As soon as the blindfolds come on, a nebulous mass of anxiety and excitement parks itself in my head. Where do I go, what or whom do I hold on to, what if I fall on my face?…before the questions can multiply, an outstretched hand finds and guides me to safety — a stationary chair. I am now one of the 75 blindfolded people seated to “watch” a play through every other sense except sight. I immediately start searching for a familiar hand [of the friend who accompanied me] and demand that I be seated next to her. Phew, all is well. And so begins The Most Fantastic Show that You Cant See.
A novel, immersive piece of theatre, Evam’s latest, in association with The Savera Hotel and the National Association for Blind (NAB), was an experiment that went surprisingly well considering the many movable parts that made up this format.
The first brush of movement was a rabbit (a plush toy that was perhaps grazed against my leg) that ran across my leg, and a ‘big sneeze’ that covered me in an unexpected shower. Shortly after, guided by the narrator’s (Nithin Ram) resounding voice, we were introduced to Princess Why (an obvious call back to Mahasweta Devi’s famed Why Why Girl),who whispered, bellowed, sang and danced around us. The story followed this very princess, who refused to stop asking questions.
