The Vulture plays an important role in Paradise and is brought to life by puppet master Jon Coddington. Photo / Supplied
The Vulture plays an important role in Paradise and is brought to life by puppet master Jon Coddington. Photo / Supplied
Paradise or The Impermanence of Ice-Cream Written by Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis and presented by Indian Ink Theatre Company. Running at The Meteor Theatre, Hamilton, until July 11, reviewed by Cate Prestidge.
Paradise starts off in the unknown as a prone figure, centre stage, wakes. Startled and confused, a soundscape invites his cautious exploration of his surroundings and creates walls of noise as he tries to breach the boundaries. A recorded phone message loudly intrudes, letting us know that this is Kutisar.
Kutisar! Our old friend from The Guru of Chai, now a Harvey Norman salesperson. Or maybe, something else?
Over the next 100 minutes it is wonderful to see Jacob Rajan take on multiple characters in this exciting new work from Indian Ink. Written by Rajan and Justin Lewis, it is set in bustling Mumbai and inspired by Ernest Becker's Pulitzer prize winning Denial of Death. It is true to their central approach of the "serious laugh", something they describe as "opening mouths with laughter to slip ideas in".
The script explores elements of the life of young Kutisar and his new friend Meera, who has inherited her grandfather's kulfi (icecream) shop. It considers expectations of family and of self, and the real-life mystery of the disappearance of India's vultures.
There is much to explore and learn about the Parsi community, as well as universal themes about life, the promises we make and the potential we hold.
As well as our bucktoothed, occasionally hapless friend Kutisar, Rajan embodies the key character of Meera, a young woman with a brain, Dr Rao (Meera's aunt), her feisty cousin Farooq, Dr Vibhu Karash (a vulture expert), a smooth moneylender and a bouncer.
Jacob Rajan takes on seven different characters in Indian Ink's new work. Photo / Supplied
Masks have been a feature of Indian Ink's past work, but in Paradise, Rajan uses just the prosthetic of Kutisar's oversized teeth, and pure craft.
Characters have been developed with attention to detail, physicality and mime. A slight knee bend, a tentative hair tuck and an angled glance brings us Meera, and a slow, repetitive polish of spectacles conveys the deliberate menace of the money lender.
Rajan's voice and physical changes make transitions between characters clear and the script gives space for each without overwhelming the audience.
The other leading character is the vulture, a marvellous puppet created and performed by puppet master Jon Coddington. Alternately menacing, threatening, sad, curious and even funny, the vulture is an exciting character who makes the audience gasp.
The simple set by Indian Ink designer John Verryt comprises a shaped painted floor cloth, a multi-purpose plinth and cyclorama. The lighting design by Andrew Potvin plays off these elements effectively to create multiple scenes.
With such a minimal set, music and sound design play a huge part in establishing place and mood. Composer and musician David Ward has been a creative collaborator with Indian Ink for many years.
In Paradise, Ward has worked to create and edit masses of sound effects and has composed music to create the worlds and time periods in the play, supported by guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Adam Ogle. The timing of the sounds and the way they support the action is a standout.
This is a stunning, clever piece of original writing that explores the stories of Kutisar and Meera to bring universal themes of death, ritual, family, potential and loss to the audience. It may challenge you in places, it will make you laugh, it may make you cry, and it will certainly make you think.
The Details What: Paradise or The Impermanence of Ice-Cream When: Until July 11 Where: The Meteor Theatre, Hamilton Tickets: https://indianink.co.nz/
