The not-so-gentlemanly show

Falah Faisal | NT

Bengaluru: ‘Gentlemen’ is a play that deals with issues from a male point of view and with an irreverent sense of humour. It has been described by some viewers as the male reply to The Vagina Monologues. With an ever-changing script, Gentleman is always a fresh breeze for the audience.

Writer and director of the play, Anil Abraham elaborates on relevance as this time around Gentlemen will be looking at issues that hit closer home with the characters exploring topics such as the Great Indian wedding, the changing face of feminism, Bengaluru’s famous potholes, the pandemic, and even toxic patriarchy.

Presented in the form of four monologues that deal with things that go largely unspoken, first up is Ashvin Mathew who talks about his struggles with erectile dysfunction while not realizing that the key to intimacy is connecting with his spouse after marriage.

Next comes Ajith Hande who plays a barber from Shivajinagar who is complaining to the customer that his wife forces him to use condoms during sex and how un-arousing that is while giving him a haircut. Among the topics, he touches on are discrimination against Muslims and how the pandemic has affected his business.

The writer and director of the show, Anil Abraham plays an old man struggling with his own irrelevance as he is ignored by family members who no longer have time for him. He complains about his struggles with urination and being forgotten.

The audience breaks into uproarious laughter when he says, “People who live in Bengaluru and claim Hindi is their national language should be catheterized.” Finally, Aiyyo Shraddha comes up to the stage to offer a rebuttal to the male perspective as she discusses her husband’s porn usage and the times men have made her uncomfortable.

The play is peppered with pop culture references and musical cues that keep it relevant and fresh. “This is not a static production as the script kept changing with the conditions around us. I have had audience members who have come in more than once and find that each time was different. In that sense, it is a dynamic play, constantly evolving and being re-written and it is a strange alchemy of theatre and stand-up which creates laughter while constantly provoking thought. The characters blend together on stage but there is also an element of topicality discussed,” he says.

Gentlemen deals with issues that men hesitate to speak about. It is the vulnerable sensitive side of the male species. Gentlemen attempt to present the male viewpoint. “It's time that men had their say,” believes Abraham. For those who missed the show at Alliance Francaise, you can still catch the show today at Jagriti Theatre in Whitefield.