Chasing Hares - Young Vic

[Dave B]

There’s a story he can’t afford for me to tell. For anyone to tell. And I wish I hadn’t realised that. Because now it’s the only one I’m interested in...

Prab and Kajol dream of a different life for their daughter, Amba. One far away from their grinding factory jobs in West Bengal. So when the factory owner’s son asks Prab to write a new play for his Jatra theatre troupe, they jump at the chance to impress the boss. But Prab knows stories are powerful, and as conditions in the factory worsen, he has a choice to make about the story he is writing – one that will have far-reaching consequences for Prab, Kajol and the factory itself.

Winner of Theatre Uncut’s 2021 Political Playwriting Award, Sonali Bhattacharyya’s Chasing Hares is a tale of resistance and dignity in the face of global exploitation. The play is directed by Milli Bhatia (seven methods of killing kylie jenner).

www.youngvic.org/whats-on/chasing-hares

Booking from Thursday. Friends booking open now. Looks like slight price increases across the board but still has front row cheap,12.50 tickets which I've yet to have an issue with at YV so grabbed a couple today.

[david]

Email from the YV saying tonight’s show is cancelled due to the weather.

[alessia]

Yes just re-booked with a lucky dip, hopefully a good seat...
In a way, glad they cancelled, I was worried trains wouldn't work today

[Forrest]

I just booked for Thursday, as the stalls tickets are currently £5. Just in case anyone else is interested...

[drmaplewood]

Jul 18, 2022 21:49:40 GMT Forrest said:

I just booked for Thursday, as the stalls tickets are currently £5. Just in case anyone else is interested...

Cheers for this, looks like the whole house is £5, maybe they had a group cancellation or something. Have booked. 

[drmaplewood]

2nd preview last night so don't want to be too unkind but I didn't hugely take to this. Some interesting themes but the exploration of these themes felt quite shallow and brief (to the point where I was taken by surprise when it ended as it felt like another act was coming) and I found a lot of the acting ropey (a fair few fluffed lines but again its night 2). Very enthusiastic reaction at curtain though and some people on their feet but this was a generous 3 stars from me.

Act 1: 1hr 5 mins
Act 2: 45 mins

[Dave B]

We saw this last night, a reasonably large number of empty seats around which is a big shame. A couple of fluffed lines and a couple of moments with cast still clearly getting use to the revolving section. We both enjoyed it, thought the cast were generally good and enjoyed the relationships.

A question if anyone knows as I assume it is a cultural difference that I've not come across before (perhaps even from jatra?), why no bows from the cast at the end?

[Steve]

For me, it's a terrific idea, about a company theatre troupe seducing and pressuring a writer into creating company propaganda at the expense of the workers, written without sufficient subtlety, executed without sufficient urgency. A menacing Scott Karim and spunky Ayesha Dharker give good value.

Some spoilers follow. . .

I loved learning about the Jatra theatre troupe that tells stories from the Mahabharata, with fun animations and projections. I loved the way the lead character sneakily starts making up apocryphal stories from the Mahabharata for the troupe to act out.

But the story proper, which involves the evil Khub Bhalo Company (it's basically run by Sauron, who true to type never appears) pressuring the mild mannered Prab to write and do dastardly things, is too black and white to be intriguing, and too casually written and acted to be genuinely frightening.

Consequently, it is the worst of both worlds, neither complex nor thrilling, with a central character that takes far too long to take things seriously.

I do enjoy a charismatic villain though, and Scott Karim, as the boss's son, wields the carrots and sticks of his power with suitable levels of seduction and threat, and does much to flesh out what is otherwise a cardboard character. Ayesha Dharker exudes insouciant fun, as the star actor of the troupe, and the production is always at its most alive when she's on stage.

For me, there was enough to make the trip worthwhile, but there is too much unrealised potential here.

3 stars from me.

[Dr Tom]

I saw this today and thought it was a strong play, drawing important parallels between the treatment of workers in India and the gig economy active in Britain today. Very easy to follow (in my opinion) and the framing devices worked well.

This is selling very badly (at least according to the seating charts), but the stalls were pretty full by the time I arrived for the matinee. I don't think the other levels are open. There are still lucky dip tickets available for a lot of dates if you can't access any other offers.

Worth seeing and this doesn't overstay its welcome, although I do also think this could be trimmed into an excellent one act play.

[alessia]

I saw the matinee today- unimpressed. The theatrical metaphors were heavy handed and a bit dull & overdrawn. I wasn't the only one thinking this going by what I heard from the audience behind me at the interval.
The acting was very good and the issues interesting and important, but I found the writing disappointing, considering that this won prizes for political playwriting. Glad I had a lucky dip ticket, I would have been gutted if It had cost me more than £10. A friend came with me and I regretted choosing this one to take her along, as she hardly ever goes to the theatre. So much better stuff out at the moment. Oh well.
The stalls were pretty full, but final applause quite lukewarm.

[cavocado]

Aug 6, 2022 20:25:10 GMT alessia said:

I saw the matinee today- unimpressed. The theatrical metaphors were heavy handed and a bit dull & overdrawn. I wasn't the only one thinking this going by what I heard from the audience behind me at the interval.
The acting was very good and the issues interesting and important, but I found the writing disappointing, considering that this won prizes for political playwriting. Glad I had a lucky dip ticket, I would have been gutted if It had cost me more than £10. A friend came with me and I regretted choosing this one to take her along, as she hardly ever goes to the theatre. So much better stuff out at the moment. Oh well.
The stalls were pretty full, but final applause quite lukewarm.

I liked this, but the friend I went with found it dull and thought the metaphors were clumsy. Comments from people I spoke to or overheard were equally mixed. I liked the way that allegory and traditional theatre and storytelling were woven into a modern political story, and also liked the parallels (albeit a bit clumsy) between the Indian factory and UK gig economy. 

[alessia]

Aug 7, 2022 11:16:56 GMT cavocado said:

Aug 6, 2022 20:25:10 GMT alessia said:

I saw the matinee today- unimpressed. The theatrical metaphors were heavy handed and a bit dull & overdrawn. I wasn't the only one thinking this going by what I heard from the audience behind me at the interval.
The acting was very good and the issues interesting and important, but I found the writing disappointing, considering that this won prizes for political playwriting. Glad I had a lucky dip ticket, I would have been gutted if It had cost me more than £10. A friend came with me and I regretted choosing this one to take her along, as she hardly ever goes to the theatre. So much better stuff out at the moment. Oh well.
The stalls were pretty full, but final applause quite lukewarm.

I liked this, but the friend I went with found it dull and thought the metaphors were clumsy. Comments from people I spoke to or overheard were equally mixed. I liked the way that allegory and traditional theatre and storytelling were woven into a modern political story, and also liked the parallels (albeit a bit clumsy) between the Indian factory and UK gig economy. 

Yes reviews in the press have been mixed too- very favourable 4 * one in the Guardian which I am surprised about- but then I hardly ever agree with that critic...