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Dubai students to wow Edinburgh with Shakuntala

Dubai - Dubai Modern Academy to perform play at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a first for students from Middle East

The story of Shakuntala, wife of King Dushyanta and the mother of emperor Bharata, is common lore in Indian mythology. Blinded by the love for King Dushyanta, Shakuntala, the daughter of Sage Vishwamitra and Apsara Menaka, was cursed by Rishi Durvasa when she failed to greet him properly. Durvasa's curse worked and King Dushyanta forgot everything about Shakuntala. In the pain of losing her beloved, Shakuntala retreats into the forest to live the life of a recluse.
Fabled Indian poet Kalidasa rewrote the story of Shakuntala in his play The sign of Shakuntala in the early 4th century AD.
The play was the first Indian drama to be translated into a Western language, by Sir William Jones in 1789 and in the next 100 years, there has been at least 46 translations in 12 European languages. From cinema, to books, to musicals and other theatrical adaptations, the story of Shakuntala has captured the imagination of a million theatre aficionados.
Therefore, when the students of Dubai Modern Academy were presented with the opportunity to present their theatre skills at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it was only natural that Kevin Oliver, Director and Group Cultural Coordinator of GEMS Education chose his most prized production.
"I had first written and directed this play (Shakuntala) almost seven years ago ... I tightened and re-wrote the play to 50 minutes for the sake of the Fringe," Oliver told Khaleej Times.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and takes place every August for three weeks in Scotland's capital city. It is the most prestigious, oldest, and biggest art festival in the world and it is the first time that students from the Middle East will be performing at the Fringe. Twenty-eight students of the Dubai Modern Academy are due to leave for UK on August 14, and will perform four shows from August 16, 18, 20 and 21.
The musical is a fusion of modernity and tradition, giving it the potential to stand out at the festival. All students participating in the play have been trained to sing and perform their parts live.
"The colour scheme of the play is largely monochromatic and I've added saffron and blue as well. I've been inspired by designs from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and for some of the elements of costume design have been borrowed from designer Alexander McQueen" added Oliver. "Performers usually apply to go to the Festival Fringe ... and we were invited to perform," said Oliver. The students are in the age group of 14 to 17, and are also said to be some of the youngest performers to be part of the Festival Fringe.
He added: "Even though the basic nuance for the production comes from Kalidasa's Shakuntala, every song rendered by the performers has been penned, composed, and directed by me. It is almost like seeing your baby come alive." The auditions for the musical began almost a year ago, after Oliver flew to Scotland to check the Fringe for an induction tour. "I was blown away by it.... The standards were extremely high and I knew the children had to be preened accordingly. So far we've had nine full-fledged practice performances," he stated.
The intense rehearsals for the play began in February this year, and the students have been undergoing vocal and dance training for several months now. The dance has been choreographed by Shruthi Rameshan; and orchestration and production has been done by Axel Rodericks.
The students playing different roles in the play said that they are very excited about the final show and for many being part of the production has been a life-changing experience.
Abhimanyu Prakash, the student who plays King Dushyant said: "I have become a lot more disciplined and systematic since the play. It has been inspirational to work as part of the project and it has been really inspired." Prakash said that he is considering a future in music and theatre. Akshata Achar, the 17-year-old who plays the role of Shakuntala said: "It is going to be an all-round experience. And I am really looking forward to performing in front of a foreign audience."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com