Kanpur: 1857 starts with an introduction to the real life events, accompanied by live tabla drums.
Niall Moorjani is our Indian Rebel, tied to a cannon and we are the historic audience forced to watch. Moorjani must convince the British soldier, played by Jonathon Oldfield, why they shouldn’t die.
The play covers past and present issues like race, gender and colonialism.
Our prisoner is a storyteller, they start by telling us about the country they grew up in, and the birds they’d long to see. Their story is often interrupted by the British Soldier, who sits in the audience. This creates the satirical aspects to the play, with his classic British humour and contradicting words.
Moorjani can escape if they reveal where two leaders are hiding. But they are instead strong willed and keep their word. It is a heroic performance from Moorjani, as they are able to deliver powerful speeches throughout. Oldfield is able to provide comedic relief but also create a frightening character who can switch at any time. The two have good rapport as actors and can bounce off each other.
There needs to be a few more aspects to this play, as it feels repetitive and is easy to get lost in. More interjections from other characters or visuals would have helped the plot to move along and added to the satirical aspects. I think the mockery of the British Soldier could have been explored further.
The story itself is powerful enough, and you learn about the devastating effects on the people of Kanpur.
Kanpur: 1857, 15:40, Beneath at Pleasance Courtyard, until 24th August
