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Home > Lifestyle News > Culture News > Article > Must watch in Mumbai A play that will resound with every back bencher

Must-watch in Mumbai: A play that will resound with every back-bencher

Updated on: 09 September,2017 12:28 PM IST  |  Mumbai
Snigdha Hasan |

Do good marks mean everything? A new play in a German theatre format explores the question

Must-watch in Mumbai: A play that will resound with every back-bencher


The Last Bench


As two men dressed in cobalt blue shorts and tucked-in white shirts sit on the last bench of a classroom, reciting their favourite verses gleefully, there is something beyond the uniforms that tells you they are playing 12-year-olds, despite the missing tomfoolery often associated with children's theatre.


The play, The Last Bench: Like No Place on Earth, which premieres in the city tomorrow, has been produced in the GRIPS theatre format that originated in Berlin in the 1960s. It critically deals with the living conditions of children and young people around the world. The format is the brainchild of dramatist Volker Ludwig, who believes that theatre should be able to give its audience the courage to believe that the world around them can be made better. Over the years, GRIPS has grappled with serious issues like childhood in war-ravaged nations and deprived households to common problems like heavy schoolbags and bullying.


"Plays under this theatre form are performed by adults for children, but there is no talking down. This production revolves around the adventures of three school friends who are permanent occupants of the last bench. They are often thrown out of the class for not being academically sound, but beyond all the mischief, they bond over their unique gift of poetry," says Chetna Mehrotra, founder of Rangbhumi theatre group that has produced the play. So, when out on punishment, the trio is seen reciting poetry by John Keats and Harivansh Rai Bachchan, which they sing to the tunes of the djembe.


Rehearsals of the play

"The core idea is to bridge the gap between fun and depth, and get the message across that the two can go together," explains director Anirban, who first came across GRIPS while studying at Delhi's National School of Drama, and is also working on a play on the Blue Whale challenge.

GRIPS also relies on actors to dip into their own experiences. "Some actors are part of the Waldorf system of education that looks at learning differently, and they added their unique perspective," shares Mehrotra. "The play has a subtle transformational message that life is not all about securing good marks. And it's an important lesson to learn early in life."

On September 10, 10 am At Leon's World Centre for Holistic Learning & Development, Rustomjee Cambridge School, Thane West. Call 9819060920 Cost Rs 250

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