Catch this pig before it flies off into space

A smelly pig and his friends zoom into outer space by accident, only to return with a deadly disease. Figure out what happens next in the new children's play, Suar Chala Space Ko

This children's play is a rare production. Not only is it an original play but it's also based on a concept developed by kids themselves. Eight years ago, three kidsu00a0-- Poorna Swami, Isha Chopra and Ankita Herftu00a0-- wrote a short script at a puppetry workshop conducted by the director Shaili Sathyu, which has been developed into the one-hour long play, Suar Chala Space Ko.


Actors rehearse for the play Suar Chala Space Ko. Pics/Nimesh Dave

In its earlier avatar, the play was a 20-minute puppet show, but now actors have taken over the puppets' parts and improvised their characters over the last few months to come up with the final play. "We had done some performances of the puppet show too, but eventually the script went into cold storage. This year, when it was time to work on a production for Prithvi Summertime I remembered that play and decided to bring it out and rework it with the actors," says Shaili, who also takes credit for writing the play.

In the play, a group of kids and animals discover an alien spaceship in a cave and they end up activating the spaceship, by mistake. Once active, the ship flies off into outer space with this motley bunch. On the journey, one of the animals falls sick and the disease spreads among the co-passengers. To find the medicine that will cure this contagious disease, the group has to figure out a way to meet the aliens. But the aliens might not be too happy about seeing them.

Unlike most kids' plays, Suar Chala Space Ko makes no attempt to provide an overt moral of the story. "We just want audiences to come in, watch the play, have fun and go back home," says Shaili. That's pretty simple, we say.

On: May 16, 7 pm at Horniman Circle Garden, opposite Asiatic Library, Fort.
Call: 8097044049 tickets: Rs 50