'Shipwrecked' at Bangalore

 'Shipwrecked' at Bangalore

A shimmering array of green, blue and red rays bathe the stage space as the two actors with fluorescent little wands, glide around like magical sea creatures, complete with unearthly cries, and as the drums rumble, the stage transforms into a sea floor of pearls, recreated with the admirable ingenuity of nothing but soap bubbles.  

Shipwrecked is a tale of the adventures of Louis de Rougement (“as told by Himself”), from his days as a sickly child who dreams of a fascinating world outside, to when he chases his dreams against the ravages of land and sea, sailing with pirates and pearl hunters, riding giant sea turtles, grappling with a raging storm, getting shipwrecked on a lonely island with none but a trusted dog, his escape to the land of the Aborigines, and his final return to England where he tells his tale to a greedy public.  

The tale comes alive in the hands of a masterful storyteller, a brilliant onstage percussionist for all accompanying sounds, and two actors who play the dazzling array of characters in the adventure: a pirate, a faithful dog, fishes of the sea, Louis’s French mother, Aborigines, Australians, scholars, scientists, and even the queen. 

 With a quick onstage change of a hat or a coat, an apron here, a crown of flowers there, and an expert change of body language and voice, the pirate becomes a loving mother, the dog becomes an aborigine and the street smart publisher becomes the aging queen, in masterful symphony and synchronization. 

 The play maintains a light mood throughout, right from the humorous yet powerful narrative of David Morden to the simple imperfections maintained in costume changes. 

The character of the dog with just a simple doggy cap, played by Joseph McGrath, was definitely a heart render: barking away with enthusiasm, howling in fear as the storm approaches, cuddling up to his increasingly lonely master, growling with jealousy as his master gets close to a woman, and finally enjoying a rub in the belly in a moment of unrestrained pleasure. 

Patty Gallagher meanwhile, dazzled the audience with her countless talents: the graceful movements of a ballerina, the talented mimicking of a dozen sounds from a crying baby to a flying bird, the effortless execution of different accents, and an enchanting voice. 

Rogue Theater also shows a daring to break barriers of genders and avoid conformity: So Patty plays the rugged pirate Captain Jenson, barking away strict orders in the face of a violent storm, while Joseph plays the queen and a stylish socialite!  

The ninety minutes of Shipwrecked, a masterpiece of storytelling, is directed by Cynthia Meier, and written by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies. The choice of Jagriti as a theatre space, with its restrictions of exits, ensures that actors remain on stage throughout while the close proximity of actors to the audience, adds a certain magic to the performance making the audience feel a part of the enthralling adventure. The effortless costume changes of the thirty odd characters are facilitated by a wardrobe of feathery hats, coats, skirts, garlands and other finery hung tastefully on racks on either ends of the stage, while the percussionist sits at the back end of the stage with his drums and an ensemble of interesting yet suspect musical instruments (a toy horn, a whistle, and a large black metal sheet for the storm rumbles, perhaps?).
 

On the whole, there is no doubt that Shipwrecked has stormed Bangalore, running full house for multiple shows and ending in standing ovations, and the overwhelming response reason enough for Rogue theatre to return once again not just to entertain, but to inspire the theatre scene in Bangalore. Note: Shipwrecked is based on a true story! Louis de Rougemont