The terrifying sweetness of being alive

Theatre Review

:

The Wish

Playwright:

Manjula Padmanabhan

Directors:

Tarun Kapoor

and

Mohammed Lehry

Language: English
Genre: Solo performance
Duration: 60 minutes
Rating: ***
Cast: Mohammed Lehry

Plot: Imagine this: You are highly disappointed with certain people in your life, so much so that given the opportunity to eliminate them from this world, you’ll be probably not think a second time. A Dot Theatre presentation, The Wish focuses on this sense of hatred towards someone, which may even drive us to wish for the person’s death. But, is it so simple to erase someone from this world? Who decides whether or not a person deserves to die? And would you be able to deal with the guilt of eliminating someone completely? Written by Manjula Padmanabhan and directed by Tarun Kapoor and Mohammed Lehry, the play attempts to address these questions in a 60-minute solo performance.

Review: A couple’s wish to make the world a better and happier place comes true when suddenly an unknown person knocks on their door on a lazy afternoon. The unwelcomed visitor offers the husband a choice to press a button and purge the planet of individuals who he considers unwanted. Perhaps, an introspective performance, Mohammed Lehry beautifully manages to hold the audience’s attention until the end of the show, as he walks in and out of multiple roles on stage. The play makes you rethink your own choices and perspectives in life. The set design and lighting arrangements complement the gripping script, while the sound design enhances the overall experience.

Final word: The simplicity of the play is its biggest take away. Amid all the hullabaloo of voicing social concerns through the arts, The Wish makes you walk through your own judgement and decisions. And rather, comprehend the terrifying sweetness of being alive.