Kathmandu

An upside-down cycle is placed in one corner of the stage, a book shelf in another corner, and wine bottles dot the floor. The stage is designed to give an impression of a small room. Several boxes with different numbers are piled up near a table in this small room. There is a small window too, yet the room is dark.

These props are from Ekalavyako Antim Tape, a Nepali play inspired by Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, which is being staged at Theatre Mall, Sundhara from August 5.

Directed by Shankar Rijal, it features the solo performance of Sudam CK.

The play has been adapted in the Nepali context. It is 69-year-old Ekalavya’s birthday. He is celebrating it alone in his chamber. Like on his earlier birthdays, he records his life events on his old recorder,  listens to those old tapes, and walks around his room. He chews gum and drinks wine.

While depicting the absurdity of life, the play reveals how Ekalavya has been searching for happiness in life. The audience gets to know that he once went to a monastery in search of happiness. But he wasn’t happy there, so he left it to start a new life. Various events have occurred in his life during his search for happiness.

Certain things that existed in Beckett’s play are not in this adaptation. Bananas of the original play have been replaced by gum. Ekalavya is younger as compared to Beckett’s character.

It is an absurd play — repetition of activities like filling wine in glass, chewing of gum, reading diaries, are maintained in the play to give a feel of absurdity. The dim light used  in the play gives the feel of the grim picture of life. Though the play succeeds in giving the feel of absurdity, one wonders if such a play is relevant in today’s context.

Since it is a solo play, one needs to be patient to watch the repeated actions. CK is able to show the life of an old man with his grey hair, grey beard and his frustrations, but he could have done much better. It would have been better if he had used his real voice rather than mimicking an old man’s tone.

The play is being staged till August 16 everyday at 5:30 pm.