Slow and melodramatic

Watching plays has always been a soothing experience for me. I enjoy them. It’s a good way to relax and recharge, especially after a hectic week. Naturally, it’s good for my anxiety too. But this time, my experience was quite the opposite. Don’t get me wrong, the actors carried out the drama phenomenally. But the storyline for ‘God of Carnage’, a play by Yasmina Reza, adapted in Nepali language by Absurd Icons Nepal in association with Mala Arts Academy, was just not my cup of tea. The dark comedy is based on the talk between two sets of parents, who have gotten together to sort out the problem between their children. One of the couples’ son was hit by the other in a public park, and is now suffering from two broken teeth and an exposed vein. So, his parents, Vanshita (Reema Midhun Magar) and Mohan (Saroj Shrestha), have set up a meeting with the other child’s parents, Anuja (Sabina Gopali) and Anmol (Bimba Adhikari), to discuss the incident. While watching the first 10 minutes of the play, the audience could get a faint idea on the personalities of all the four characters involved in the drama. Vanshita, a writer by profession who is also fond of artworks, likes to consider herself as a “progressive” woman who values a civilized conversation and is strictly against violence, while her husband Mohan, is a people-pleaser who has been dragged into this meeting because of his inability to disagree with anyone. Their house is filled with paintings and artworks, which shows that Vanshita makes most of the decisions in the household.

On the other hand, Anuja has a bit of a pretentious personality, which is clearly seen from her choice of wardrobe and an elaborate pair of sunglasses. She is trying her best to seem interested in the conversation, while constantly getting angry at her husband Anmol, a lawyer, who is frequently on calls with his clients, and seems to like nothing but his work. He looks sophisticated, but turns out to be the exact opposite once you get to know him.

All their views and personalities clash terribly with one another, making the entire play as chaotic as it could get. The drama starts with a calm conversation between the four characters. But they start showing their true colors once the disagreements begin. The arguments slowly escalate, and gets worse once the drink is poured when Mohan admits to being an alcoholic and grabs a bottle of rum for himself. The characters even get violent at some point. The play ends with four of them getting drunk, with no conclusion whatsoever on the matter this meeting was held for in the first place. Everyone in the audience, including me, felt like we knew just how to put a stop to those arguments. But seeing the characters not get to that conclusion was frustrating (and a trigger for my anxiety). Hence, I wouldn’t say it’s an ideal play for those with anxiety, or so I think. But that also says a lot about the actors. They had to show how obnoxious their characters were, and they did so brilliantly. The play, however, did run into some technical issues with the lights going off every now and then. Yet, the actors were able to carry out the sequence from where they left off. They made it flow, without making the play seem jarring. Although I have to admit, the frequent blackouts did ruin the mood and it took a minute or two for the audience to get in the zone once the play resumed. But, there were some moments I thoroughly enjoyed during the play. Some of the dialogues were downright funny, especially the nickname ‘Meow-meow’ Anmol had for his wife Anuja. The little arguments between the couples reminded me of my own parents, who still like to bicker about things that make no sense. Once you watch this play, you will find a lot of relatable instances, making you chuckle time and again. I, personally, would not recommend this play for anyone who is not a big fan of family dramas, and someone like me who gets easily startled by plays that involve a lot of arguments. But if you don’t mind all that, this theatrical adaptation is beautifully executed, with exceptional actors who infuse a lot of life to the story.