A flirtatious farce

It may be a lazy Sunday afternoon, but the cast of Hosi Vasunia's The French Cuckoo is full of energy. Sitting around a round table, in the ...

It may be a lazy Sunday afternoon, but the cast of Hosi Vasunia’s The French Cuckoo is full of energy. Sitting around a round table, in the rehearsal room at the NCPA, all the actors are discussing their various day-time jobs. One of the girls has just started her own radio show. Another — Divya Palat — has just done a Liril ad and is acting opposite Milind Soman in Ketan Mehta’s Captain Vyom.

Then Vasunia steps into the room, slips on his director’s hat and in his best MC-manner starts the rehearsal. From the way he conducts his team you would not believe that this is Vasunia’s first-time as a director. A veteran producer, he has the distinction of being associated with many of the city’s best-known plays like Blithe Spirit, My Fair Lady and most recently, Art. His latest project, The French Cuckoo, is an adaptation of the French farce An Absolute Turkey. A hugely successful play, it had a long innings in London about six years ago. And its original cast boastsof stalwarts like Felicity Kendall and eminent comedian Griff Rhys-Jones. A tough act to follow. Which is why Vasunia roped in Pearl Padamsee as creative consultant.

"I was previously involved in A Flea In My Ear, which was also written by Feydeau and I loved it. Hosi, Farid (Currim) and Bomi (Kapadia) were in that play and all three are in this play too," she says. Since Padamsee is too ill to actually attend the rehearsals, the actors regularly drop into her home for advice, tips and creative motivation. That way she can keep tabs on what is going on at the rehearsal room.

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Back at the NCPA, the stage has been set. Four chairs are put together to make a sofa. A table and chair have been placed on one side of the stage. And the play begins to unfold. Palat who plays the coquettish Lucieene, runs on to the stage. She is being chased by Currim into her house. He has been stalking her for a week and has now traced her to her home. And just as she starts to tell Currim off, in walks her older husband– who by sheer chance turns out to be a friend of her wooer. "Attractive women always have husbands who are fools," says Currim, not knowing that he was referring to a friend.

Lucieene tells Vatelien that his friend is chasing her. And she is disgusted when Vatelien forgives him and instead goes off to see a new painting. At that moment, in walks Redillion (Torak Pavri), a "friend" of Palat who is also after her. That forces Palat to declare that she will never be unfaithful to her husband — unless he is unfaithful to her first. Surprise, surprise! It unfolds that her husband had been unfaithful to her. Finally after a lot of twists and turns, the play reaches a resolution.

Written by the 19th century farce master Feydeau, the play may have been set in France but it is still relevant today. The French Cuckoo exposes the hypocrisy of society and the morals that it pretends to live with. And Vasunia is hoping that this exaggerated style of comedy will appeal to the city’s theatre-goers who seem toenjoy such rib-tickling plays.

The French Cuckoo at Sophia Auditorium, Breach Candy, on July 18 and 19, 1998. Time: 7.30 pm.

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