Review: TRIDENT MOON at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa

Trident Moon, which opened last night at the National Arts Centre, is not a play for the faint of heart. Set in 1947 against the backdrop of the partition in India, where an invisible border was drawn, creating religious animosity. Over ten million people were displaced, with Hindu Indians forcibly deported to the Hindustan and Muslim Indians to Pakistan. Families were ripped apart, women and children were raped, and the bloodshed was indescribable on both sides.

The trident is a divine symbol in Hinduism, just as the crescent moon is an important Muslim icon. This symbolism is not only the framework for the play's title but becomes important in the story.

The show opens to a group of six people in the back of a moving truck: Arun (Sahiba Arora) and Heera (Prerna Nehta) are children, Pari (Muhaddisah) and Rabia's (Imali Perera) hands are bound, Bani (Sehar Bhojani) is visibly injured, and Alo (Anusree Roy), has hatred in her eyes.

Alo, Bani, and Arun are Hindu, and Pari, Rabia, and Heera are Muslim. Alo and Bani have abducted the Muslim family in retribution for the murder of theirs, and they are now en route from Pakistan to Hindustan, where Alo's plan for her captives on arrival is as dire as you might imagine.

The equality of the religious representation in the truck is soon displaced as the vehicle stops to let in additional refugees (Zorana Sadiq, Afroza Banu, and Michelle Mohammed), but the tables truly turn when an armed militant (Mirza Sarhan) overpowers the truck. Suddenly, the women must put aside their hate and work together to ensure their survival.

The stellar cast gives one thousand percent to each role, making the audience alternate between admiration and repulsion. Unsurprisingly, playwright Anusree Roy gives a masterful performance as Alo. Roy's script is refreshingly gritty, with no attempt to reign in the brutality of the subject matter. The set design (Jawon Kang) captures the barren, cramped space inside the truck, with haze and lighting effects (Michelle Ramsay) further setting the tone.

Trident Moon is an unrelenting roller coaster of emotions, travelling at highway speeds throughout its 90-minute ride. After the standing ovation at curtain call, I was not the only one in the audience who had to sit back down to gain control of their emotions and gather their thoughts. Moreover, even though Trident Moon premiered in 2016, it seems terribly prescient, given the talk to the south of us about redrawing our borders. It is a harsh reminder of what might still happen if we let it.

Under the leadership of Nina Lee Aquino, who also directs Trident Moon (the play is co-produced by the NAC and Crow's Theatre), it is truly incredible to see the calibre of theatre at the NAC and perhaps now, more than ever, we appreciate the reminder that Canadian playwrights - like the Canadian people - can stand up against their counterparts.

Recommended for audience members 17 and older, due to disturbing content. Please consult this link for full content disclosures.