BHOPAL : ‘Shadow of Macbeth’, sending out the message that unrestrained ambition only leads to sorrow was staged here on Tuesday at the Antrang Hall of Bharat Bhavan. The Hindi play, an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy ‘Macbeth’, was directed by Manoj Nair and presented by the Shadow theatre group, Bhopal.
The play was divided into two co-related Acts. In the first Act, Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy ‘Macbeth’ was presented by mime. It tells the story of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth, who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become the King of Scotland.
The second Act of the play revolves around the life of the protagonist Suraj, based on Shakespeare’s character ‘Macbeth’. Suraj is a bank Manger and a theatre artist. But his wife wants him to go places and keeps on goading him, just like Lady Macbeth forced her husband to kill Duncan, the King of Scotland. She meets an astrologer who prophesises that Suraj will get a good position soon. And Suraj acquires a higher position by sending his boss to jail, framing him in a misappropriation case.
Meanwhile, neither Suraj nor his wife is happy on their doing. They repent just as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth did and one day the wife meets with an accident and dies. At the end of the play, Suraj is consigned to a mental asylum.
Symbolic sets, props, colourful and live music were aptly used which help create the ambience of the Shakespearean era in the one-hour-and-thirty-minutes-long play. Colourful lights were designed by well-known light designer Kamal Jain, highlighting the tragedy of the play, especially by cross and foot light. Smita as Lady Macbeth and one witch, Shobhit Khare as Macbeth, Yogesh Parihar as Suraj and Manoj Nair as Duncan were in lead roles.
“It is an experimental play which is relevant in the contemporary times. For getting the crown, Lady Macbeth abets the King’s murder by her husband and later they repent their deed. In today’s world, there are thousands of Macbeths and Lady Macbeths. That’s why I titled the play ‘Shadow of Macbeth’. It also sends out the message that it is very essential that there should be good understanding in every relationship especially of husband-wife. It is the third show of this play”, said Nair.
