As part of the ongoing 12-daylong "Odommo Chattagram" celebration, a five-day theatre festival concludes today at the auditorium of Theatre Institute Chittagong (TIC). TWo troupes — Tirjak Natyadal and Nandikar — staged their popular productions “Madhumala" (by Kazi Nazrul Islam) and “Paap Punya” (by Leo Tolstoy) on the opening and second day of the festival respectively.

On the third day (April 2), Loko Theatre staged “Ekti Obastob Galpo” by Bimal Bandyopadhyay. Through an unusual incident at the gallows in a jail, “Ekti Obastob Galpo” features the flaws in the system. According to Bimal’s play, it is often difficult to distinguish between a “murder" and an "accident”, and people sometimes are wrongly accused.

K. Mondal (Mansur Masud), a convict who is being executed for killing his wife, does not die, rather loses his consciousness. To revive him, so that the execution can be completed, the jailer and the other attendants re-enact the incident for which Mondal has been sen-

tenced to death.

Director Mansur Masud's treatment of the “play within a play" format, which we see in William Shakespeare's "Hamlet”, was quite interesting. The audience seemed to enjoy the farcical efforts to resuscitate Mondal by the jailer and his comrades.

After regaining consciousness, Mandol in a soliloquy narrates that he did not kill his wife; rather it had been an accident.

Mansur Masud gave a brilliant performance, in particular during the soliloquy. Saroj Ahmed, as the moronic jailer with too much power, performed boldly on stage.

The play also featured Ghoshok (Binti Nag), Doctor (Rehana Begum Helen), Bachospati (KM Saiful Islam), Ohin (Shubhashish Sharma Shuvo), Kamoi (Khokon Mahimian), Nokul (Mohammad AlauddinAkash), Keshto (Mithun Chakrobarty) and Ramsingh (Abul Hasnat Mahmud Jibon).

Members of Mancha Mukut Natya Sampraday yesterday staged its production “Biye” (by Anton Chekhov) at the venue. Today Kathak Natya Sampraday will stage a Moliere play, “Oti Sadharon Chikitshok”, at 7pm at TIC.