Interview: Writer Director Meherzad Patel on MONA SINGH playing Dr Bombay in his next

Silly Point Productions, is celebrating its 10 years in theatre by bringing along another wit-laced production from their house. A fun-filled, laughter riot, titled Laughter Therapy, will be screened in Mumbai next month. The play is much awaited as it stars Mona Singh, an accomplished TV actor playing not one but seven characters on stage!

Sounds like fun? Well, there's more informs writer director Meherzad Patel about the show. On how did it made the seemingly impossible task of having an actor play seven different characters in front of a live audience, he says, "When you write a play that has 35 characters portrayed by 5 actors, the challenge is to ensure, that each character has enough buffer zone to switch roles. The audience knows that it is actually Mona Singh playing the part of psychologist, in turn playing the police officer. So the challenge is to write 35 contrasting characters so that Mona, the doctor and the police officer, all sounds and behave different, even though it's just one actor. That's the beauty of theatre."

On what the story line of the play is, Patel informs, "The story is about a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian and a Parsee walk into the therapy session of Dr. Bombay's clinic to help cope with various mental issues in their lives. The result is total chaos."

On Mona Singh, who is known for playing strong characters on screen and the latest being a new series Kehne Ko Hum Safar Hain, by Alt Balaji, Patel says, 'Mona portrays 7 characters on stage - from an Old Parsee Aunty to a Goan Lady, to a teenager and even a Police Officer. All the other four artists also have 7 characters each."

The play looks to be a promising laughter riot. So do catch it if you in Mumbai.

• June 9 - Tata Theatre, NCPA - 7 pm
• June 17 - Royal Opera House - 7 pm
• July 1 - Royal Opera House - 7 pm
• July 15 - Tata theatre NCPA - 7 pm
• July 29 - Andrews, Bandra- 7.30 pm