Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT), a pioneer of English theatre in the city for decades, has committed to staging quality productions plays that bring to light larger issues. Their new production, Our Iceberg is Melting , directed by Amjad Prawej, is multi-layered and incorporates a wide spectrum of issues, from management to concerns of the environment. The play has been adapted from John Kotter’s book by the same name and is essentially a management parable, which focuses on planning and executing change. The story is set in a colony of penguins in Antarctica, where the young penguins, noticing there is climate change, get the older generation of penguins to resolve the issue.
When it came to converting the story into a play, Amjad followed a due process. “The language in the book is management-based. But when we decided to do the play for the layman, we realised that we needed a story that doesn’t necessarily talk about management.” After reading the book, Amjad came up with 20 scenes, which convey an impactful story. The penguins create change by using John Kotter’s eight principles of planning and executing change. This has been explored in the play, in a way that takes the storyline further.
The fact that the production is a musical makes it even more interesting. “I came up with tunes and bounced it off with the group. Most of the musical pieces have been composed during improvisations. For this production, we are using more lights,” says Amjad, who recently directed another BLT production, The Court Jester-Tales of Tenali Rama . The cast members act, dance and sing. Amjad adds: “Though they are penguins, they talk in human language. So there is the perspective of penguins, and the human point of view.”
Though the play is for young adults, Amjad says that Our Iceberg is Melting will appeal to all age groups. “Adults will understand the play differently than children.” But the play does not talk down to children. “I don’t think that we should talk to children in the typical way we do; we must be respectful towards them. That is BLT’s philosophy.” Amjad adds that global warming and climate change form the central thread of the play. In fact, the idea for staging Our Iceberg is Melting occurred when Priya Venkatesh, a member of BLT and a well-known environmental activist, over a casual chat with Vijay Padaki, founding member of BLT, spoke about a possibility of doing a play around the book. Priya was selected to be a part of a young explorer’s team for the International Antarctic Expedition, led by renowned polar explorer and environmentalist Sir Robert Swan. She is also part of his mission to spread awareness about 2041, the year when the international treaty protecting Antarctica is up for review. Since her return from Antarctica, Priya has been actively reaching out to schools and colleges, talking about her experiences and 2041.
Chris Avinash, a cast member, who has also composed the music, says: “The music tells the story in some parts and in some parts, it augments what is happening. There is only one acoustic guitar on stage. The tracks were recorded in my studio.” Noella Ferrao, Tanushree Saha, Aditye Nair and Roopa Rayappa, who are part of the cast say they enjoyed the challenge of participating in an ensemble production.
Our Iceberg is Melting is BLT’s flagship Children’s Theatre Production and is a fund-raising project for the Association for The Mentally Challenged. The play will be staged today at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at ADA Rangamandira. It will be staged again on November 21, 22 and 23 at MLR Convention Center, Whitefield. On November 28, 29 and 30, it will be staged at MLR Convention Center, JP Nagar. Tickets are available on bookmyshow.com.
