On a cold Thursday Vancouver night, “Bombay Black” gripped every audience member in the Firehall Arts Centre. It had been a while since I’d held my breath watching a truly riveting drama and feeling unpredictability linger in my chest.
One minute the story was blanketed in the mystery of who these characters are, why they do what they do, and what they will reveal about their relation to each other. The next minute the audience was submerged in poetic ecstasy, mythical creatures, and eclectic music.
The intermission had everyone jittery with excitement. We returned quickly to our seats and hung on to see what happens next to Apsara, Padma and Kamal, the three leads of Anosh Irani’s award-winning play!
“Bombay Black” paints a picture of the busy, crowded, and at times, reckless city of Bombay. Apsara dances for clients in a sea-facing apartment owned by her business-minded mother, Padma. The visually impaired Kamal enters this small, strange world and unleashes a series of revelations for both Apsara and Padma.
An underlying theme of seeing without one’s eyes runs beautifully like a metaphor throughout the play. The dialogue is unmatched, revealing Irani’s capabilities as a playwright. Rohit Chokhani’s directorship stays true to cultural theatrical art forms familiar in Indian storytelling. He ingeniously translates this Indian storytelling format for a Western audience without losing a grain of its wit. The acting is superb, with a star-lit cast led by Nimet Kanji, Arshdeep Purba, and Munish Sharma.
The play deals with sensitive and often triggering issues, all the while approaching them both with a Shakespearean air. The talk of murder reminds me of “Macbeth”, while the parts contemplating love ring close to lessons from “Hamlet”. Yet the play still feels fresh and extremely original, leaving me to think that legendary playwriting is alive once again.
Get your tickets here!
– Maira Hassan