An Extremely Imaginative Production
The most brilliant performance of the
10-day-long World Performing Arts Festival 2004 in Lahore was by
Markus Zohner Theatre Compagnie from Switzerland. The play, 'The
Double Life of a Strange Poet', was about the life of the most
famous literary figure of Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen. It was
performed by four actors, two men and two women.
In an extremely imaginative production synchronising mime, music
movement, lighting and dialogue, the four got to play a large
number of roles, especially of the people who came in the life of Hans
Christian Anderson. For props, they had a couple of suitcases, an
umbrella, a stick and one or two boxes. These props were used for
sets that sometimes also became part of the costume.
Usually when theatre groups travel they cut down on the baggage
and go along with bare essentials. But in this play, if this was
the only reason for the few props and no sets, it never showed
because the director Patrizia Barbuiani really used her
imagination and created a play where everything was
interchangeable. Not only actors played many roles, props and sets were
also used with flexibility. The lighting played a crucial role filling
in for the sets and adding to the ambiance of the play.
   
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