Bard flu, anyone?

William Shakespeare's complete works, in two hours with three artists sounds unbelivable? That's the way the city's all set to play

William Shakespeare's complete works, in two hours with three artists sounds unbelivable? That's the way the city's all set to play

To be, or not to be maybe one of the most popular questions raised by The Bard, but to see or not to see isn't a question at all! William Shakespeare's plays are widely regarded as the greatest works of literature ever written, and many believe that they cannot be improved upon. Want to savour and appreciate them in all their fullness and complexity, out of your good old text books? Theatre group Black Cow Company helps you to the masterpieces. Their act, called 'The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged)' is all set to hit the city. We hit on it first.

Encore: BCC staged this play in 2007 to packed houses, and attendance increased steadily with every next act. The project was then repeated at the Delhi International Arts Festival. "We have been getting emails from both, people who had seen the play, and those who had missed it, demanding it be staged again so it's on popular demand this time," said Misha Singh, the director. The success of the show led to consequent performances at the Shri Ram School and more, in association with Just Imagine Productions, whereby the play travelled to different cities like Jalandhar.

Quick trick: The play condenses the works of The Bard into a two hour long production that is both irreverent and frankly admiring. It is based on a script by Reduced Shakespeare Company that was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987, and later played at the Criterion Theatre in London. "This play is a mix of all plays with comedies, tragedies et al, but certainly more than a spoof," Singh explained. Usually, the actors use their real names and play themselves rather than certain characters. The actors speak directly to the audience, and some scenes involve audience participation. Talk of legendary interactivity!

Three spree: Imagine, all his rich, complex characters played by all but three actors! The parody's paradox explains the small cast. The heroes in question are theatrists Karam Vir Lamba, Sahil Chatterjee and Mihir Chattopadhyay, with the first having been part of previous acts, too. "I am very excited about my performance this year, as I am more experienced, and it is quite different to have an open performance like this," beamed Lamba. The performances include of Romeo and Juliet, Titus Andronicus, Othello, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth, Shakespeare Apocrypha and Hamlet among others. The perfect midsummer day dream!
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The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare
Where: India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road
When: Today and tomorrow, 7.30 pm
Call: 41220000
Tickets: Rs 150, 50u00a0@ venue