An adaptation of "The Three-penny Opera"

Hridi Huq (C) and co-actors in the play

The Three-penny Opera is a satire on bourgeois society. However, in the Bangla adaptation, Janotar Rangoshala, Mujibur Rahman's satiric target is the middle class which witnesses chaos on various fronts -- perpetrated by the army, police and terrorists -- and fails to react against it.

The storyline is very simple: the central figure is a terrorist named Kalu (Imran Humayun Khan), who claims his evil-doings are just 'business'. The former Army captain is at loggerheads with Selim Sheikh (Selim Mahmood) and his wife (Lucky Enam). The couple head a community that has taken up begging as its profession, which symbolically represents the common people of Bangladesh. The marriage of Kalu to Sheikh's daughter, Sakhina (Hridi Huq), sparks a conflict between the beggars and the terrorists. And Bagha Salam (Giyas Babu), a corrupt policeman, is in a nexus with the terrorist leader.

Director Dr Enamul Huq has successfully used both the major techniques of Brecht's 'epic theatre form': alienation device and a clown. A clown has been used to introduce a new story. Huq has used 'alienating' devices, such as placards, aside to the audience, discordant music and lighting, and disconnected episodes which frustrate the viewer's expectation for simple entertainment. Ultimately the aim is to stir the audience out of its complacency and make it more discerning.

However, there is room for development in the directorial compositions of the 'entertainment scenes' at the brothel as well as at Selim Sheikh's house where Sheikh faces the harlots.

Tarequl Islam has used different tunes of folk, Hindi film songs and others as the soundtrack of the musical theatre. Selim Mahmod's set design is simple. But, the lighting cues did not co-ordinate well with the acting cues.

Imran Hossain Khan as Kalu and Sazzad Reza as the clown performed boldly on stage. Hridi Huq was also impressive. But, the audience expected more from seasoned actress Lucky Enam. Giyas Babu was very stiff and fumbled during dialogue delivery.

Nagorik Natyangan staged Janotar Rangoshala at the Experimental Theatre Stage on July 15.