| |
METROSCAPE
Old World Macbeth
Here's how the Anglian Shakespeare Company
began its staging of Macbeth in Kolkata last week: set designers and assistants
spent two days cutting 100 m of velvet into strips, draping them around
35 metal poles broken into various sizes and, finally, decorating an army
camouflage net with faux "creepers" to make it look like a barren
heath. That's actually more time than the 30-member cast got for rehearsals.
But Michael Edwards, the man behind ASC, is unfazed. He likes his plays
to have a grand, operatic feel. And to hell with modern-day shortcuts.
"I like to do Shakespeare in the traditional way," says Edwards.
"No mobile phones or space suits for me."
|
|
| WIDE AWAKE: ASC's Macbeth |
For a traditional production, this Macbeth provides-in
places-a fresh look at a racy, relevant play. The "weird sisters"
are projected as groupies and camp followers rather than supernatural
beings and Banquo's ghost is flesh and blood. Also, Edwards takes pains
to shape the other characters, instead of focusing on the two leads. He
keeps the lengthy play-within-play "English scene" intact, where
most other producers would've cut to the chase. "I want to show how
all the characters had to make choices," says Edwards. Judging by
the clapping, the audience seems to have noticed.
-Labonita
Ghosh
 AD
THE COST: Remember the flying red dupatta in the "Coming Home
to Siyarams" commercial some years ago shot in the Rajasthan desert?
Now the company has unveiled its sequel-a 120-second ad featuring models
and cosy twosome Dino Morea and Bipasha Basu. But the big news is that
the entire campaign cost the company an astounding Rs 22 crore, out of
which Rs 2.5 crore went into actual filming and production. The miniature
flick reinvents the story of "a wealthy Indian lad who comes home
to his motherland". Will it have a pre-release promo too?
Metro Minutes
 Another
fashion magazine is launched, with a splashy sit-down dinner at Delhi's
Oberoi hotel last week. It's costly (Rs 750), picture-heavy and features
collections by all prominent designers with capsules on trends and bridal
wear and accessories. The text remains skimpy-a wise move considering
that writers who understand fashion are even fewer than those who understand
art.
 An
opening in Delhi's Grand Hyatt unveiled the Kama Collection of jewellery,
created by design house Gees to raise money for People for Animals. But
there weren't any copulating figures or eruptions of metallic genitalia-the
designs, in gold with precious stones, had birds, arrows, hearts, dolphins,
flowers and other such non-disruptive symbols of love. They're more popular.
 A
Punjab Lean Cuisine fest is a contradiction in terms, like lighting noiseless
crackers. But Mumbai's Great Punjab restaurant obviously pulled it off
when a spread of biryanis, kebabs and koftas was devoured by the likes
of Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Nafisa Joseph, Anupama Verma and Maria
Goretti. A polite way of asking Mumbai's glitterati to shape up?
 Not
everyone is hooked to single-para articles, society gossip and PYT spreads.
When The Little Magazine, a niche bimonthly offering 10,000 word essays,
poetry and film scripts, celebrated its first anniversary at Mumbai's
Crossword bookstore, luminaries like Dom Moraes, Gulzar and Vijay Tendulkar
read from their works. Low-profile editor Antara Dev Sen should be celebrating-the
magazine already has a readership base of 10,000. (But it's against magazine
policy to throw a party.)
|
|
METRO TODAY
Web
Exclusives
