Premiere Season of My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak Live Performance

INFO

Name	Premiere Season of My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak
Year	2019
Playwright	Ahilan Karunaharan அகிலன் கருணாகரன்
Start Date	21 November 2019
End Date	14 December 2019
Organiser / Venue	Q Theatre
Director(s)	Ahilan Karunaharan அகிலன் கருணாகரன்
Producer(s)	Silo Theatre
Key Cast	Sanaya Doctor Shaan Kesha Mayen Mehta Mustaq Missouri Rashmi Pilapitiya Leon Radjokovic Finn Scholes
Creative Team	Sound Designer: Leon Radojkovic Set Designer: Daniel Williams Lighting Designer: Jennifer Lal Costume Designer: Padma Akula Choreographer: Pamela Sidhu
Artform	Theatre
City	Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

ABOUT

Commissioned and developed by Silo Theatre, with the funding assistance of Creative New Zealand and Silo's Patron Donors, My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak had its World Premiere at Q Theatre in 2019, following two years of script development by writer Ahi Karunaharan.

The play premiered as an interactive theatre show, ‘complete with fight sequences, live music, and a rambunctious dance number finale’. Staged in two acts with an interval, theatre audiences entered the world of a Desi Western film shoot which is rapidly falling to pieces, witnessing high conflict chaos between family, directors, actors, and crew while participating as ‘extras’ on set, before the play culminates into a staged film ‘production’ in the second act.

Of the title, Karunaharan explains that:

“'Thadak Thadak' is a phrase that I've heard my elders use in conversation. It's a word that captures so many feelings and experiences: a euphoric high, a racing heart, a thousand horses galloping, the beats of a Bollywood tune.”

Set in Mumbai in 1975, My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak is based within a bustling era of film production in the East, at a time when Western exports, cultural influences, styles and stars were taking strong root. The play probes the history of Western global expansion in India at this time – and its subsequent shifting impact on culture, gender and representation. Characters share differing viewpoints around either following creative tradition, or embracing new influences. Through the figures of Kamala and Ranikumara, the play also explores women’s roles in business and society, and how their needs and experiences are often shoehorned or sidelined.

Reception of the play was by and large positive, praising the colourfully eclectic stage design, hilarious slapstick action and dynamism of cast performances; however criticism of the pacing was given in a few reviews. As reviewed by Maulik Thakkar for Theatre Scenes, “This production delivers on the grand expectations communicated by Padma Akula’s period-perfect costume design, [Pamela Sidhu]’s skilful choreography and Sophie Roberts’ fine-tuned dramaturgy, with a few lingering reservations about the merits of keeping the speed to the very end.”

There are several live and interactive components to the play to note, including musicians who create the musical score for the play live on stage, appearing as part of the on-set film crew; continuous direct address by the cast towards audiences, as well as encouragement to participate in the world of the ‘film’ through props such as flower petals. Each night a different community dance group also performs in the grand finale, “a programming decision which places local communities on the mainstage”.

The play’s marketing design by Seachange Studio was a finalist for design craft at the Best Awards, 2020.

Length: 2 hours 15 minutes (including interval)