The Hindu praises the strong performances in Just Theatre’s production Hedda Gabler, but does not find much else to recommend.

The use of adaptation is not so much about indianising a play as it is to allow for a different register.

In that sense, with their period costumes and forced accents, the talented cast would have certainly have been able to deliver less restricted performances…

They are also not impressed with the device of actors standing outside the marked territory, or using the stage area to change. Read the Hindu’s full review on Hedda Gabler: Propelled by Performances.

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A Henrik Ibsen play, Hedda Gabler (1890) carries all the trademark Ibsen effects – a hard look at Victorian values, psychological conflicts, and a powerful, "scandalous" female protagonist.

Hedda Gabler is a most fascinating, puzzling heroine. Watch the entire play and you will still not be able to bracket her into a type. Is she completely off her head or  devilishly cunning? Is she to be condemned for her pettiness and jealousies, or to be pitied for being a victim of nineteenth century social norms?

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Is language, color, hair style, build, sexual preference, eating habits enough for us to draw walls? Is the quest for supremacy borne out of ambition or an inherent fear of servitude? How long and under what conditions do we get over our xenophobia?

Nino D’Introna and Giacomo Ravicchio’s Robinson and Crusoe is the type of play that takes a simple situation and explodes into asking questions that are true and basic to human nature. When two soldiers from different lands find themselves wrecked atop a roof on an island, they do what seems only natural at first – fight for survival, be suspicious of the other and be on a constant vigil. Whoever loses track loses this Russian roulette.

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It is rare for an enactment of a novel to match up to the source. Many nuances of writing – passages about atmosphere, insights into characters’ motivations, the artful arrangement of words – do not translate well to the visual medium.

Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone, in that sense, is a delight for the play/film-maker – a story of mass appeal told with a simple, flourish-free narrative.

Evam does a very decent job of the stage adaptation. This is one case where I enjoyed the play more than the book.

With a 2+ hour run time (long for a play, yet I didn’t feel it) Five Point Someone follows the plot of Chetan Bhagat’s novel faithfully, adding some of the distinct "Evamish" touches along the way.

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