Cast and crew of ‘Bratman’
In a captivating show of how a group takes shape and form, a group of tiny performers sing ‘A Million Dreams’ from the hit musical the greatest showmanBecause their older counterparts join in seamlessly. The tunes echo in Cheriana, the rehearsal space of The Little Theatre.
This scene from one of Bratman’s rehearsal evenings, The Little Theatre’s annual Christmas pantomime, particularly points out the importance of a group in theatre. Over the past four months, that’s exactly what the team has been trying to achieve as stage novices come together to shape a two-hour long show. Inside Cheriana, they stumble across Bratman and his group of anarchic weirdos as they struggle to save the magic of Christmas. Will they succeed?
Over the past 28 years, pantomime has become synonymous with the holiday season in the city. It is a tradition. While the classic format of pantomime remains true to its genre (think: a dame, myriad songs and slapstick humor at its finest), every year, a new crop of Chennai’s young theater nuts take to the stage. The script and story, developed by the actors themselves during four months of rehearsals, almost always sidesteps the absurd, while still delivering the classic good versus evil story. This time, Batman is in the picture – a character who has always been close to artistic director Krishnakumar Balasubramaniam (KK), who helms the show.
Role of pantomime Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
He starts with an announcement. “I think this will be one of the best pantos we have! We wanted to put our own panto spin on the character of Batman to create the Batman. The team had to delve deep into the DC universe to choose such a popular character. KK says, “We want to give the fans something to play with, but at the end of the day, it’s a Christmas pantomime: a spoof of the entire universe, a look at popular culture and current events.” He further says, “The big advantage of doing panto is that more than going into the history of comics, we take what people connect with most and you mix it with every idea that comes through improvisation.”
Director KK Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The narrative goes like this: “What if some person or thing took over Batman’s psyche and thought processes and turned him into Batman? What if he becomes a supervillain? Then what will he be able to do?” The story also briefly touches on the topic of bullying. What happens after this in Gotham City forms the story.
With predominantly Gen Z artists this year, Keke says it really helps to know what they relate to today. To that end, does Bratman have anything to do with ‘Brat Summer,’ the Charli XCX-inspired phenomenon that took over pop culture, and even made its mark in American politics, not long ago? “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but now that I know about it, it could be a direction,” KK laughs. The cast is a talented mix of singers, dancers and actors. “Panto is a bed for amateurs where they can come and hone their talents. This whole experience is beneficial for actors,” says KK.
The choreography of the pantomime is being done by Vikas Rao, while singer Lavita Lobo is directing the music. Would the director care to reveal what songs we can look forward to? After some hesitation, he gives one. “One of my favorite songs, ‘I’m Still Standing,’ by Elton John.”
bratman Performances will be held on 14 and 15 December at 3 pm and 7 pm and on 16 and 19 December at 6 pm at the Museum Theatre, Egmore. Passes at thelittletheatre.explara.com
published – December 11, 2024 04:12 PM IST
