British-Bengali writer Ayndrilla Singharay’s premiere play Unsung re-imagines Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Punishment in a contemporary London setting. The result is effectual theatre for the audience and an especially impressive first attempt by Singharay.
Only on at The Rosemary Branch through this weekend, Unsung tells the story of two brothers and their wives. Presenting a message against gender violence, it’s not a pretty story nor is it one that will leave you feeling all that positive – although perhaps a little hopeful – about humanity. Maybe things are gradually getting better, the play seems to suggest, but they’re still fundamentally bad.
During the performance I caught, direction (Lucy Allen) was spot-on if slightly rushed while a quartet of actors (Niall Ray, Avita Jay, Rez Kabir and Nadia Nadif) brought overall quality performances to the small theatre-above-the-pub stage.
I didn’t know much about Tagore before seeing Unsung but reckon it presented a fine introduction. Having seen Unsung, I’m certainly keen to learn more about the Bengali writer (and to keep an eye out for more work by Singharay). With 2013 marking the centenary of his receipt of the Nobel Prize (the first time an non-European won the award), now’s a particularly meaningful time. Says Singharay about staging her work based on Tagore’s Punishment:
I am thrilled about the London premiere of Unsung at the Rosemary Branch Theatre. Tagore’s art has always been part of my life and I feel privileged to be able to share my modern re-invention of his short story, Punishment, on the London stage. I hope that the play will demonstrate just how damaging our expectations of one another can be and explore a universal question – how much should you sacrifice for your family?
Unsung runs until 8 September at The Rosemary Branch Theatre, a canal side pub located at 2 Shepperton Road, N1 3DT. Tickets cost £12 (£10 for concessions). Find out more at rosemarybranch.co.uk.
