The Workers’ Bible , a devised piece, directed by Rebecca Spurgeon, is a satirical take on power equations and a patriarchal society. Based on Dario Fo’s The Peasant’s Bible , the play has four absurdist stories, inspired by Italian folklore.
The characters are “a classical pig who wants wings, Adam and Eve who begin life in a pea pod, a dung beetle who outsmarts an eagle, an eagle who is charmed into laying eggs in God’s lap, and a God who can’t keep pace.”
Speaking about the layered, humorous play, Rebecca says: “The style of storytelling and the way the characters have been etched are absurd. But the characters are saying very important things.”
The play though isn’t preachy. “In the humour, there are questions that you will ponder over. But unlike other plays where you will question while watching the play, in The Workers’ Bible you won’t have time to do that because you will be completely absorbed by the actions on stage. It is only after you finish watching the play that several questions will come to mind.”
Rebecca says the characters represent certain aspects of urban society. “For example God can be replaced as a person in authority. Adam and Eve are fully formed. But they have no answers, no questions. They experience primal instincts but they have no information. They represent the lower rung of society vis-à-vis the highest person in authority.
The play also highlights the fact that when we talk about religion, we are also talking about politics and social standing. The structure you find in religion, you also find in politics.”
The play has a powerhouse cast: Roy Sinai, Anitha Santhanam, Jimmy Xavier and Bhavana Rajendran. The actors play multiple characters. “With devised work, it’s important to have a group that gels.
These four actors worked brilliantly together. Anitha is a trained dancer and studied at LISPA, London. Jimmy is very good with comic timing. Roy is an extremely intelligent actor, who has a wealth of information. We had inspiring discussions around politics and religion. Bhavana has a crazy energy.”
The Workers’ Bible will be staged at Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield, till September 13, Tuesday to Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.
Tickets are priced at Rs. 400, and are available on in.bookmyshow.com.
