(Nov 11 – 18 2016) The Pillowman
Jagriti Theatre, Bangalore
Play Synopsis
A writer is brought in for interrogation regarding a series of gruesome child murders bearing striking similarities to his stories. Just like the manner of the killings, the investigating detectives are ruthless and show no mercy in trying to get a confession. They even drag the writers mentally challenged brother amidst a tangle of fantastical revelations, whimsical stories and peeling layers of what seems to be the truth. Eventually, a punishment is delivered and justice is served. Perhaps. Almost. Well…
Set in an imaginary totalitarian police-state, ‘The Pillowman’ is a comedy so dark that the color black seems pale. Twisted, mysterious and outright funny in generous proportions, this play is bound to leave the audiences spellbound with its plot and imagery.
Awards
Tony Award, Laurence Olivier Award and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Drama Desk Award.
Reviews for the play
“Martin McDonagh’s Tony-winning comedy definitely makes Kafka seem like Neil Simon on happy pills; the laughs are howlingly nightmarish.”, Times Colonist (Victoria)
“McDonagh smugly informs us that writing and writers are very good things and worth getting your elbows broken for”, The Guardian
“Comedies don’t come any blacker than “The Pillowman,” the spellbinding stunner of a play by Martin McDonagh”, The New York Times
“Somebody must have been spreading lies about Katurian K Katurian, for his predicament, in Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman, could have come directly from the pages of a Kafka novel”, The Irish Times
“Sometimes you don’t even know what you’ve been craving until the real thing comes along.” New York Times
“McDonagh is more than just a very clever theatrical stylist. His tricks and turns have a purpose. They are bridges over a deep pit of sympathy and sorrow, illuminated by a tragic vision of stunted and frustrated lives.” Irish Times
Cast and Crew
Cast: Varun Kainth, Mohammed Saif, Shatarupa Bhattacharya, Puneet Gupta, Sonam Rai, Karan Tiwari, Bhagyasree Kakoty
Director: Puneet Gupta
Assistant Director: Dhanya Menon
Set & Props: Anurag Maheshwari, Sweta Garg
Lights: Niranjan Gokhale
Music & Sounds: Aravind Dayalan, Deepak Jadhav
Costumes: Nupur Jain, Richa Singh, Chhavi Lahoti
Visual Media: Anshu Surana
Production Manager: Sejal Maheshwari
Production Head: Anurag Maheshwari
(MAR 13 – 15 2014) Where Cookies Tell Fortunes
Jagriti Theatre, Bangalore
Synopsis: It’s seven pm on a rainy Friday evening and the dinner service at The Yin Yang Bistro is about to start. As the waiters set up the tables and prepare for a busy evening ahead, one of them accidentally triggers a series of events that would unfold around the diners – dating couples, friends and family members. These unrelated people, who have never crossed paths until today, find themselves on a twisted journey of time – together, yet each to it’s own destination. And this tasty tangle unveils stories of love, life and more. Where Cookies Tell Fortunes promises to tickle your funny bone, engage your senses and keep you guessing at every turn!
Written and Directed by Puneet Gupta
Cast: Dhanya Menon, Gautham Narendran, Mohd Saif, Nevin Pearl, Prateek Gantayat, Sonam Rai, Swagata Kashyap, Varun Kainth, Vijay Ashok Sharma, Neeraj Baji
Set & Props: Anurag Maheshwari, Sweta Garg, Neeraj Baji
Costumes & Make Up: Swetha Krishnan, Chhavi Lahoti, Sejal Maheshwari
Lights: Arun Bhat
Language: English
Duration: 75 minutes
(APR 5- 6 2014) Guilty As (Not) Charged
Alliance Francaise, Bangalore
…a modern tale of could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.
Synopsis: Don’t you sometimes wish you could’ve turned back time? Or wonder what you would’ve done if you had a crystal ball to gaze into your future? Does the realization of what you should’ve done come find you looking over your shoulder?
This new original play by Mad Hats Theatre is a drama-cum-whodunnit that spans a week in the life of the middle-class family and friends of a young college girl, Vidya. The story begins with her family moving from Mumbai to Delhi, Vidya joining a new college, reuniting with a childhood buddy, making new friends and graduating at the top of her class. But this fairy-tale progresses to unfold a tangled web of events that literally turn Vidya’s world upside down. And no one sees the end coming!
Written and Directed by Puneet Gupta
Cast: Dhanya Menon, Medini Mangala, Gautham Narendran, Sushant Khanna, Nirmal Sekhar, Ankita Ray, Aneesha Ummer, Pranav PT
Executive Producer: Anurag Maheshwari
Script & Dialogues: Puneet Gupta
Costumes: Sweta Garg (Pichhkari Arts), Lavanya, Sejal Maheshwari
Make Up: Mansi Sood
Sets & Props: Anurag Maheshwari, Sweta Garg (Pichhkari Arts), Vasudha Hegde
Music & Sound: Arvind Dayalan & Sriram Devatha (deciBel Studio), Deepak Jadhav
Lights: Arun Bhat
Visual Coverage: Gautham Iyer & Balakrishna Harish (Litigon Studio)
Publicity: Puneet Gupta, Gautham Iyer, Anurag Maheshwari
Ticketing: Sejal Maheshwari
(FEB 3- 4 2012) Snakes-n-Ladders
Alliance Francaise, Bangalore
Synopsis: The play is a modern day corporate drama and draws inspiration from the daily lives of people in a city like Bangalore. Depicted through an ensemble cast of 12 actors, the narration of the play is linear, and infuses the proceedings of the play with generous splashes of humor and satire. In essence, the play narrates the travails of the daily grind that the corporate life demands of the people, and how it affects them as individuals.
Directed by Puneet Gupta
Cast: Mary Thomas, Gautham Narendran, Deepak Jadhav, Gautham Iyer, Tarun R, Sushant Khanna, Raakesh HR, Medini Mangala, Prateek Gantayat, Dhanya Menon, Ravi Shankar, Vasudha Hegde
Production Head: Anurag Maheshwari
Script & Dialogues: Puneet Gupta, Jharna M, Anurag Maheshwari, Ameya Potadar
Costumes & Make Up: Namratha SM
Sets & Props: Vasudha Hegde, Anurag Maheshwari
Marketing: Harsh Jain, Puneet Gupta, Ameya Potadar, Sejal Maheshwari
Logistics: Anurag Maheshwari, Harsh Jain, Puneet Gupta, Namratha SM
Finance & Accounts: Puneet Gupta, Anurag Maheshwari
Music: Fidel D’Souza
Lights: Swetanshu Bora
Visual Coverage: Pramod Nair
Mad Hats Theatre 