800 students to grace the stage with Kadhai Carnival

CHENNAI: To commemorate its silver jubilee, KC High School is showcasing the acting talents of its students through the Kadhai Carnival. The two plays will be performed by 800 students between the age groups 2 and 12.

Talking about their journey, Valli Subbiah, founder of the school says, “We aim to make a difference. Even though it would be nice at an idealistic level to have a ‘custom-built’ education for each child, we have to be aware that in everything we do, we are not alone. We are social beings. Children must have the freedom to speculate and dabble in a range of activities and learning experiences.”

Feisal Alkazi, the director of both the plays, has more than 50 years of experience in the field.

Based out of New Delhi, he has directed over 200 plays with adults in Hindi, English, and Urdu. In addition, he has directed over 100 productions for schools all over India, and in the field of disability, he has directed thirty documentaries.

“I am the son of Ebrahim Alkazi, popularly known as the father of Indian theatre. I have grown up on the stage since I was two years old. I started collaborating with KC High School in 2008,” Feisal shares.

For the fourth edition of Kadhai Carnival, Feisal and the students started working on the themes, scripts, costumes, and rehearsals from January.

The first story will be performed by primary school students and revolves around a lion named Rajinikanth, who was captured and put in the circus and then sent to the zoo. How he overcomes the obstacles and manages to go back to his home, that is the jungle, forms the rest of the story. It is a hilarious and heart-warming tale that tries to capture the emotions of animals that are held captive.

“There will be a dance sequence as well. We tried to present a play that has a Disney theme with an Indian touch to it,” Feisal adds. Coming to the second act, it is a dramatic story of the slave uprising led by Spartacus against the Roman Empire. A historical exploration of the idea that all mankind is free and has a right to freedom. “Titled Spartacus, this is headlined by second school pupil and there is a lot of research behind the play,” he explains.

Sharing one of the memorable moments during the pre-production of the plays, Feisal says, “I met two mothers, who came to me and said that 20 years ago they were a part of a play directed by me. Now their children are working with me for the Kadhai Carnival, which was warming.”

According to Feisal, Chennai’s theatre has more way to go. “The field here is limited and there should be a balance of English and Tamil plays. However, now I can see many people getting into this as performers and audience. People come when the quality of production is high,” he remarks.

Kadhai Carnival is set to take place on December 21 and 22 at the Anna Centenary Library Auditorium and the ticket booking is live.