Laughs and punch lines aren’t exactly what you expect going into the staging of Hamlet, one of the greatest tragedies in literature. However, the upcoming production of Gypsy Theatre’s, Hamlet? (and no, the question mark isn’t a typo) is rearing to bring precisely all that and then, some more.
This is their invitation to a Shakespeare spoof. It happens to be the first of its kind for us Nepali theatergoers, so naturally before the curtains officially rise, you wonder, how will the audience perceive it?
The director of the play, Ashu Sharma confesses, he has been checking the views and the likes of their play’s promotional video every morning. He says it was 2930 the last time he looked and it’s with these little boosts of confidence that he is moving ahead with his directorial debut.
As it is turns out Sharma began working on the script nearly two years back and they started with their auditions six months ago. This indeed is a long period of time. Sharma too agrees. In fact, he shares it has been his biggest lesson while working on this debut effort.
“I quickly realized that rather than casting the actors, setting the dates and the venue is more important,” he says. Since ‘Hamlet?’ didn’t have an opening date for a long time, Sharma reveals that many of the initial cast members dropped out due to other commitments. Thus, over these last few months, they have had to go through a lot of changes and reshuffles.
Side effects from COVID-19 booster shots more common than from...
But even up till a few days before the show, with the grand rehearsals at the doorstep, with the set preparation in full swing and the cast too pulling long rehearsal hours till the evening, the team appeared to be composed. A lot of it, they say, has to do with their confidence in the script.
“It wasn’t that I set about to rework Hamlet,” explains Sharma about the intentions of this play, “Its complexity gave me a lot of other ideas to work within the story. While I was reading this, I had my own interpretations of the scenes. This version was simpler but more sarcastic and funny.”
When asked about what the audience should expect, cast member Anu Dahal says, “Madness”, while Subina Pariyar shares that the first time she read the script, she couldn’t stop laughing. Sandesh Shakya too talks about how the punch lines were what attracted him to the play. “I was impressed. Delivering them right as actors is our biggest challenge right now,” he confides.
While working on the script, Sharma further reveals that he didn’t only rely on his sense of humor but also pulled in many references from shows like How to Get Away With Murder, Game of Thrones and even The Bachelorette.
“You will just have to come and see,” he says. While the play starts like in the book, with the ghost of Hamlet’s father and the guards, after the opening scene the characters and the storyline take a different comedic turn.
The cast and crew of this play are a small team of 12. They call the play a small budget production. Some actors are playing multiple roles and even Sharma, the director, has a part.
Dahal and Pariyar who have eight roles between themselves talk about how as a group they have been relying on each other to improve their stage performance. “You may have one interpretation of your role but you have to think about how it comes off on stage and whether you are able to convey their intentions effectively. So feedback is really crucial.
For this, I am thankful to our supportive team,” says Dahal.
Pariyar goes a step further and even shares anecdotes. It wasn’t exactly the lines that she needed help with, but pretending to fall, she says, took its toll. “I just couldn’t let go of my body,” reminisces Pariyar, “After half an hour of trying, I was almost on the verge of tears but the team didn’t lose their patience. They gave more suggestions and support.”
This is how the Hamlet? team has been preparing under Sharma’s directions and one another’s guidance during the read through and run through. Pariyar and Dahal unanimously agree that their only concern right now is changing costumes between scenes.
The group of actors is even helping the production by lending their hand with the stage set up and props. Sharma proudly confirms that everybody is “doing double duty.” He reasons that when they had initially approached an expert, the estimated cost of stage production was around Rs 40,000. “This was obviously a big no can do situation,” he says. So after a brief consultation, they decided to simplify the set and put in some extra effort themselves.
Ana Deuja who is playing Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, is overseeing most of the production design. With more than five years in the theatre circuit, she also happens to be the most experienced among her fellow cast members. According to her, this is the way you normally put a play together, by playing multiple roles on and off the stage.
“You have to use your network, call the carpenters you know, bring over artist friends, YouTube or Google craft projects, and source things from different places,” says Deuja.
The auditorium at Sarwanam theater was filled with the smell of fresh paint and the sound of cardboard sword fights up until mid-week before their grand rehearsals. While some friends were trying to turn chart paper into fruits, a few cast members were helping set the lights and Sharma was serving lunch brought from home (everybody says he has been earnestly fulfilling his duty of feeding his crew). After months of hard work, they are keen to showcase their version of Hamlet. Do remember to bring your sense of humor along. Hamlet? will be staged from 30th June to 8th July at the Sarwanam theater.
priyankagurungg@gmail.com
