25 June,2017 09:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Shraddha Uchil
Who said you have to head to Prithvi Theatre or NCPA every time you want to catch a great performance? Now, with an increasing number of spaces doubling up as unconventional performance venues, Mumbai is the culture enthusiast's oyster
The cast of Bayan
Who said you have to head to Prithvi Theatre or NCPA every time you want to catch a great performance? Now, with an increasing number of spaces doubling up as unconventional performance venues, Mumbai is the culture enthusiast's oyster.
Take Cafe Zoe, for instance. After hosting events that give upcoming musicians their turn under the spotlight, the Lower Parel restaurant is now giving theatre a shot. The bi-weekly theatre nights will launch with a staging of Bayan, featuring an all-female cast comprising Preetika Chawla, Prerna Chawla, Dilshad
Edibam, Tahira Nath, Rohini Ramnathan and Shikha Talsania.
The venue
"The space is a lot more intimate as compared to traditional venues, and we've been doing out-of-the-box events for a while now, whether they are Jazz evenings or something to do with books. Now, we wanted to take it a step further and promote it as a venue for theatre," says restaurant partner Tarini Mohindar.
She shares that it was important to integrate food and drinks into the experience, because, being a weekday, many visitors might be dropping in post work. "For the first 30 minutes, we will be serving cocktails and a selection of appetisers. You get to catch up with your friends and unwind. Then, we begin the show," she adds.
Tarini Mohindar
Talsania, one of the actresses in Bayan, says the play consists of short stories that are humorous and relatable. She adds, "This kind of space lends itself well to the performance. Because it's so intimate, people will connect better with us."
