Is there a doctor in the house? Yes, a good one!

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsWhen one good writer writes a play about a great writer, especially with evident adulation, chances of things going wrong are nearly zilch. American playwright Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor, which was recently staged in the city as part of Live In August by Bangalore-based theatre company Barking Dog, took the audiences through the life of Russian dramatist and author Anton Chekhov.There is no one straight storyline here. The nearly two-hour act is based on works by Chekhov, with the protagonist who — though identifying himself as just a writer — obviously represents Chekhov himself. Split into 10 acts with the only interconnecting thread being the narrator — the eccentric writer, the play garners laughs from the audience right from the first scene.Prateek Prajosh as the lead man is immediately likable. With his quirky intricacies, big round glasses, goofy suspenders and, not to forget, extremely believable acting, he takes the audience on quite an intimate journey through the mind of an obsessive, compulsive writer.As he rambles on about his study in the opening monologue, he strikes conversation with the audience and gets distracted halfway through when he thinks he’s hit a good story idea. He trails off and introduces the audience to the characters of his story, which he makes up in his head as the scenes go along. The Sneezer, which is a social commentary on the lower-middle class, is one of the most memorable 10 minutes of the play.As the play proceeds, the protagonist jumps from one story to another, sometimes himself observing the scenes and even interacting with his characters.Barking Dog not only efficiently involved props, and heavy ones at that, in the sketches, but also embraced the complexity of both Chekhov and Simon’s characters, which ensured that they understood and played their roles in detailed layers. Mohan Ram, Deepak Dhruvkumar, N Rishi, Shraddha Srinath and Sonam Powar all deserve mention for competently adapting to the many roles each of them played. Special mention to Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy for nearly matching Prajosh’s performance. Be it as the exploited governess who has a second side to her, the sexy call girl who tries to make a client out of a young Chekhov or as the crazy woman who tries to harass a bank officer into giving her money, Murthy was a fierce chameleon.A few scenes did drag out a little more than they needed to have, but was mostly compensated for with striking dialogue delivery and persistent humour. So, if what your doctor prescribed you is a bag of lethargic laughs, The Good Doctor is just the thing for you.first published:August 29, 2012, 07:55 ISTlast updated:August 29, 2012, 07:55 IST
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When one good writer writes a play about a great writer, especially with evident adulation, chances of things going wrong are nearly zilch. American playwright Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor, which was recently staged in the city as part of Live In August by Bangalore-based theatre company Barking Dog, took the audiences through the life of Russian dramatist and author Anton Chekhov.

There is no one straight storyline here. The nearly two-hour act is based on works by Chekhov, with the protagonist who — though identifying himself as just a writer — obviously represents Chekhov himself. Split into 10 acts with the only interconnecting thread being the narrator — the eccentric writer, the play garners laughs from the audience right from the first scene.

Prateek Prajosh as the lead man is immediately likable. With his quirky intricacies, big round glasses, goofy suspenders and, not to forget, extremely believable acting, he takes the audience on quite an intimate journey through the mind of an obsessive, compulsive writer.

As he rambles on about his study in the opening monologue, he strikes conversation with the audience and gets distracted halfway through when he thinks he’s hit a good story idea. He trails off and introduces the audience to the characters of his story, which he makes up in his head as the scenes go along. The Sneezer, which is a social commentary on the lower-middle class, is one of the most memorable 10 minutes of the play.

As the play proceeds, the protagonist jumps from one story to another, sometimes himself observing the scenes and even interacting with his characters.

Barking Dog not only efficiently involved props, and heavy ones at that, in the sketches, but also embraced the complexity of both Chekhov and Simon’s characters, which ensured that they understood and played their roles in detailed layers.

Mohan Ram, Deepak Dhruvkumar, N Rishi, Shraddha Srinath and Sonam Powar all deserve mention for competently adapting to the many roles each of them played. Special mention to Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy for nearly matching Prajosh’s performance. Be it as the exploited governess who has a second side to her, the sexy call girl who tries to make a client out of a young Chekhov or as the crazy woman who tries to harass a bank officer into giving her money, Murthy was a fierce chameleon.

A few scenes did drag out a little more than they needed to have, but was mostly compensated for with striking dialogue delivery and persistent humour. So, if what your doctor prescribed you is a bag of lethargic laughs, The Good Doctor is just the thing for you.