THE DYING SONG BY BIRESHWAR GAUTAM,
UK TOUR 10 JUN - 27 JUL 2008

A brilliant theatre music experience presenting the dying art of Baithak Thumri - conjuring up the mood and mystery of the lost world of the old Indian haveli and palaces in which the courtesans performed. In a crumbling haveli in small town India lives a mysterious thumri singer. Who is Suraiya? What is the secret behind the doors of the old house? The script is inspired by a Marathi novella by C.T.Khanolkar: 'Devyachi Ayee' translated, written and directed by Sangeeta Datta.

The unique Bireshwar Gautam plays the androgynous singer Suraiya and gives a masterly performance singing thumri and performing beautiful abhinaya. “Tawa’if” a fascinating short documentary film about the courtesan tradition in India will be shown first.

Thumri is a romantic vocal genre that lies between Indian classical music, theatre and folk traditions. It dates back across centuries and is said to have evolved through various strands including probably the Vaishnav movement of Krishna worship, story telling and dance, temple music and finally the royal courts and havelis of the landed gentry from Mughal times to the fall of Lucknow and beyond in the 19th century.

This vocal style became the preserve of the Tawa'if or courtesan. Thumri with its themes of love, separation, reconciliation and devotion, is the feminine style compared with the masculine khyal and dhrupad. In the hands of a master like Bireshwar Gautam this genre with the subtle use of abhinaya and improvisation is an art and a rare experience

ARTISTS

Bireshwar Gautam vocal, abhinaya
Murad Ali sarangi
Hanif Khan tabla
Fida Hussain harmonium

ACTORS

Bireshwar Gautam Suraiya
Pervaiz Alam Nawab
Rajesh Joshi Narrator
Pratima Chatterjee Champa