10 | Rehearsals: Step into the world behind the curtains!

Our journey into the realm of acting commenced on November 24, setting our sights on a debut performance slated for January 2024. While the first rendezvous with the script unfolded smoothly, it wasn't without its challenges. Dialogue retention and character immersion posed hurdles for the Kattaikkuttu actors, in particular because the script uses multiple languages (basically Tamil, but also Dutch and English). While the production remained rooted in Kattaikkuttu’s performance style, its ‘foreign’ characters required a more realistic way of acting. This was a challenge and left the actors at times confused; having trained in Kattaikkuttu for so many years, it was tempting to fall back on the theatre’s rather melodramatic presentation of epic figures characterized and on sung verse. Take, for instance, the portrayal of Quintina, the British woman photographer. Her character demands a fusion of theatre styles—entering the stage in a realistic fashion then transiting into a bilingual English-Tamil song in Kattaikkuttu style, while the young actress also has to get her British accent correct.

An additional instance is the meeting between Kamaladevi and Jacob Haafner. The romantic scene is a challenge for the actors. As an heroic theatre Kattaikkuttu features war rather than love and has few intimate scenes. Finding ways to truthfully act this love  scene, is not an easy. The company has only a limited number of actors requiring some of them to take on dual roles. Some actors have dual jobs and some of the younger ones are still studying, which makes drawing up a rehearsal schedule that everybody can attend a difficult task. The intricate dance of transitioning from one character to another raises logistical questions to which we still need to find answers. Despite this, more than six rehearsals have successfully taken place, albeit interrupted by the disruptive force of Cyclone Michaung.

In the wake of this unexpected interference, a few additional rehearsals are anticipated. These sessions will allow us to become really comfortable with the playscript – with its unconventional characters – and with our roles. We want to work towards nuancing and refining our performances before Pārvai takes centre stage for its inaugural show on January 6, 2024.

A. Bharathi – with Hanne M. de Bruin