There’s a slight nip in the air, and throbbing excitement too — all thanks to the forthcoming Christmas festivities. And, what better way to usher in the gaiety and celebrations than a contextual re-telling of the Christmas tale – in the form of a semi-musical comedy? In a candid chat, the team behind the play Christmas Shootout, tells us more…
“I started penning down the script early this year, and the only idea was to see how a conventional tale could be creatively tweaked and explored to add a relevant touch to the times we live in. Essentially, this talk show features high profile guests who don’t get along well right from the time they see each other.
And the misery gets deeper only to find a riot that follows even before the show starts,” shares Shekinah Jacob, the director and playwright. Enthusing how the family entertainer aims to break the daily rut through a smattering of humour, infused with a message, she adds, “The play has many colourful characters, unconventional songs and dances thrown in, so that there’s never a dull moment. It is something which will amuse anyone.”
The proceeds from the play will go towards a social cause – in aid of the underprivileged children in Bengaluru. Speaking of the biggest takeaway from the experience; Aaron Punnen, one of the protagonists, opines, “To me, the eye-opener was how the Christmas story is still relevant to the people of today.
We still have the same demons to deal with – the same doubts, fears and trials that people went through thousands of years ago.” For Abel Mathews, a popular theatre artiste, who is also part of the lead cast, it was all about enjoying the journey. “I haven’t had this much fun in a while, travelling and doing what I love with such a large cast and crew,” he adds.
Interestingly, the rigorous three months of rehearsal has paid off. With a massive turnout, which made way for another show in town. “The show happening on December 18 was indeed hearting for us all! The reason we’re putting up this show is simply because of the massive turnout from Bengalureans for the first, which happened on December 16,” reveals Abraham Varghese, another crew member.
While the 25 member crew encompassing eight artistes, four dancers and a backstage team, is stoked about the show garnering attention from across the globe, they have their expectations rather simple and clear – to get people to laugh out of loud, and feel they’ve contributed to make a difference.
“We hope people will turn out in large numbers because we enjoy giving them a good laugh, and also look forward to donating the money raised from ticket sales to the NGO U&I Trust that works with underprivileged children,” says Shekinah in conclusion.
The show will take place on December 18 at 7.30 at the Ashraya Hall, fourth floor, Shubharam Complex, MG Road.
