Photograph 51, Bangalore Little Theatre rendition
In my 6+ years in Mysore, I've seen around 6 plays. 2 plays that I don't remember, and 4 times "Madhyarathriya Thiganegalu" by Rangayana.
Come my second week in Namma Bengaluru, I witnessed a 1 hour 30 minute spectacle called "Photograph 51" by Bangalore Little Theatre. Oh, where do I start about this heart warming, yet insanely funny and intellectual play?
The venue was JRD Tata Auditorium. There were scientists and senior citizens taking up majority of the seats. The stage was set as a dimly lit Chemistry lab. The story of Rosalind Franklin.
"The play is about the race to solve the structure of the DNA and the role of Rosalind Franklin who provided the critical evidence for this. For a long time, she never got the credit and this play highlights her efforts in science at a time when the doors of science were not open for women."
The introduction by the director and his daughter set the tone for what was about to come. Photograph 51 is that image of the DNA taken by Raymond Gosling and made the mystical thing a little less mystical.
As soon as the cast walked on to the stage, the narration started, by none other than the actors themselves. This is one of the many exciting things about the play. There is no narrator. But there are many narrators. And they are all part of the play as well. The narration is sometimes weaved through dialogues. The fourth wall gets breached many times, but what do you call the wall between the narrator and the actor?
Then there is the wit. If I were to put the play in one genre, I would choose comedy over history, feminism, and science. But it is not a comedy play. The wit never bothered the story. Wit was always self-contained either in soliloquies or in quick exchanges between the actors.
There is love. There is passion. There is heartbreak. There is reality. This play is a must watch.
And for that matter, they are performing it one last time on 29th September in Bangalore. Head over to BLT's website for more information.
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