Play to voice ‘Arikomban’s’ sufferings and thoughts

Thiruvananthapuram: The students of Thamp (Theatre Academy for Media and Performance) are all set to stage their latest theatre production ‘Arikkunjan’ on Sunday. Starring children from the age of 12 and above, the play throws light upon the recent ‘Arikomban’ elephant issue from the perspective of the animal.
Held as part of the eighth edition of the Children's Summer Theatre Fest organised by the academy, the satirical play gives voice to Arikkunjan (the elephant in the play), his sufferings and questions the way media continuously televised the issue.
The event to be held at Ganesham Auditorium, Thycaud, will be inaugurated by food and civil supplies minister GR Anil.
The theme of the play is a result of the news-reading sessions held at the academy during the summer camp and weekend classes. Children here are encouraged to read and grasp the details about contemporary issues through group discussions and acting exercises. The Arikomban issue was similarly picked up and later developed into a play under the guidance of theatre artist and academy faculty Syam Raji.
The children themselves have donned the roles of actors, lyricists, music composers and choreographers in addition to arranging the props and costumes. “The information I had about the incident widened while preparing for the play. My character is that of a TV reporter covering the issue. Since this is my second time participating in a theatre production by Thamp, there is absolutely no room for stage fear. We are really confident and excited to present our show to the audience,” said 12-year-old Dhwani S.
The theatre fest also features another children’s play titled ‘Kuruvi Paranja Kadha’ based on a moral story from Jataka Tales.
“A total of 32 children between the age of 3 and 17 years are participating in the fest. Just like our previous years’ productions, both the plays have also been selected for the National Theatre Festival under the children’s plays category,” said Thamp founder Rajesh Chandran T T.