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Rigmarole and Other Plays
Rigmarole and Other Plays shows the deftness with which the author handles variety of topics from everyday life, making them suitable for understanding and mimicry by even 10-year olds. Rigmarole, the first play in the book, is a made-to-perfect-order play that the author has lovingly crafted to be staged by her grandchildren and their peers. Having enough characters that could emulate variety of shades and make the stage bright and colourful as well, the play also exposes the shallowness with which everyone is ready to bend backwards to impress the rich and famous. Princess Lizinia of Batsulvakia’s visit to Mumbai has everyone, including the underworld, on their toes to serve their individual motives. That none of them knows where Batsulvakia is and cannot even locate it in an atlas means nothing to them. It is a tongue-in-cheek peek at the state affairs, the nexus with the underworld and the role of so-called socially active butterflies. Bards of a Feather is a take on the social system where anyone who doesn’t fit in with the cr`E8me de la cr`E8me is a social outcaste. It also mocks the pseudo-intellectuals who are hollow despite their lofty claims as is the jargon of Prof Bombast, the owl. The grand finale is Ouch! which is out and out fun. The author puts it as a description of the escapades of a silly king, his wily council of nine ministers and a bed bug. A translation of the original play Salo ki Plao, it is hilarious from the word go. The book is just right for its target audience of 10-year plus. The language is simple for the kids to perform and the scenes are descriptively portrayed. In fact, even adults can enjoy the satire in a lighter vein and feel the flood of childhood memories of school drama rehearsals. There is bound to be a character that you would have loved to play back then and could be a useful resource for parents and children interested in dramatics.
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SAI
Paranjpye, a director and screenplay writer, prefers to be known for her
writing. Having started her career with the AIR, Pune, as an announcer,
she went on to win government awards for four of her books for children
and then a Padma Bhushan for her work in films. With films like Sparsh,
Chashme Buddoor, Bhago Bhoot and Katha; tele-serials Chotey
Badey and Ados Pados, she truly is a woman of substance. She
was the Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society, India for six
years. She is currently working on a film project, Quisse, a
feature film on HIV/AIDS.