Please see below, Anita Ratnam's review in Narthaki.com
SIRIYAMMA SIRI
Laugh O Goddess, Laugh!
PERFORMANCE at DBKL
September 8, 2015
Kuala Lumpur
September 14, 2015

Why
is the best of India rarely available at home? This was the question
buzzing in my mind while watching the folk-opera (my own coinage) unfold
onto the impressive DBKL auditorium. Two days earlier, I had watched a
contemporary performance-art presentation that was both urban and
international in flavour. Now, I was witnessing decades of folk
traditions, precious rituals and unpretentious artistes hurl themselves
onto the proscenium stage and fill it with their natural vigour and
colour.
SIRIYAMMA SIRI is a Tamil term addressed to the native Goddess. It is a
plea from the villagers who entreat the enraged Goddess-Devi to calm
down after her furious encounter with the demon Dainika. The slaying of
the enemy does not appease Her anger and the seething cauldron threatens
to engulf the earth. Through song, dance, comedy and music the entire
village joins in the appeasement and taming of the feminine energy.
"Don't be angry, O Devi", they ask. "The entire world is not evil like
Dainika. So LAUGH, O GODDESS, LAUGH!"
Envisioned by folklorist and Gandhian V R Devika, whose 30 year
engagement with the rural arts has given her an inside eye into the
entire landscape and challenges of the folk artistes of South India, the
multi layered evening reflected her sure footed grasp on the
complexities of the performance.
For many artistes, it was their first journey across the oceans. First
time passport holders, new costumes, interaction with other folk
artistes and submitting to the larger story in which so many genres and
styles of folk and ritual traditions merge would have been a first for
many of them.
Charming in their natural naiveté, the storytellers (katttiyakaran) and
the gypsy (kurathi) were full of unspoilt verve. The dynamic Therukoothu
performers whirled onto the stage in their spectacular garb but the
scene stealers were the Padayani artistes from Kerala. I watched
backstage while they diligently cut the palm leaves to make their
elaborate skirts, head dresses and arm accessories. The result when they
walked onto the stage was simply breathtaking.
While the story of the angry Goddess confronting the demon and the
subsequent fallout formed the skeleton of the story, the multiple
devices that Devika chose to move the narrative forward was particularly
engaging for a viewer like myself. Having interacted with Tamil folk
and ritual forms for decades, I was very aware of the challenges
directors and cultural interlocutors face when asked to compress an all
night celebration into a 75 minute performance capsule. Each of the
performers come with their attendant rituals and sacred observations.
These traditions are hereditary and not taught to many outsiders.
Language poses the most difficult obstacle with colloquial phrases used
for humorous intersections.
Working the hardest and pulling all the elements together was
dance-actor Sangeetha Iswaran. A Bharatanatyam dancer now working with
children and special communities in Thailand and Indonesia, Sangeeta
transformed into many avatars. Angry Goddess, sarcastic narrator,
village woman - every entry became the glue holding the disparate
elements together.
I longed to have super titles translating the Malayalam songs and Tamil
dialogues for the audience, but the sensitive crowd seemed to throw
themselves into the spirit of the evening without hesitation.
SIRIYAMMA SIRI benefited with the skill of the lighting magician
Sivarajah Natarajah of Sutra. An artist by profession, we have seen his
ability to paint the stage whenever SUTRA has performed in India. For
this performance Siva carefully sculpted and tinted each section,
keeping the costume and headgear in mind and miraculously softened the
rough edges of each folk form, especially during the entrances and
exits. The resulting sophistication was a feast for the eyes.
Each artiste brought their own flavour to the evening and no one person
can be singled out. From the musicians placed in a diagonal corner and
lit delicately, to the multiple pools of intersecting light for each of
the main players as they performed their sections, it was a triumph of
ensemble. With repeated shows, the work will mature and gain tautness
which is needed in its premiere viewing. For me, the Ottam Thullal
solo by Suresh Kaliyath was memorable for the physicality being
projected as monkey God Hanuman. The Kattiyakaran - Kurathi tattoo
interlude brought a smile to many a face. Therukoothu continues to
thrill me with its sheer force and energetic theatricality. The final
Padayani solo trance by Rajmohan was hypnotic and powerful.
Backstage was organized chaos. Devika credits the stage management of
the crew for ensuring the smooth costume changes and timely exits and
entrances for the complex evening. How much we in Indian theatre
practice can learn from the professionalism of theatre staff and when
can we hope to bring such evenings to urban audiences in our hometowns?
SIRIYAMMA SIRI was not just a successful showcase of South Indian folk
and ritual theatre traditions coalesced into an evening length
performance. It was also a reminder that jaded urban eyes need to be
refreshed and reminded of the power of the soil and the constant
inspiration of traditional art. Throughout history, great directors,
choreographers, photographers and visual artists have drawn inspiration
from time honoured traditions.
The earth speaks… We just have to put down our hand helds, look up and listen!