Theatre Flamingo, a troupe of young actors from Goa that specializes in experimental performances, community theatre, children theatre, theatre in education etc are performing their new Konkani play, ‘Mukbhat’, at Arena Theatre, Rajiv Gandhi Kala Mandir, Ponda, today, August 26 at 6.30 pm. Based on Shakespeare’s classic ‘Macbeth’, the director Keatan Jadhav from Canacona, has re-imagined the play with contemporary issues. A huge challenge to bring Goa’s Mukbhat on stage, Keatan shares his feel to re-imagine ‘Macbeth,’ “The sheer resemblance of the picture that I can see in the society where I live, reflects in ‘Macbeth’. These involve supernatural powers, witches, uncertainty, corruption, greed, brutal politics and changing behavioural patterns upon caste, religion in the modern world. Keatan Jadhav is an actor, director and actor coach.
Inspired by ‘Macbeth’, ‘Mukbhat’ explores gender dynamics, caste hierarchies, and temple politics within a Goan village. ‘Mukbhat’ offers a unique blend of contemporary theatrical techniques and ancient rituals. Dehumanizing behaviour by Mukhel-bhat and his wife Annapurna on Mukbhat, who is adopted, boils up the catharsis which makes him kill his parents. Reaching ecstasy, Ujwal (Lady Macbeth) is seen in madness of greed. The characters, deeply entwined in caste and cultural traditions, drive a tragic tale. Mukbhat’s ambition clashes with oppression, leading to irreversible actions, while Ujwal’s portrayal as Lady Macbeth exposes the darker aspects of human greed.
In more than 14 years of experience in theatre practice, Keatan has been developing his own acting and performance research and is a visiting faculty at Pune University and Flame University. How did he make the narrative contemporary for the audience? “I always seem to do things that scare me and take me out of my comfort zone. Doing a Shakespeare adaptation as a director did make me nervous but I thought the idea of caste politics and gender politics coming into the scene and story narration or plot was much more fascinating and intriguing too. I did have a strong background in theatre and the text was familiar. Also, my actors have done an immense job of dramaturgy to bring along the personal experiences on the table to plot down the basic story which I had conceived,” he says.
He further adds, “I also loved how ambition in the script was charged with a strong sense of grief rather than power; I found that to be very fresh. Whatever I live, listen, observe and upon my experiences, the story of Macbeth was calling me. I live in cultures sharply divided by the same issues that Shakespeare wrote about the war, nationalism, imperialism, individualism, tensions over sexual identity and orientation, and intolerance to racial and religious difference, censorship—the plays will continue to appeal to artists like us. Above all, I did nothing much to make the story or narration contemporary but its all there in Shakespeare’s text. But, I did fill the old wine in a Goan bottle.”
Keatan has been toying with the idea for the play since the lockdown and has also portrayed the part of Macbeth in 2021. “I directed ‘Macbeth’ in 2022, in Flame University, Pune and in the Theatre Flamingo Actors Lab residential workshop for seven days with people across India. I started working with my team Theatre Flamingo from mid-May to July 30 on this play,” explains Keatan.
As these are developing events in Goa, Keatan had to be quite sensitive to bring the same on the stage. “It is very much sensitive but to put in front of an audience, the voice is essential and this is what as an artist my role is. Rather this is how we team Theatre Flamingo’s choose to work,” concludes Keatan.