A fun and poignant take

A series of absurd comic vignettes from everyday life comes to the city this weekend with the play Trivial Disasters in a new avatar

INCONSEQUENTIAL Trivial Disasters ridicules our existence in this mad world

Coming to the city once again is a rib-tickling comedy that promises to make you laugh till you cry. Trivial Disasters , directed by Atul Kuman and written by Ajay Krishnan, is a rendition of a series of absurd comic takes on nine situations from everyday life. What’s the big deal you ask? These nine everyday events come with a twist and the situation quickly turns upside down in this comedy that makes you look deeper at life’s obvious happenings.

Performed by Kalki Koechlin, Richa Chadda, Purab Kohli and Cyrus Sahukar among others, the play brings in many elements – people going nuts on stage, a terrifying and exasperating experience with a tongue-in-cheek ‘statutory warning’.

Experience a range of human absurdities including a man who is unable to complete his sentences when he wants to propose to his girlfriend, a talk show interview with an accomplished serial killer, a poet who is invited by the city municipal board to help compose road safety slogans, a man who insists that his broken kettle is under the warranty period, a son who wants to reveal something important to his parents, a wife who wants to negotiate with the kidnappers of her husband and a young man who wants to confess in church but has nothing to confess.

When asked what’s the first thing that comes to mind when he hears

Trivial Disasters , Atul says it is Ajay Krishnan, the writer of the play. “I wonder what he was on when he wrote these nine vignettes. His sense of humour completely surprised me in his writings. In many ways he is mad.”

On what was the idea behind the play, Atul says it was an attempt to do something that is fun and poignant at the same time. “These are really trivial tales of our times – some absolutely banal meanderings which leave you with a sort of uneasy laughter. You would agree sometimes the most valuable things are hidden behind the most ordinary moments of life.”

Trivial disasters promises to be a fresh retake at the script that was performed in the city in 2012. “It’s the same storyline with a lot of improvisations and a new cast.”

With a star cast on his cards, does the play take us closer to a cinematic experience? Atul replies in the negative. “This is just a theatre performance that happens to be performed by actors who also do cinema. Come expecting to be entertained nevertheless.”

Atul says he would like the audience to take back no message from the play. “I just want people to have fun, laugh a bit and join us in ridiculing our existence in this mad mad world.”

Presented by Showhouse Events, the play will tour across 11 cities in India between July and September beginning from Bangalore. Attend the play at Chowdiah Memorial Hall on July 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets available on bookmyshow.