Feature

Brine Pickles @ Words 'N Pages

Sarah Z H

Ok! I admit. I have never been to any performance before so I dare not write things like ''the language should have been more alleviated'' or ''the style was too casual'' about the Brine Pickles literary show in Words 'N pages on the occasion of their first publication named 'Maps and Metaphors'. Don't worry, I think I can fix the eyebrows my confession has raised. I will write what I have experienced that evening, being a part of the lovely audience, taking photographs for the group, occasionally cheering for my friend, pretending to take mental notes as an overly sincere correspondent and finally becoming an official pickle. The show opened up with the feign promises of an impudent politician played by Theotonius Gomes. He conveniently brought out the immorality and insensibility in the politicians of contemporary times through his performance. The utterance of steady rocking syllables and the swinging of his limbs in fits of madness added to his erudite presentation. Then it was Sabreena Ahmed and Bushra Rahman who mesmerized the audience by chanting a few lines of translation from Nirmalendu Goon's 'Mutho Phoner Kabbo'. Next came in the sequence was 'Duty' by Sabreena Ahmed which narrated of a young girl who was being groomed and dolled up for marriage, an occasion often considered larger than life in our society. More soothing performances were there by Sarmad Karim and Munasir Kamal who rendered extracts from Andrew Marvell's 'Coy Mistress'.

'Censored' staged by Shabnaz Rashid was more of a clamour on the side of adolescent expressiveness. 'Blurred by blue' was again a soother in the precincts of a literary performance. 'Escaping paradise' had been a punch with soulful dialogues and elaborate analogies readily played by Hasan Ameen and Maherin Ahmed. Once more it was Hasan Ameen who offered Thomas Hardy's 'Neutral Tones'. Then came a whining and grousing Sabrina F Ahmad with her 'Ending and Encounters' that told the story of a vital friend. By far, the show had earned brown points in everybody's good books. But dear readers, the most prolific performance of the day had been a drama personae called 'Of Ruminations and Romances' put up by Sarmad Karim as Wordsworth, Theotonius Gomes as S T Colridge, Hasan Ameen as Shelly, Osama Rahman as Byron, Emil Shamim as Blake and Judge by Sabrina Ahmad. As it was a side-splitting composition on the lives and works of these illustrious poets, it stirred a good laugh in the audience.

The show was wrapped up with a tuneful number performed by Theotonius Gomes and Sabribna F Ahmad. Since I don't happen to remember the lyrics, I would like to conclude that it must have been something delightful! Anyway and every way, I had enjoyed most passionately the accompaniment of my fellow pickles despite the thoughtlessness of a coffee-spill on my kameez and missing out the excitements of an after party.
p.s This piece is dedicated to all my pickle friends out there. Thanks guys for allowing me to become a part of BP. And special thanks to Maherin for having to put up with me!