Old World Theatre Festival to begin on Saturday

The 14th edition of the Old World Theatre Festival will begin on Saturday with actor Kalki Koechlin's directorial debut "The Living Room".

The play, a 90 minute tragi-comedy on death happens in Ms Ana Nil's living room. The play has a cast of Neil Bhoopalam, Sheeba Chadha, Sarbh and Tariq Vasudeva.

Apart from Kalki's production, the festival offers a stellar line-up this year, according to Vidyun Singh, spokesperson for Old World Theatre Festival.

"The idea behind the festival is to bring the best of the theatre around the country to the Delhi audience. This year, we are able to rope in some top names in the industry," Singh told IANS.

Theatre enthusiasts have more to look out for in the English play "Oh, My Sweet Land", which makes its debut in Delhi and tells the story of the Syrian crisis.

Directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi, the story is narrated by a woman who is of Syrian-German parentage. Corinne Jaber, who plays the protagonist, received rave reviews as the woman who is on a quest to search for a missing man, a journey that takes her to Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

As directors Rahul da Cunha, Rajit Kapur and company make a comeback with the sequel of the play "One On One", the audience have something funny to indulge in as well.

Within nine short acts, it tells stories of the music industry, bureaucracy, marriage, the futility of war, immigration, real estate scams and Bollywood - issues concerning India.

Those who missed the period drama "Ek Mulaqat" when it was staged last month in the capital, can look forward to it at the festival. The story features two eminent poets -- Sahir Ludhianvi and Amrita Pritam -- played by Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval.

Another one in the line-up is the experimental comedy "It's Not What You Think", with characters and stories drawn from the classic Italian form and everyday Indian society. Directed by Deepal Doshi, it has three actors bringing 12 different characters to life in a 75 minute show.

Then there is the English play "Spaces" directed by Mohammad Ali Baig. It is a story set in a haveli, and the protagonist is an artist, who struggles to preserve her identity and cherished heritage.