It’s always thrilling to discover a new sound: Roysten Abel

The audience in Bengaluru is genuinely curious about new experiences, unlike other cities, states director and playwright Roysten Abel. Along with ace percussionist Ranjit Barot, Roysten is set to stage an audio-visual performance Beat Route that brings together 10 master folk percussionists from Rajasthan and Kerala, in the city this weekend in what he describes as an “earthy, high-spirited electro experience”.
“When creating any performance, my focus is on creating a new and enjoyable experience for myself and the team. It should not be forced or contrived. You don’t approach it as an experiment, but simply as something new and exciting. With this show, it’s exciting to create something truly unique, especially when you’re surrounded by talented musicians who haven’t heard anything quite like it before,” he says. Excerpts from a chat:
‘Theatre has a wider outreach to young people’
Over the years, audiences have changed, but stage production has always survived. It survived the rise of cinema, and it will survive social media, too. Theatre has a wider outreach to young people. It was created with a demographic of 17 to 25 years at the time. The key is to sustain attention. The question to be asked now is, how can we consistently engage someone with a short attention span!
‘I draw inspiration from my personal experiences’
Each new production presents unique challenges that need to be addressed and overcome. I focus on creating my own unique music, drawing inspiration from my personal experiences. I’m not trying to imitate anyone else. My goal is to create something new and engaging for myself and the audience. This freshness makes it appealing to others. While it might be considered an experiment by some, for me, it’s just about trying something different. (The show will be held at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall at 5 pm on October 5)