London’s reputation as a major center for world culture has always been rather strong, earning it a place in the top 5 cities to see new art.  It’s been like that for a few centuries now, and even with a radical change in the economy for everyone, there’s still no sign of the arts coming to a stop, and sometimes it even feels like someone’s been turning up the heat again.  This is good news for everyone who likes to see live theatre, because any kind of radical turns in art show up in the theatrical circles here.  They might be reflected in a play’s content, or in the sensibility of the artists.  It would certainly seem clear that artists are getting bolder again, but this time the producers seem to be willing to try anything.

That’s one of the reasons it’s a great time to travel here, make reservations at a lovely hotel in London and prepare for a weekend of great entertainment.  London’s not often considered to be a place where economics determine entertainment, but historically, this has actually always been so.  At the same time, bold experiments that are done with great care can sometimes find their way to the light of day.  This seems to be what’s happened with Anupama Chandrasekhar, as her last two plays have found audiences, along with excellent production teams, in the past year.

The work has been shown at London’s Royal Court Theatre.  This is undoubtedly one of the most consistently challenging and interesting venues to see challenging and interesting work.  Her particular voice and vision come at a very fortuitous time, because it is not a very fortuitous time.  Her play, Disconnect, concerns itself with call centers in India, and money brokers in the U.S.  The disconnect is a pun on the telephone, as well as cultural communications in general.  There are stellar performances here, with excellent writing, to make this event relevant, personal, and, as always with her work, very bold.

Related posts:

1. COFA in Sydney
2. Bryan Chung in Hong Kong
3. Jakarta’s Heri Dono
4. Oregon Shakespeare Festival
5. Live Music at Casino Canberra