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When Shakespeare Meets Kathakali

William Shakespeare's literary works has been adapted by many artists and in many forms. One such adaptation is Kathakali-King Lear, a Kathakali adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. It has been directed by Annette Leday and David McRuvie and was first staged in 1989.
Since its creation, Kathakali-King Lear has become a reference in the field of intercultural performance. In order to mark its 30th anniversary, the Annette Leday/Keli Company has revived the production, which will include the generation of artists who participated in their youth, as well as a few young artists. The play will be staged in the city on Saturday evening. Leday gives us more details...

* You have stayed in Kerala and studied Kathakali. Can you explain your and in particular France's relation with English literature? Why did you chose King Lear for this inter-cultural adaptation?
Shakespeare is is an internationally known playwright. There are many French translations and performances based on his work in France. Kathakali and Elizabethan theatre are very different art forms. Adapting a Shakespeare play for Kathakali has similar problems and opportunities as say adapting a play for ballet or for opera - there will be loss and gain. The key is to choose the right play.
Just as Romeo and Juliet has been brilliantly adapted for ballet and Othello for opera (but not Julius Caesar or Hamlet), we think King Lear is very suited to Kathakali. Unlike Shakespeare's other plays, King Lear has two parallel stories. By presenting only the central story of Lear and his three daughters, we have the essence of Shakespeare, in a simple but powerful story, which is appropriate for Kathakali. Second, the themes of King Lear - kingship, dowry, love story, renunciation of the world, war - are also central Kathakali themes. Third, King Lear, unlike other tragedies, is based on an older English theatrical tradition of character-types, and so is Kathakali.

* One Indian artist Padmanabhan Nair enacted King Lear. Can you tell us how he connected with King Lear and Shakespeare's writing? Also, how did the audience abroad connect to his presence?
Padmanabhan was very excited and very proud to perform this great character. He put all his intelligence into creating this character and asked many questions to David McRuvie about him. Audience abroad were thrilled at the power and subtlety of his performance. Many cried during the final scene.
* In adaptations such as these, and that too in the late 80s, when such cultural exchanges were not so common as they are now, how did you bring the two elements, two forms together?
The play is a classical Kathakali play based on Shakespeare material. We definitely wanted to explore new territory in Kathakali, but by keeping intact the traditions and spirit of Kathakali. For eg. the wonderful character of the King’s Fool is a new character-type which we have developed from the Vidushaka of the ancient Sanskrit theatre, Kutiyattam. We have included a percussion sequence to evoke the great storm which is central to the action. We have had other innovations, all carefully discussed with the great masters of Kathakali.

* After a gap of 20 years, you are coming back with the show. Are you nervous or is there this feeling of ‘been here, done that'?
We are very confident about the show and looking forward to performing it. We have four artists from the original team and seven new members.


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