Play review/ It's A Wonderful Life


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

It's A Wonderful Life/ English play

Director: Akarsh Khurana 

Adaptation: Mary Elliott Nelson 

Theatre group: Akvarious Productions 

Cast: Shaun Williams, Garima Yajnik, Dilshad Edibam, Kashin Shetty, Prerna Chawla, Faisal Rashid, Siddhant Seth

Rating: ****

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The character of George Bailey was made famous by director Frank Capra and actor James Stewart in the 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life. The film was later adapted for the stage by Mary Elliott Nelson.

The subject attracted director Akarsh Khurana to stage the play in India with an ensemble cast. With Shaun Williams playing George, the director stuck to the script as-is, without converting George to Giridhar or Bedford Falls, where it is set, to Bandra Reclamation.

George plays a frustrated businessman who contemplates suicide on Christmas eve as things aren't going right for him. A guardian angel 'second class' (Dilshad Edibam) is assigned the task of intervening, and there are flashbacks showing his good deeds. Thus we have scenes on how he saved his brother Harry from drowning or prevented the pharmacist from accidentally poisoning a customer.

The 100-minute play is divided into two acts. To be sure, the plot takes some time to settle in, and for the first 15 minutes, audiences may get restless trying to understand the different characters. But it picks up after George's father dies and he takes over the family business with the help of his uncle. He also reconnects with Mary (Garima Yajnik) who he eventually marries.

With a mix of a smoothly flowing narrative and doses of humour, the second half is a delight. Akarsh himself appears in a sort-of-negative role and Prerna Chawla is brilliant as bar owner Martini. Kashin Shetty, Faisal Rashid and Siddhant Seth are among the others in the cast.

The movie has been a Christmas favourite, and the play brings out the seasonal flavour through references of angels and a snowfall effect. It ends with the cast singing 'Auld Lang Syne', traditionally sung to bring in the New Year.

The fixed set consists of two flights of stairs leading up to a podium, a door, a stand, a lectern and a couple of seats (see picture below). Thus, there was no need to shuffle around between scenes. The multiple entry points of the Prithvi auditorium were used intelligently, with actors coming in from different doors.

As the title suggests. It's  A Wonderful Life leaves you with a smile. One looks forwards to more shows this winter season.









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