(Ashwin Singh, Nesan Pather, Kajal Maharaj and Derosha Moodley)Real life circumstances laden with comic situations. (Review by Viresh Prahalath)
Forming part of the Playhouse Company’s New Stages 2012 line-up, Marital Blitz is a dramatic comedy that offers a humorous and entertaining evening out. Directed by Ashwin Singh, it proves to have had a wide popular appeal in Durban, running to full theatre crowds.
The show is focused on the lives of a recently wed couple, Sanvir (Nesan Pather) and Shalini (Kajal Maharaj) who are in the post-honeymoon phase of their relationship where youthful romance and sweet nothings start to edge towards “you don’t try anymore” and “where were you late last night?” Sanvir’s dead-end job, organized by Aunty Dolly (Derosha Moodley) combined with Shalini’s paranoia about his infidelity are elements that make a very amusing piece leading to hilarious circumstances.
Through this light-hearted approach, we witness the issues that arise when a married couple stops communicating effectively and the misunderstandings that result. Also featuring in the show is the story of Dolly and her husband, an older couple whose communication and marital relationship has already broken down, enough for him to engage in a secret affair. The negative aspects of this are not in focus as the story is used mainly to create situations resulting in humour on stage which worked well.
A commendable feature of the play is its well-written plot which, despite being safe, offers the audience with a good flow of drama and comedy without stepping into the maudlin or extreme toilet humour, usually a point of no return. The show displays mainly real life circumstances laden with comic situations which make it palatable and thus effective as a tool of subtle social awareness.
The costume choices in the play are simple but stay true to character. Shalini’s friend Desiree (also Derosha Moodley) is quite vivacious in nature and this is energetically brought out by her feisty dangling earrings and killer heels. The boss’s plaid jacket and hat function well to represent his hilarious badass-wannabe attitude. Sanvir’s character, smartly dressed in formal, could have benefited more from at least one costume change during the course of the play.
The set, simple yet realistic in nature, is effectively split into two portions, one half being the living room of the married couple and the other, Sanvir’s workplace. The creative use of lighting to provide shadow backdrops onstage was beautiful and quaint.
There are spurts of Indian music and dance in the show which were less awkward when used as a form of comedy. In an effort to rekindle Shalini’s long buried oomph, Desiree attempts to show her “the moves” without much success, resulting in gales of laughter from the audience.
Both Kajal Maharaj and Derosha Moodley show remarkable development in their roles as actors. They have definitely upped their game since their early days in the entertainment industry during their roles in the then-developing Broken Promises film franchise that has recently become a local big screen success. Nesan Pather’s handsome mug and the smooth demeanour of his character do well to compliment the popular appeal of both these actresses. He also proved to be a great crowd-pleaser generating applause at the end of each of his comic scenes. With director Singh joining the cast in the action, we see a good ensemble that works well together on stage, undoubtedly a winning formula for any production.
While being set in the Indian community, this show has a universal appeal drawing audience members from different demographics. It can be watched and enjoyed by anyone who would like a pleasant evening of side-splitting comedy. Watch out for it on the theatre circuit. – Viresh Prahalath
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