Online streaming platforms have given way to cinematic content from the remotest parts of the world at the touch of a finger. Movies, daily soaps, binge-worthy series, browse for it and it’s all out there in the dense network. What about our good old fashioned theatrical plays that are failing to charm our youth?
The UK’s very own Tamasha theatre company, the home for artists of colour, has been breeding young artists and budding talents of colour while giving them a platform to project their destiny since 1989. However, let alone the competitiveness that leads to a struggling crawl within the industry, the pandemic has further struck a blow with the performing arts sector. Artist Director Fin Kennedy candidly questions if “theatre will ever be the same again”.
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Taking advantage of the virtual stage and continuing with an initiative that started in 2014, this year Tamasha’s flagship Scratch: The Playwrights brings at screen a cohort of extremely well-crafted stories from outstanding writers in the country. With diversity and inclusion embedded in the heart of the writings, the themes span from inherited trauma, childhood tragedy, gender politics, unresolved love and confronting inner demon. You choose your pick from the vast range.
Much like the other stories, touching upon the theme of intimacy is junior doctor Shaan Sahota’s ‘The Immortal Coil’, directed by Sepy Baghaei. Over the 10 minutes, Shaan takes us through the repercussions of what we know as modern-day romance.
Set in the future where ageing was just a matter of past concerns and sophisticated high-tech is a reality, characters Iona and Arjun graciously portrayed by actors Subika Anwar-Khan and Sid Sagar traverse the paths of boundless leisure and loneliness.
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Lona is an intimacy worker hired by Arjun to care for his emotional support. The anger in Arjun’s tone clearly indicates the level of comfort he has derived from her services. What seems to be strictly business for Iona in one frame, dramatically shifts to her being keen on exploring the scope of their relationship.
Is it her personal agenda that is drawing her towards stability or just her craving? Both the protagonists are alike in their desires; Iona searching for belonging, love and warmth while Arjun is desperate to feel the same.
*Info: Tamasha
