Samar as the Dancer is graceful and generous with her performance.
Susanna Paisio is the Narrator who is the focus of the play. The fact that the Narrator is the focus of the play is the crux of the problem for me. Paisio certainly puts in the effort but her delivery feels lacking in connection, probably due to the narration role she takes on. As she is always charmingly animated and her descriptions often joyful, this style would work far better in a children’s show. They do, however, fall short of what essential theatre requires - the spark of connection and truth.
Samar as the Dancer is graceful and generous with her performance. If anything, I would say there could have been more dance overall as the way in which it aids the storytelling is the most theatrical element of the show.
I am a fan of colour-blind casting – however, being a story about Hindu gods, this piece would have benefited from a fully Indian cast. This would have helped to bring us further into the show. Overall more stagecraft would have added to this piece as it lacks a certain zazazz. Further developing the script would also help, as currently there is a touch of over-egging of the play’s theme of desire.
