The Mission: A cry against globalisation

Actors in the play The Mission

Oppression has been a common phenomenon in the world through the ages. Even today, the superpowers have been oppressing the developing nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America in the name of globalisation. Globalisation, according to The Mission is a kind of 'neo-imperialism'.

The Mission does not deal with the problems of any particular nation or society, rather it depicts fragmented stories of oppression, revolution and imagination. The playwright has dealt with a universal problem: the inherent oppressive tendency of human beings.

Based on Anna Segher's novel The Light on the Gallows, Muller's play is set against the backdrop of the French colonisation of Jamaica during the French Revolution. However, The Mission is not only a story of colonisation, rather is a saga where freedom is often an illusion. The fragmented structures and grotesque imageries of violence make the onlooker feel the intensity of the inevitable brutality of history. According to Muller, it is not the issue of 'race' but 'business' and 'trades', which provoke human beings to be oppressors. In the contemporary world where 'free market' has become the key factor, there is no scope of uninhibited 'freedom' or 'revolution' for human beings.

Translator Saidus Saqlain's work deserves plaudits. Kamaluddin Nilu's directorial compositions are noteworthy. Throughout the play he has successfully maintained the mood, tempo and pace to represent brutality, torture and revolution. The interesting part of his directorial work is the use of 'masks' and animalistic gestures of the artistes to symbolically present the inherent cruelty of human beings. The 'woman' in the play symbolically represents 'imperialism'. The coital scene between the 'man' and 'woman' character is an analogy of the human thirst for power. Moreover, indigenous dances of Latin America have been used in the play.

Sardar Aftabuddin has designed an innovative set using huge mirrors, set at the three corners of the stage. The remainder of the stage remains empty in his design. The reflection of the performance on the mirror creates an illusion on the stage.

The symbolic colour-effects of M Badal's light design co-ordinate well with the directorial compositions of the play. The Mission demonstrates good teamwork. The dialogue delivery as well as the body movements of the artistes deserved plaudits.

Before the show Torsten Oertel, director of Goethe Institut, said, "I have just arrived in Bangladesh. I'd like to work in the cultural field of Bangladesh. This festival is just the beginning. At the show -- Mukhosh -- we will invite children from different corners of the city to enjoy the puppet theatre."