Playback papers is one of the most refined forms of theatre

Playback theatre is one of the most refined forms of theatre as not only does it create a unique narrative, but gets the actors deeply involved in the act.

The Actors Collective presents Playback Diaries, an evening of Playback Theatre on the fourth Sunday of every month at Lahe Lahe in Indiranagar. This is the same team that had staged the much-acclaimed play The Book of Poetry which has been staged about five times in multiple locations.

Playback Theatre is an exciting form that is improvisational in content. Audience members share their real life experiences which are enacted by a group of trained actors. This form owes its origins to American couple Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas.

Today, it is a worldwide movement with a global footprint that spans more than fifty countries. Rajesh PI of ‘The Actors Collective’ was among the earliest pioneers of this form in Bengaluru. He learnt it in 2000. Since then he has trained hundreds of people. His Playback Theatre workshops are looked forward to by theatre enthusiasts.

In their last performance in August, audience members shared some very powerful stories. The performances did ample justice to the stories shared. People who emoted felt a tremendous sense of relief and elation after watching their narratives brought to life in sterling fashion. It was indeed fascinating and exciting to watch the interplay between audience and actors with the support of a group of musicians who played live. A conductor or emcee skilfully facilitated this conversation.

For the audience, a good Playback Theatre performance is truly ‘paisa vasool’ as Rajesh says. For most audience members, the outcome is sheer disbelief. ‘How did this happen?’ ‘How did they perform so accurately?’ For the performers though, it is just another day at the office.

From professors to students to even finance professionals, everyone came under the sun. What brings them together is their love for the form. In one particular instance, a 50-year-old lady felt relieved after theatre since she had experienced the same highs and lows 40 years ago. Playback is about the moment and how you seize it. As Rajesh succinctly elaborately shares, “In this creative anarchy, one finds one’s soul. The form has been existing for a long while. The whole idea of the activity is to get people and trainers from different parts of the world, together to train audiences rather than travel the globe."

Catch The Actors Collective when they perform next on the fourth Sunday of September at 6:30 pm at Lahe Lahe.

— The writer is an art curator and art expert.