Cinematograph (Mumbai)
Directed by: Rajat Kapoor
Written & devised by the team based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Language: Gibberish and English
Synopsis:
A bunch of clowns is putting up a show of ‘Hamlet’ — the clowns sometimes misinterpret the text, sometimes find new meanings in it, sometimes try and understand it, and very often make a mess of it. They choose to use some phrases from the play and mix it with gibberish. They even edit the text, throw out some important scenes, and make a mess of the order of things as if the pages have got mixed up. But through this all they are simply looking for the essence of Hamlet and trying to find a context in our own times.
The clown troupe has its own internal politics, personal chemistries, relationships, hierarchies and dilemmas in this improvisational piece that freely adds text and takes liberties with the original Hamlet. The result is a highly audience interactive experience. But through all of this, an attempt is made to evoke the quintessential in-all-of-us Hamlet.
‘Hamlet, the Clown Prince’ swept last year’s META awards, winning in five categories, including Best Director (Rajat Kapoor), Best Play and Best Costume Design (Tanya Ghavri).
Director’s Quote:
“Hamlet in a new twist.”
About The Group:
Basically a film production company, Cinematograph often produces plays as well. The last success in theatre to its credit is ‘C for Clown’, which ran to more than 150 shows all over the world.
