While writing his noted tragedy Macbeth , Shakespeare may not have imagined it would ever make people laugh. The play’s lack of a hero, and its eponymous anti-hero’s ability to win the readers’ sympathy, inspired theatre writer, director and actor Rupesh Tillu to write a comedic version of it. Tillu’s devised play, Madbeth, will be performed this evening as part of the 18th Hive Community Festival. In an interview with The Hindu , Tillu describes Madbeth as an interactive physical comedy. He disproves the claim that it is adapted from the original. Rather, “It is loosely inspired by the Shakespearean tragedy,” he says.
Written and directed by Tillu, the 75-minute solo-piece was first performed as a 30-minute work in Sweden in 2010. A one-man-show, most of Madbeth ’s characters are spontaneously selected from the audience, making the comedy interactive. Tillu essays several roles, primarily juggling that of Macbeth, and a schizophrenic Beth.
Best known for popularising clowning in Indian theatre, Tillu says his motive to perform is “to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” The latter motive rings true in Madbeth , through which Tillu aims to “loosen up the audience, allowing them to indulge in the cathartic process of collective laughter.”
Tillu firmly believes theatre should be interpersonal, and for this reason, he prefers a black-box theatre set-up (an experimental, performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor) over a proscenium. The former stage structure allows for eye contact between the performer and audience, which is something Tillu favours. “It is easier to express one’s emotions when you have a sense of the other,” says Tillu.
As seen in Madbeth , Tillu frequently uses the theatrical concept of “here and now”, which means to shed all inhibitions, and interact freely with each other. Tillu believes theatre’s role has never been more important, as we live isolated existences, glued to different screens. This is why he has decided to take up clowning, which he considers to be the highest form of theatrical interaction. “You can cry alone, but it is almost impossible to laugh alone,” says Tillu, who aims to reach out to those who might need a laugh, through theatre.
Travelling with Sweden-based group Clowns Without Borders (CWB), he has performed in war-ridden zones such as Palestine, the Sinai desert, Moldova, and the Syria-Jordan border.
Five years ago, Tillu decided to form his own clowning group in Mumbai, in an effort to make CWB’s reach wider. Now, Tillu and group offer bi-weekly theatre lessons to the girl-children of sex workers in Kamathipura, with a view to build trust among them. He has also designed an interactive show for the kids in the 5 to 11 age group based on the Panchatantra tales. This programme will be staged in 30 shows in India this year in not only Kamathipura, but other underprivileged areas. Also in the offing is a year-end gig by CWB that is being planned for the kids that Tillu works with.
Tillu, who was first introduced to theatre at the age of five, continues to be enchanted by the “magical world” he enters while performing on stage. “When I enter the stage, I don’t know what is going to happen next. I still retain that childlike curiosity and wonder.” Following this evening’s performance, Tillu will be taking Madbeth to Sweden on May 22, and then the island-country of Faroe Islands for a festival.
Madbeth will be staged today at 7.30 pm at Cuckoo Club by The Hive, Pali Hill, Bandra West. See bookmyshow for details.
The writer is an intern with The Hindu
Tillu says his motive to perform is “to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”
