A scene from the play Photo: STAR

What is the level of freedom an individual enjoys in a state run under dictatorship? Norwegian painter-dramatist-essayist-novelist Jens Bjørneboe's play Amputation addresses this question.

'Brainwash' in a reformatory conducted by a military-controlled state has been portrayed in a wild, almost surrealistic play -- partly sinister, partly comic.

Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) staged the premiere show of their latest production Amputation, translated by Raihan Akhtar, on March 7, at the National Theatre Stage, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The actors in black uniforms and boots are shown exercising on the stage (the troupe also utilised the surrounding areas of the stage as part of the set), which later transforms to body movements portraying erotic gestures.

The sequence symbolically represents the 'deplorable' psyche of the force that runs the state. Kamaluddin Nilu's directorial compositions seem effective in this post modern production.

When a character is narrating a sequence, the portraying of the same scene through body movements appears repetitive.

However, a few of the scenes in the play, such as the 'coital scene', could have been avoided, considering the Bangladeshi cultural context. Erotic themes can also be portrayed through narratives, music and symbolic light effects.

The visual aspects of this production however, is innovative, especially Norwegian light designer Kurt Harmasen's compositions deserve plaudits.

The young and spirited actors of CAT performed well throughout the play. They incorporated well with the required aesthetic sentiments of the actions.

The premiere show was inaugurated by Ingrid T. Haug, the first secretary of Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangladesh.