Twelve Angry Men, a teleplay by Reginald Rose, debuted in 1954; it has since seen numerous adaptations for the screen and stage in various languages. This weekend, Alchemy Theatre Society will be presenting 12 Angry Men, a Hindi adaptation of the play, directed by Piyush Nain.
“In 1986, the movie version of 12 Angry Men was remade in Hindi as Ek Ruka Hua Faisla. We’ve tweaked the script a bit for our production here,” says Piyush.
Bengaluru-based Alchemy Theatre Society, which has earlier performed in Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Jaipur, will be taking their production of 12 Angry Men to Mysore and Hyderabad, after multiple shows in the city, says founder Satyam Gangwar.
Last year, the Alchemy Theatre Society presented The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, and its successful run in Bengaluru and other cities prompted Piyush to consider other productions. “We realised audiences had an appetite for drama and we could explore other genres as well.”
The cast of 12 Angry Men at rehearsal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This is not the first time the troupe will be performing 12 Angry Men; over the years they have presented it at various venues starting with their days in college where many members of the troupe studied together. This is, however, their first commercial presentation of the same.
“Without the restrictions imposed by college fests, we have been able to improve on the script and cast for the play, completing its fine-tuning in October last year,” says Piyush.
12 Angry Men is a suspense-packed thriller that unfolds in a juror room where 12 jurors are tasked with deciding the fate of a teenaged boy accused of killing his father.
There are subtle layers to the play — such as, how a person’s socio-economic background colours the way they are perceived as innocent or guilty by society, says Piyush, adding, “Multiple prejudices, the weight of circumstantial evidence and peer pressure have been factored in and made a part of our script.”
“On the off chance, one hasn’t seen the movie before this, I hope interested theatre goers don’t watch it before the weekend — it will only ruin the suspense,” laughs Piyush, adding that all the cast are corporate professionals and this production is a result of their passion for theatre.
Presented as a full length play in Bengaluru for the first time, 12 Angry Men will be staged at Jagriti Theatre on January 26 and 27.
Tickets priced at ₹400 are available on BookMyShow and Jagriti Box Office. Log on to www.alchemytheatresociety.com for details on upcoming shows. and timings.
An Alchemy Theatre production of Ghashiram Kotwal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Published - January 25, 2024 07:05 pm IST
