Eating out, poor hand hygiene and erratic weather may be among causes, say medics
Director's take
Kailash Nair's last play as a director was an intense drama. "I was keen to do something lighter. I had been nurturing Arsenic and Old Lace for sometime, but I knew that executing a play with a huge canvas like this (think: a big cast and a elaborate set and costumes) can be done only with a detail-obsessed producer." Stepped in Humera Sultana, who's making her debut as a producer, for whom wearing the hat was an impromptu decision, "One night, three friends decided to put up a show, and voila I got involved," she says.
For Sabiha Majgaonkar, founder, Orb Theatricals (the local theatre company behind the show), "Comedies are classics. Plus, it is our first full-length production and I wanted it be grand."
Mixed crew
She labels the production as one, which brings on stage not only a mix of nationalities, but also varying levels of theatrical experiences. An actor herself (she plays Martha Brewster), Sabiha confesses acting to be her first love, however, is quick to add, "I love theatre in totality and equally enjoy the other aspects as well."
Do they have favourite characters? "Mine would be Dr. Einstein, he is both funny and evil," says Humera.
Book your tickets at tixbox.com: The two-hour show will be performed on 30 (8pm, Dh60) and 31 March and 1 April (2.30pm and 7.30pm, Dh100) at The Junction, Al Serkel Avenue
Sarah Potter, Abby Brewster
"Dramatic irony within the audience and the world of the play - there are layers upon layers of moments where the audience knows something a character doesn't know and then moments where a character doesn't know something about another that the audience doesn't either. But that's me over analysing it all - there are standout moments of pure comedy too - both verbally and physically - some actors literally bend over forwards for comedic effect!"
"I love the innocence, insanity, and light-heartedness of the play in its entirety!"
"I believe comedy is my forte and I absolutely love bringing dark comedy to life. Each character in the play is distinct from the other - courtesy of Joseph Kesselring's magical writing. Kailash (director) asked me to write a cunning letter to my family - the exercise helped me understand Jonathan and his relationship with the family quite well."
"I love the script for its comic with a dash of suspense and pinch of emotional drama."
"My favourite element has to be comedy. There are a lot of dialogues that aren't funny with the intent that it is emulated from the character, but the mood and situation brings out the comedy. I'm playing a character many years, rather several decades my senior, with a grown up daughter to boot - that did take some getting used to."
"We spent days and hours talking about the characters and how to bring them alive. Kailash (director) gave us full liberty on interpretation, whilst helping us to get the characters spot on. We walked (ran) about the stage to feel the space, to get the posture right (for me, personally), certain words and their pronunciation, the tone of our voice, etc."
"I had done my actor's homework about the character, but I began to panic during rehearsals, for the fear of not getting it right. At that time, I watched an interview with Naomie Harris and her technique of imagining oneself in the character and answering specific questions about one's life like - 'Who was your best friend when you were 8?' or 'Do you have any nicknames?' etc. It really helped me with transforming into the character. Understanding the 1940s was very important as well. I spent time trying to understand women of that time, how they carried themselves, the fashion trends of that time, music they heard to. Music is a great tool of getting the feel and 'rhythm' of the time!"
"Our ingredients are ourselves, and regardless of what is eventually used or not, kept or shelved, whatever seems to work or doesn't - what we have to contribute to our communal cauldron comes from more than just different perspectives, work ethics and ideologies. Refreshing and challenging - it comes from different cultures and histories - finding common ground, respecting that which isn't common - and valuing everything in between. Art in every form belongs to the art of itself; we are the mediums, the muses, the masters of our own madness - and sharing that madness as equal partakers, is what I feel to be truly and most beautifully human.
Eating out, poor hand hygiene and erratic weather may be among causes, say medics
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