Actor-director Chandan Roy Sanyal has experimented with playwright Samuel Beckett's cult classic, Waiting For Godot. The big question is, will this children's version work?
Actor-director Chandan Roy Sanyal has experimented with playwright Samuel Beckett's cult classic, Waiting For Godot. The big question is, will this children's version work?
Sneak peek of Two Blind Mice (Video)
In April, when the powers that be at Prithvi Theatre held a sneak preview of plays and workshops that formed part of the children's theatre festivalu00a0-- Summertime at Prithvi --almost the entire Mumbai theatre community was seen fawning upon the young audience. The children, in turn, made their interest or disinterest toward a performance clear through enthusiastic applause or emphatic yawns. 
Abhishek Saha, Trupti Khamkar, Noel Manasseh and Dhruv Lohumi
perform a scene from Two Blind Mice. Pics/Anuja Gupta
So, when the four actors from Proscenium's Two Blind Mice (based on the first act of Waiting For Godot) took to the stage, we were very curious to read the audience response. Kids were lapping up the energetic performance, giggling and gasping, until Estrogon (Gogo) began struggling with his boots. The gag amused most of the audience but one keen-eyed child innocently pointed out, "...But your shoelace is tied!" The audience, even those squirming at the thought of Beckett's play being twisted mercilessly, burst out laughing.
The episode made one thing clear, tiny tots might not be able to translate the essence of Beckett's play but they will surely enjoy the performance. In fact, director Chandan Sanyal (better known as Mikhail from Kaminey) does not expect his young audience to understand the play. "That's why I'm using a clown sort of treatment, making it over the top and funny; I'm playing a game within the play. But even if I sow the seed of Beckett's philosophy in their head, that will be my prize," admits Sanyal.
Like every theatrewala, Sanyal has been thinking of performing the play since he first read it. The idea of turning the characters of the play --Vladimir (Didi), Gogo, Lucky and Pozzou00a0-- into 10 year-olds is also something he's been mulling over for a while. As for interpreting Beckett's idea of waiting, Sanyal says, "When we were growing up, there was a need for a lot of things. There was plenty of waitingu00a0-- for food, clothes, shoes, Diwali money, etc. Now, kids carry i-Pods, go to big schools, holiday abroad but I'm sure they too are waiting for something more." In contrast to Gen-Y, Sanyal's characters are seen waiting for a meal, warm clothes and, of course, Godot.
While the 32 year-old director recreates Waiting For Godot, he realises that purists might crinkle their nose at his production but he seems unfazed. "I'm not scared of upsetting Godot-fanatics because I've spent a lot of time working on the play. I've not twisted the lines. I make sure that my actors stick to the words written by Beckett. At the end of the day, the play is specially meant for kids but if there is criticism we'll deal with it," he says.
Spending close to five months with the sacrosanct script has also given Sanyal the confidence to work on a full-fledged production. For Two Blind Mice, he's sticking only to the first act but soon he'll incorporate the second act into the production too. "I can't hold a child's attention for too long so for the children's shows we'll perform only the first act. Later, we will add the second act in which we see Didi and Gogo as grown ups. So they go to sleep at the end of act one and cut to, after interval, they're seen as adults," Sanyal envisages.
Beckett fans, watch out for this one.
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On May 8, 8 pm, at Horniman Circle Garden, opposite Asiatic Society, Fort. Entry Free
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