London: One of Hindu mythologies greatest love stories has now hit the stage in a new avatar – a hard rock opera.
The world’s best known cultural festival – the annual Edinburgh Fringe that attracts millions of people every year has been left mesmerized by the most unique adaptation of Shakuntala – the immortal Indian folk tale by the revered poet Kalidasa.
Students from the Gems Modern Academy in Dubai gave an interesting twist by turning it into a rock opera in English.
The Fringe said “Unforeseen circumstances and dramatic twists are laced with dreams and hope when the king of the land falls in love with a maiden from the forests. The opera unfolds through song, dance, mime and visual effects.
Shakuntala epitomizes a harmonious kaleidoscope of eastern classic and western rock. This simple and fresh tale with riveting and unforgettable music scores will charm any theatre aficionada.”
Scripted, choreographed and directed by Kevin Oliver, the show that runs for 50 minutes has already left Fringe lovers mesmerized, The Times of India reported.
Shakuntala is the wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharata. Her story is told in the Mahabharata and dramatized by Kalidasa in his play Abhijnanasakuntala.
Akshatha Achar is a 16-year-old soprano who plays the lead role of Shakuntala. Oliver has put together a team of 35 high-school students to perform the play with music ranging from pop and rap compositions.
Oliver says the adaptation is “wacky and dark”.
Another Indian play had taken the Fringe by storm in 2014. The bone chilling story of the 23-year-old woman Nirbhaya who was gang raped inside a moving bus in Delhi sent out tremors at the world’s most prestigious arts festival.
Internationally acclaimed multiple award-winning South African theatre director and playwright Yael Farber’s latest production Nirbhaya premiered at the Fringe last year and won all the awards.
The Fringe had said “this scorching new work enraged, moved, devastated and inspired with the sheer capacity of the human spirit to rise, bear witness, survive and turn the tide”.
The testimonial work followed five women on stage who share their story of sexual violence which they faced as a child or an adult. They portrayed how Nirbhaya’s death forced them to break their silence.