Meanwhile Elsewhere

How does one express abstract prose poems into a visual performance? How does one portray description of cities on a stage? How does one interpret visual stories into a theatrical play?

Armed with light, shadow and smoke Maverick Director Yadavan Chandran, with great panache, executes the herculean task of translating Italo Calvino’s Invisible cities into a spectacle that is at once literal and phenomenal, abstract and real in its narrative. Yadavan’s genius lies in stretching the original’s trajectory to make a subtle statement about the future of cities, of what we have lost to reach where we are.

In Yadavan’s Meanwhile elsewhere, the role of the emperor and the explorer take a new shade. They grieve, they question, they debate. Often we see the cities through Kublai khan’s eyes. Like a magician, Yadavan fuses music, weaves illusions with threads and creates mesmerizing tales of fictional and real cities. The costumes, the use of multiple languages, music and last but not the least the characters dazzle like a blinding light in a moonless sky. Perhaps this is the essence of Meanwhile Elsewhere- we are thrilled yet frightened, happy yet sad. Uncomfortable in our complacence.

Kudos to Mallika Sarabhai, not only for brilliant acting, but also for treating the city of Ahmedabad to this compelling visual treat.

Natarani is a state of the art amphitheater and curating venue. Built and launched in 1994 it has been presenting cutting edge and popular national and international companies in each season. It hosts several festivals, the most prestigious being the Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival at the end of December where new collaborative work is premiered.

Written by Poonam Jolly – December 2024