Writer’s rating: 3.5/5
Dirty Laundry, the fourth annual production of the Yellow Brick Project opened amid much fanfare at Kamani Auditorium on the 16th of August. After enthralling young audiences in the city with Razzle Dazzle and Dear Delhi, the bar was raised last year with Romeo Must Die, an attempt at synthesizing dance, music and theatre into the format of a musical. This year’s installment follows suit, albeit with a more compact cast, dance troupe, band and choir.
Dirty Laundry is a humorous take on the issue of infidelity, and how it stirs up a storm in the Sharma household when the protagonists’ secrets are revealed. A middle-aged Economics Professor desperate for an adrenaline rush, gives in to temptation, and beds an overtly flirtatious student less than half his age, thereby unwittingly prompting a series of events that test relationships, incite altercations and yield in comedic situations, ultimately concluding in a boisterous, and slightly confused manner.
The plot is effortlessly backed by a commendable original score and repertoire of musicians and singers, and the scenes brought to life by a hybrid and highly talented crew of dancers who not only complement but also add another dimension to them. The choreography is satisfactory, with some out-of-the-box pieces, quite literally. The ‘Pandora’s Box’ inspired routine that serves as a metaphor for the secrets tumbling out, deserves special mention in this regard.
The musical is raw and unabashed in its portrayal of sexuality and desire, and the direction meticulous and thoughtful, with some indispensably hilarious scenes, like the reality television imported face-off between the quarrelling Sharmas. It is also laudable for having age-appropriate actors essaying the roles of the main characters. Yet, the narrative does appear a little staccato and disjointed in parts, lacking cohesion and hence adhesion between the scenes. The chaotic stage management in terms of blocking and positioning and faulty spotting and lighting are the blatant blemishes, and seem to have been the obvious hiccups of a premiere show.
All in all, a pulsating watch, particularly for a few good laughs and for fans of dance and music.
Tanya Dua
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Picture source: Reuters
As the sun rose over the country this morning, a large part of North India found itself in the middle of the worst power outage in ten years. Citizens of New Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir were left with with no power supply in their homes to carry out day to day activities. Majority of the nation was especially brought to a standstill as all other activities halted due to lack of electricity. Inter- state transport, water supply and public transport faced the brunt of this power cut.
In New Delhi, the metro services suffered as stations were locked out and people were left stranded. Looking closely at the plight of DU Students, as the Delhi Metro (an impetus for commuting) had come to an abrupt halt- students had to rely on over- crowded busses, auto rickshaws or cars on Delhi roads, which already happened to be clogged with traffic.
Adding to their misery, once the students did make the perilous journey to college they discovered that classes had either been cancelled or postponed. “It was horrible, in fact horrible is an understatement. We were squished in the over crowded bus, a friend of mine was on the verge of crying. We had to get off halfway and take an auto- only to find out that classes had been cancelled.” said Riya Anna Kuruvilla, a first year student from Hindu college who had to travel from Dwarka to North Campus.
“I took the metro for granted as I used to travel by it since day one, today I had to take a bus. Being new to this route it was tough for me, but owing to the power cut, I could discover an alternate way of commuting!” Shreya Mudgil, a first year English Hons. student from Bharti College added.
Thanks to the prowess of the authorities most of the electricity supply did return soon bringing life back to normal; however the morning was a bit of a jolt to the whole of North India.
Deepali Datta a first year student from LSR made an uncanny observation she said, “An interesting side of Delhi emerged today as everybody became everybody’s Google Map, people gave way to pedestrians despite faulty traffic lights. Some students like me, did miss out on the attendance for the first lecture, but the lesson learnt was worth it, nothing can stop a city like Delhi. One grid collapsed but another emerged- the People’s Grid.”
A pat on the back to all Delhiites- students, parents, office goers alike- who did made it to their respective duties on time and did not abort any of the city’s activities! And DU students who did manage to get the whole day’s attendance deserve special mention here, don’t they?
Anugrah Gopinath