is an idiot, a cabbage, she refuses to give up. Because, the truth is that this he's an extremely intelligent, witty, cheeky young man," says the 51-year-old Griffiths.
For the third solo act, 'If These Spasms Could Speak', actor and disability rights activist, Robert Softley Gale, himself afflicted by celebral palsy, crawls onstage to give us the lowdown on his life and those of others who are physically challenged.
The subject of racial discrimination has been explored in 'Shylock'. Talking about the debate that has been continuing from the time of Shakespeare - whether the merchant of Venice is a villain or a victim, Masterson says, "It's just another attempt to understand the character of Shylock - why he acts the way he does, his motivations. Was he really looking for revenge and would have killed Antonio if given a chance? Or, was he just trying to prove a point."
The Going Solo Festival on in New Delhi till October 11 at Ficci Auditorium