The Freedom of the City
Brian Freil's play The Freedom of the City, staged by Udichi (drama section) brings the viewer face to face with such hard realities. Translated by Ashish Khondokar, The Freedom of the City was staged on February 13, at Mahila Samity Stage as part of the ongoing drama festival arranged by the troupe.
Brian Freil's play is set against the backdrop of the British Army's brutal attack on the common people of Northern Ireland during 1972. This Irish movement against the British points out some hidden facts of political murder. Ashish Khondokar has maintained the authenticity of the original text. Through the story of the killing of three people by the British Army who claim it to be their legal right, the playwright shows how the powers that be convert facts to their own benefit by labelling the innocent people as terrorists. Ultimately, the investigating officer of the murder also gives his judgement in favour of the British force.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. As the director of the play, Ashish Khondokar is influenced by the British drama trend. All the performers played their roles in the European style. However, his parallel handling of the present sequences and flashback scenes leaves much to be desired.
Changing some set elements, Ashish has created different sequences on the stage. The set design could be improved. In fact, using unnecessary stagecraft on the stage seemed absurd.
As light designer, Ashish is successful. He has used symbolical colour effects to create the atmosphere of the play. However, his costume design is not authentic. While the entire play replicated European attire, the Bangladesh Army uniform was used for the British Army. Ratan Dev as the judge was impressive. The other performers need to hone their skills so that the play holds the attention of the audience.