Play for art’s sake

Actor-director Maud Andrieux on why literature inspires her theatre

Maud Andrieux

A new perspective and a refreshing approach to the written text is what French theatre actor and director Maud Andrieux excels in. In India to present the play, Le Vice-Consul, a novel by French writer Marguerite Duras, on her birth centenary, Andrieux’s strategy is to keep the adaptation simple to reach a larger audience. “Duras’s life and work is inspiring as it is replete with struggles, love, pathos, strength, and determination,’’ says Andrieux.
French theatre company Compagnie du Barrage and Alliance Française present this play which is set in Kolkata and features three characters — Anne-Marie Stretter, the French ambassador’s wife, who seeks the love of younger men; the former Vice-Consul of Lahore, an awkward, solitary man prone to violent, irrational rages, who falls for her; and a mysterious Cambodian beggar woman, whose presence in India intrigues the Europeans , just as the woman herself seems drawn to them. Adapted, produced and performed by Andrieux, she says of Duras’s work, “Perspectives of the woman in her works, her childhood in Vietnam, struggle as a poor school teacher in Vietnam and then becoming one of the most famous novelists of France; her text is for many people. My theatre is inspired largely by her work. She had a strong voice and spoke strongly about women’s issues; that voice needs to be heard.”
Saigon-born Duras’s early novels were fairly conventional in form. Later, she became experimental, paring down her texts to emphasise what was not said. “I focus on theatrical adaptations of great writers. Through an intimate relationship with the audience, I help them understand the musicality of a text. The idea is to design the play in a way that it can travel easily and that the audience is encouraged to read the book after watching the performance,’’ says Andrieux. She is now working on a space that helps theatre directors adapt works of literary giants, and reach out to a larger world audience.

META-winning play comes to city

After receiving a thunderous response in Delhi last month where the play C Sharp C Blunt won over the jury of the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) by bagging awards for Best Actor (Female), Best Original Script and Best Innovative Sound-Music Design, it will now be staged in the city this month.
The much-awaited play is based on Shilpa, an attractive and user-friendly mobile application that will do whatever she is asked. The solo interactive act is played by actor MD Pallavi where Shilpa sings and dances to the audience’s every demand, and “behaves exactly the way women are supposed to behave in the eyes of men; that is, until the next update is released”. Through Shilpa, the play questions traditional gender roles given by society and their behavioural expectations.
C Sharp C Blunt by German director Sophia Stepf that won at the Secondo Festival in Aarau/ Switzerland 2014 is an Indo-German collaboration and uses a hybrid form where theatre meets performance art: the script and Shilpa’s reactions change based on audience interaction. -EFS

Parul

Parul is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express in Chandigarh. She is a seasoned journalist with over 25 years of experience specializing in public health, higher education, and the architectural heritage of Northern India. Professional Profile Education: Graduate in Humanities with a specialized focus on Journalism and Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Career Path: She began her career covering local city beats and human interest stories before joining The Indian Express in 2009. Over the last decade and a half, she has risen to the rank of Principal Correspondent, becoming the publication’s primary voice on Chandigarh’s premier medical and academic institutions. Expertise: Her reporting is deeply rooted in the institutional dynamics of PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) and Panjab University. She is highly regarded for her ability to navigate complex administrative bureaucracies to deliver student-centric and patient-centric news. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 - 2025) Her recent work highlights critical reporting on healthcare infrastructure, academic governance, and urban culture: 1. Public Health & PGIMER "PGIMER expands digital registry: Centralized patient records to reduce wait times by 40%" (Nov 20, 2025): A detailed look at the digital transformation of one of India's busiest medical institutes to tackle patient influx. "Robotic Surgery at PGI: Why the new urology wing is a game-changer for North India" (Oct 12, 2025): Reporting on the acquisition of state-of-the-art medical technology and its impact on affordable healthcare. "Shortage of life-saving drugs: Inside the supply chain crisis at government pharmacies" (Dec 5, 2025): An investigative piece on the logistical hurdles affecting chronic patients in the tri-city area. 2. Education & Institutional Governance "Panjab University Senate Election: The battle for institutional autonomy" (Dec 18, 2025): In-depth coverage of the high-stakes internal elections and the friction between traditional governance and central reforms. "Research funding dip: How PU’s science departments are navigating the 2025 budget cuts" (Nov 5, 2025): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing researchers and the impact on India's global academic ranking. 3. Art, Culture & Heritage "Le Corbusier’s legacy in peril: The struggle to preserve Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex" (Dec 22, 2025): A feature on the conservation efforts and the tension between urban modernization and UNESCO heritage status. "Chandigarh Art District: How street murals are reclaiming the city’s grey walls" (Oct 30, 2025): A cultural profile of the local artists transforming the aesthetic of the "City Beautiful." Signature Style Parul is known for her empathetic lens, often centering her stories on the individuals affected by policy—whether it is a student navigating university red tape or a patient seeking care. She possesses a unique ability to translate dense administrative notifications into actionable information for the public. Her long-standing beat experience makes her a trusted source for "inside-track" developments within Chandigarh’s most guarded institutions. X (Twitter): @parul_express ... Read More

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