Roald Dahl’s Matilda, re-imagined by Lushin Dubey and Bubbles Sabharwal, celebrates children theatre

Theatre personalities Lushin Dubey and Bubbles Sabharwal realised the potential of children theatre almost three decades back.

Theatre personalities Lushin Dubey and Bubbles Sabharwal require no introduction. Stalwarts in their own rights —both of them, individually and collectively have worked extensively in the theatre space and can be credited for recognising the potential of children in theatre and spearheading one in India almost before anyone else did.

Kids World — a theatre group for kids and young adults, started by them in 1987, has produced some excellent musicals over the years, and children of varying ages, have firmly been the backbone of it. This year, the theatre group completes thirty years of engaging with children, of making actors out of kids and kids out of actors, and they are back again in the Capital with their latest musical Oye Matilda! Tu Hai Ustaad!.

The play, based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel Matilda, that narrated a story of a precocious five-and-a-half-year old girl was first staged in 2012 and marks the duo’s love affair with the author’s novels. In the past, they have adapted other novels by Dahl like Witches, which they made into a play titled Wizwit and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but with a spin of their own. Their latest play, that will be staged at DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj on December 15 is no exception.

The play, Oye Matilda! Tu Hai Ustaad! is placed in the current spacio-temporal setting and has been modified by them to suit Indian sensibilities. Ahead of the performance, both of them spoke to indianexpress.com about the importance of children theatre in particular and of course, their enduring love for Roald Dahl.

Why do you keep going back to Roald Dahl?

LD: Roald Dahl is a fascinating author. He brings alive characters that are so unusual and outside of the ordinary. For children, imagination is a wonderland they like to enter, and anybody who is a writer and explores that is a delicious fodder for us to use. I have read all of Roald Dahl’s novels because of my kids and I already had marked out parts what I thought we should cover for children theatre. Dahl’s novels go into a world of imagination, one that is out of the ordinary, leaving things open-ended. They leave behind a sense of wonder.

BS: Roald Dahl has got a lovely fusion of the contemporary and whacky, out-of-the-box imagination. Children love that. If you ask two adults the colour of the sky, they will inevitably say light blue or blue. If you ask the same question to children they will say purple or even yellow. Dahl gives you the space to be this crazy and imaginative. His world is not strictly black and white. He introduces several shades.

How have you modified the novel Matilda and developed that into a play that will suit Indian sensibilities?

LD: The play Oye Matilda! Tu Hai Ustaad! is inspired by Roald Dahl but a huge chunk of it was written by Bubbles and me. We have put that in the contemporary Indian setting. The lyrics are Hinglish and original. Characterisations are original and we have explored a lot.

BS: We made the play Hinglish and the father is a do-numbari ka salesman at Karol Bagh. The mother loves the beauty parlour, a materialistic babe of this era and the son is a phone freak. By laughing about it, Matilda is moving away from this world. She is seeking a world of knowledge, a better world which all the adults are taking away from her.

A still from the play.

How important do you think theatre is as a medium?

LD: Theatre is one of the most towering and potent form of self-magnification, in every sense of the word. It helps in the expansion of your inner-self. It slowly casts away your sense of fear of judgement.

BS: Theatre as a medium goes way beyond stage. it goes into your life and shapes your thoughts. It teaches a lot of integration. There is no ‘me’ in the world, and theatre helps you understand that. It is a great leveler. When you watch a play, you do not know where two actors have come from. We all wear the same costume in theatre. There is no distinction. It inculcates a lot of respect for the other and for the arts.

Your theatre group, Kids World completes thirty years this year. How has the journey been?

LD: It has been phenomenal. Theatre, unlike films, is a director and an actors medium. It is a vast area where one can explore a lot of things. It makes you fearless and you can do a lot of original work.

BS: The journey has been very exciting. We took children seriously almost thirty years back when no one practically did. We, as adults, should bring up the right kind of kids. In theatre, you learn about team work.

Actors of the play have a fun time on the stage.

How enriching has the experience been to work with the kids?

LD: You learn a lot from kids. They are like rubber balls. We, adults, are more sensitive. Children are extremely malleable even psychologically.

BS: It enriches my experience in three ways. As an actor, I need to come down to their level and do what they are doing. I need to do it with them. They enrich my life with their infectious energy and finally, they teach me life skills. Children teach me that ego is not important. I can be whatever I am… but the reality is different. They teach me that life is about the everyday things.

Watch their interview here.