Theatre September 13, 2008

Georg Buchner’s Woyzeck is one the most celebrated plays in the German theatre repertory and has aroused much curiosity and fascination since it was first written in the 1830s. At one level the play is a gripping story of love, betrayal and madness, a journey into the dark heart of human jealousy. At another, it is a nuances exploration of the dehumanizing effects of poverty and a scathing statement on hypocrisy and moral boundaries. Woyzeck is the first play in Western dramatic literature to politicize tragedy and feature a commoner as a tragic figure. Franz Woyzeck is a peasant soldier whose fate is sealed as much by his own actions as by the forces of oppression in nineteenth century Prussian society. The play explores lust, infidelity, brutality, depravity and murder with a radical vision and compact intensity unequalled in the history of drama. Drawing inspiration form different translations and adaptations of the play, a new script of Woyzeck has been specially created for this production. The script underscores Woyzeck’s lack of voice and agency, his helplessness and despair, and his gradual disintegration as he is bullied and tormented by his superiors, subjected to bizarre medical experiments by the army doctor, and betrayed by his beautiful and vivacious mistress at Ranga Shankara. For details contact 9448279252.