Nida Butt brings out the child in these adults

Adapted play Carnage takes the cake every time.

KARACHI:

The fun script, cheeky actors and sharp direction made Carnage a success, yet again. The downright slapstick play returned to the stage after six months as part of the National Academy of Performing Arts’ (NAPA) festival — and we loved every minute of it.

Directed by Nida Butt, Carnage is an adaptation of the French playwright Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. It was a perfect satirical battle between so-called civilised parents who hide their bad intentions and selfish sides behind masks of decency.

The story is about two married couples who come together to talk about an incident that took place between their children (Henry and Benjamin). Though we never get to meet the 11-year-old trouble-makers, the parents are played by Faraz Lodhi (Michael) married to Sanam Saeed (Veronica) and Momin Zafar (Alan) married to Nida Butt (Annette).

The wildly funny play was around 80 minutes long, without a break. The set was a formal living room area in Veronica and Michael’s home; a well-decorated room with a bar in the back and contemporary style furniture. Veronica is obsessed with art and books which reflects her African-inspired décor of the room. Alan and Annette are invited to discuss their son Benjamin’s behaviour since he broke Henry’s teeth with a stick.

As the story develops, we learn that Michael is a wholesaler and Veronica is writing a book about Darfur; Alan is shown as a busy lawyer, addicted to his cell phone, while his wife Annette is a wealth manager. While all four pretend to discuss the issue in a mature manner, they end up bickering like children and mimicking one another until they exhaust themselves physically and mentally. Without any resolution for their kids, the couples behave to show how they really are: uncivilised, brutal and unhappy. With copious amounts of rum, each and every one of the cast members becomes untamed.

The sound was a bit low for the full auditorium; perhaps a fixed mic would have helped. Nida was spectacular, from her outfit and facial expressions to her mannerism and actions. Momin was stiff and expressionless in the beginning, but proved otherwise towards the middle of the play. Sanam’s acting was a bit over-the-top in most areas and her accent seemed to be a struggle between British and American English. However, Sanam’s timing and actions were just brilliant. Faraz was the star of the show; funny and sarcastic — he called himself the “f***ing Neanderthal!”

“The chemistry between the four of them worked well. The tensions between husband and wife scenarios were true,” said Irshad Abdul Qadir from the audience. “The lawyer seemed wooden in the beginning, but the two women were both good.”

Overall, Carnage was a success in terms of direction, set and performances by all four cast members.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2013.

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