Whodunit

Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter, Mrs Danvers, Rebecca and other inhabitants of Manderly are making their way to Prithvi Theatre, via Akvarious' stage adaptation of the classic Daphne Du Maurier's novel

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Those words barely need to be expressed before one gets transported into author Daphne Du Maurier's fictional world. That's exactly what happens in director Meera Khurana's stage version of the book, which also opens with the same line. Maxim, Mrs de Winter, Mrs Danvers, Rebecca and other characters stumble out of the book and onto the stage with Akvarious's newest offering, Rebecca.u00a0



This is Meera's second attempt at directing a play --the first was a stage version of The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat by Enid Blyton. The teacher-turned-theatrewala's love for books is obvious in her choice of scripts. "I've been an avid reader. While growing up, I thought Enid Blyton was a rockstar and in my teenage years, I was absolutely fascinated by Daphne Du Maurier," shares Meera, recalling of the time when she would stay up all night reading Du Maurier.u00a0

So when she decided to work on the stage version of the book, Meera was very clear about two things -- staying true to the language and the period. No colloquial adaptation or experimental sets would do. "We wanted to bring back the grandeur of Manderly. We've tried to recreate the feel of the period in terms of costumes and sets as well as not change the language from the original," says Meera.u00a0

The effort seems to have paid off as the play got the best houses where it premiered at NCPA's Centrestage Theatre Festival. "I've actually heard the audience gasp at a couple of moments in the play," exclaims Meera.
Go ahead and begin your New Year with a cult classic.

On Today, 6 pm and 9 pm, and tomorrow, 5 pm and 8 pm at Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Vile Parle (W). Call 26149546

About the book
Rebecca, published in 1938, is considered to be Daphne Du Maurier's best work. Rebecca, when first published had a print run of 20,000 and was a popular success. The novel has been reprinted over 40 times. Rebecca has been described as an example of the Cinderella story but with the central character being helped from rags to riches by an older man who marries her rather than the help of a fairy godmother. The book has also been described as the first major gothic romance in the 20th century.