FOUR STARS
RELIGION and sibling
rivalries are at the centre of an epic adaptation of Shahid Nadeem's
play Dara, now on at the Lyttelton.
Written by Tanya Ronder
and directed by Nadia Fall it tells the story of the 17th century
prince Dara Shikoh and his brother Aurangzeb, heirs to the Muslim
empire, whose bitter rivalry helped shape modern day India.
Dara, played
brilliantly by Zubin Varla, is the crown prince and a liberal who
believes religious faiths can co-exist alongside one another. He also
has the love of the people and of his emperor father.
His younger brother
Aurangzeb, played by Sargon Yelda, fundamentally disagrees believing
that it is Islam that is the only true religion.
Their disagreements
boil over and come to a head when Dara finds himself arrested and
tried for apostasy.
He is taken to court
where he tries and fails to make a case for his beliefs and to
convince them that he is no traitor to Islam or India.
The court scene is
incredible and electric with Dara putting forward compelling
arguments for his beliefs and ideals, wrong footing the prosecutor at
every turn.
Indeed it is one of the
most compelling, gripping and absorbing parts of the production.
The action takes place
over many years following the princes' lives. It also jumps about
between the past and present showing how and why events have unfolded
in the way they have and offers suggestions as to why characters
behave in the way they do.
Visually stunning and
with a fantastic cast this is a fabulous production. The set is both
beautiful and cleverly constructed with lattice effect screens which
move across the stage not only symbolising the changes in time and
place but also help to go from one scene to the next.
Ultimately it is a
fascinating story of the faith, politics and history of India and its
relevance to today's struggle against religious extremism is clear.
Dara is on at the
National Theatre until April 4. Tickets from £15. Visit
www.nationaltheatre.org or call the box office on 020 7452 3000.
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