Target Platoon premieres tomorrow

In the play, the Pakistani Army and its collaborators will dress as colonial rulers. Photo: Jamil Mahmud

Mamunur Rashid and Professor Syed Jamil Ahmed join hands together to bring a humorous musical play, on the subject of the Liberation War. The play, “Target Platoon”, will have its premiere tomorrow evening at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Professor Ahmed has designed the play, while Rashid is the playwright and director. The play has been produced by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Repertory.
Young actors of Prachyanat, Theatre, Theatre Art Unit and Aranyak Natyadal form the cast.
Rashid informed that he has tried to chronicle the war in the nearly two-hour play, starting from April 1971 to victory in December, 1971. Asked why a musical on Liberation War, Rashid said, “So far no musical has been produced on this historic episode and it tempted me.” He opted to go for light-hearted comedy with lyrical dialogues because he wants to send the message to adolescents as well.
“You must've seen 'Life is Beautiful', on World War II. It's a comedy, yet it touched many. I wanted to create a play on war like that,” said Rashid, during a technical show at Shilpakala Academy. After over three months of rehearsal, the cast and crew ran four consecutive technical shows at the venue over the last four days.
Those who are familiar with Rashid's directorial approach in Aranyak plays will find more or less similar kind of attitude in his new production. The play will start with humour and gradually delve into more serious issues.
Satire will be found in costume, as going beyond usual designs, the Pakistani Army and its collaborators will wear clothes that resemble colonial rulers. Rashid wanted to establish a parallel between the Pakistani and colonial rulers.
Audience will see the maximum utilisation of space at the National Theatre Hall. Apart from using the last few inches of the backdrop, the performers will roam around to the deep of the two wings as well. Professor Ahmed's design will follow multimedia projection, using familiar artworks by Bangladeshi painters as well as computer-generated light and sound presentation. Parimal Majumdar's non-stop music will try to sync each dialogue, from start till end.
The premiere show will take place tomorrow evening at 7:30 pm at the National Theatre Hall. A show for the press will take place this evening at the same venue.