Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The first time I logged on to the Prithvi theatre website, I was in for a shock having missed out on "Waiting for Godot" by a day! It was one play I had been waiting for ages, with a star cast comprising Naseeruddin Shah, Ranvir Shourie and Benjamin Gilani. It might sound melodramatic if I relate how heartbroken I was but the truth is that it pinched a lot to have missed for laziness to check the site. While browsing through the other plays on, one caught my eye instantly, "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf" - whoever writes such a play ?!

I read on. Scratch my chin.

Now since none of my readers have been to Prithvi, here's a fact. Plays staged on Tuesdays and Wednesday are usually for Rs. 80 while the others require you to shell out your weekly allowance of 200 bucks! So even though the story seemed interesting, the prospect of it being on a Wednesday seemed somewhat dicey. Would it be worth the time I'd give to it? I was desperate for quality entertainment.

The day I left for the show, probably the only glitch was not going alone. I should have gone to watch it on my own. Well that isn't the focus of this post. So lets leave it at that. We reached Prithvi, entered the theatre, phone in hand as I kept arguing with my colleagues on their incompetence and my boss for holding me accountable for nincompoops! Once all issues got settled, we cozied into the side aisle seats, as three fat bums squeezed their way into the corner pushing us further into the corner. Built like an amphitheatre, closed of course, with a huge floorspace for the actors, Prithvi's ambiance on the inside makes you fall in dramatics all over again. It is something to be experienced, not described.

Enter Aman Uppal (George), wearing a suit, with a sweater vest inside and shabby greying hair. Honestly, his opening was very weak, words muffled, back facing the audience, didn't make that strong entry that we have come to expect of stage actors. Tahira Nath (Martha) follows him on stage, dressed in shimmering black, drunk, hair flayed all over, crystal clear voice, enunciating every profanity she uttered, reverberating the entire theatre with her shrieks and outcries for "George, fix me a fucking drink!". The opening melancholy of the situation between the couple draws you in from the first instance, those relaxed into the cushioned seats pull forward resting their elbows on their knees, and chin resting on the palm of their hands.

The psyche, the tension and ambiguity of their relationship fills the room with an eerie silence, everyone hushed, not a whisper except for the occasional murmur. If the complexities hadn't boggled the audience enough, the entry of the young couple of Ali Fazal (Nick) dressed in a smart brown jacket and corduroy trousers, and Mrunmayee Lagoo (Honey) in a tight dress added fervour to the scene. Contrast the explicit mockery between Martha and George to the newly-wed excitement of Nick and Honey. As events take an ugly turn and the plot deviates into an out of control drinking brawl between Martha and George where he beats her up, and a near on-stage blow job given by Martha to Nick, the complications and inherent multi-dimensionality to any relationship comes to the fore. Martha and George find refuge in each other's hatred to keep the relationship going while Nick and Honey see clearly through the mirage of their relationship and come to the fore with their suppressed aggression.

A breath-taking performance that keeps you at the edge of your seats for a continuous two hours. Gripping deliveries. Hair-raising performance. Bewildering monologues. Everything about the play oozed a sense of being involved in something you never experienced in life or ever thought of. Prithvi's become a regular haunting place for me, not just for theatre but also the kadak cutting chai on offer. A must visit to anyone coming to Bombay ! :)