Standing ovation for Thiyam’s Macbeth

KOLKATA: Playwright and National School of Drama chairperson Rayan Thiyam was in town to stage his version of ‘Macbeth’, “a spreading disease of overpowering greed” as he calls it, and left the audience, which included some of the best known art and culture personalities, spellbound.
Not a word was understood by the majority, it was, after all, in Manipuri, but the show, staying loyal to the original with a few obvious deviations, won hearts and the standing ovation at the end of play bore testimony to its success.
Thiyam’s unconventional style was apparent right at the start, with four, instead of three witches, setting the stage for Macbeth and Banquo to enter. Their octopus-like green costume, weedy tentacles and expression of pure evil sent out the message of the play right away, from now on, ‘foul is fair’. But why the fourth witch? “It’s open to your interpretation. Yes, you could consider it Lady Macbeth’s conciousness, why not,” Thiyam told TOI.
English literature students in Kolkata have for ages dreaded a recurrent question in the exams — “Is Lady Macbeth the fourth witch in Macbeth?”. Basant Kumar Birla and wife Sarala Birla were in the audience. The production was presented by B K Birla Group organization Swar Sangam.
Despite the language barrier, the audience hung on to every sound as the war-like thumping beat set the tone.
Kalamandir hall ran out of seats. Aparna Sen, Sugato Bose, painter Rabin Mandal and actor Kaushik Sen were riveted to the play.
Rudraprasad Sengupta greeted Thiyam and dance artist Sudarshan Chakraborty congratulated him. “It’s a non-verbal, visual narrative, where language is no hurdle. The costumes were astounding,” he told TOI. Aparna Sen was floored by the stagecraft. “His graphical presentation is just brilliant,” she said.