A group of St Xavier's college students are part of a dark and grizzly drama that promises to scare
(Right) Gouri Bhuyan and Matthew Vetticad play siblings Marion and Katurian
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You're looking at a prison cell, inside which two policemen — Tupolski and Ariel — are interrogating a young writer, Katurian. The duo holds great disdain for the writer's gory fairytales, which are filled with unmentionable crimes being committed against children, crimes that are suddenly taking place in the town where Katurian lives. This is the opening scene of The Pillowman, a play that will be performed by a group of college students at an Andheri brewpub tomorrow.
"The original script, written by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, is two-and-a-half hours long. I've brought it down by an hour. I've also made this a more female-oriented script," says Ipshita Peters, director. She shares that in her adaptation, the roles of the two male detectives will be essayed by women, as will the role of Katurian's sibling Michal (who appears in the original), who will now be Marion.
The cast
The play goes on to unravel the link between Katurian's stories and the murders of children taking place on the streets, with Katurian racing against
the clock to prove his innocence and also save his sister, who is being tortured for information. In the midst of this, Katurian's parents also make an appearance, giving a sinister twist to the already twisted plot.
First-time director Peters is a third-year BA student at St Xavier's College, and the cast of the play, too, comprises second and third-year students from the college. "I'm a huge fan of the horror genre, and had even made a short horror film last year. This script caught my attention because it blended horror with wit and humour. We first performed the play at our college theatre festival, where we were approached to stage it as part of an ongoing Youth Theatre series curated by The Hive," says Peters.
She explains that at its core, The Pillowman is a simple whodunnit, but it's the quick-paced storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat till the end. "There are only three scenes in this play, but the dialogue ensures that you're not bored for a single moment," she concludes.
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