Tranzit Reflects Shakespearean Traits

Dixya Poudel 

In the hush silence before the curtains open in the Shilpee Theatre, new viewers aren’t likely to know what to expect of the highly acclaimed Nepali play called Tranzit. They will likely know the synopsis that they have read or the buzz that is circling around the play. However, by its end they will know how brilliant it is. 

Written by Kumar Nagarkoti and directed by Ghimire Yubaraj, the play has talented actors who do justice to the psychological plot. It is an illusory drama, with actors’ time travel in between the past, present and future, hence the name Tranzit. With a brilliant script, acting, direction and production, it is sure to leave vivid impressions even in the most skeptical of viewers. One has to particularly applaud the dialogues. The lighting, sound effects, and staging too are equally stellar. There is an allusion to a dead body but it could be more symbolic than literal. It leaves the play with unanswered questions and loose ends but that could be attributed to the writer’s aim to astound the viewers.

The Nepali film industry with the moniker Kollywood might be more profitable compared to the Nepali theatre but the latter is gradually gaining ground. It is encouraging to note that Nepali theatre isn’t languishing in the shadows of the better-known movie industry, Kollywood. As such, Tranzit isn’t the first Nepali play to be acclaimed but it is certainly a path-breaking one that puts Nepali theatre to the limelight. Eager audiences are flocking to see the play which is running successfully in Shilpee Theatre, Kathmandu. It showcases that there is a growing call for theatre in Nepal, particularly among the youth. 

While Nepal might be relatively new to the theatre scene, in the Western world where English plays have had maestros such as William Shakespeare, theatre is a steady staple. In fact, theatres flourished with Shakespearean plays in the 17th century England. Even then, people loved a good story and Shakespeare wasn’t the one to let them down. His plays are psychologically gripping with a rich symbolism. It isn’t surprising that even centuries later, his oeuvres are scrutinized in details to extract any hidden meanings. They have been taken to pieces in order to read between the lines. 

And the  influence of the Shakespearean style of writing is clearly seen in the play Tranzit written by a Nepali writer of the 21st century.  In Tranzit, there are rich metaphors when it comes to dissecting the meaning of love and its all-encompassing impact on the lovers, who are all but prisoners tied to their illusion of love. There are only a handful of characters but there are plenty of revelations, influenced by Shakespearean plays. Then there is the hint of sci-fi as characters traverse through time. 

Tranzit thus contains multitudes, with quotes from Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson enriching the vocabulary of the dialogues. And yet, the mystery of a dead body remains throughout the play, and to the viewer’s expectations, it isn’t concretely solved by the time the curtain closes. Overall, Tranzit is one of the rare kinds of play that is both written and executed well. Thanks to it, the future of the Nepali theatre shines a little brighter, with a reckoning for further ground-breaking plays.