37
pages
English
Ebooks
2013
Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage
Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus
Découvre YouScribe et accède à tout notre catalogue !
Découvre YouScribe et accède à tout notre catalogue !
37
pages
English
Ebooks
2013
Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage
Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus
Mahesh Dattani
The Swami and Winston A Radio Play
PENGUIN BOOKS
Contents
About the Author
The Swami and Winston A Radio Play
Copyright
PENGUIN BOOKS
COLLECTED PLAYS VOLUME TWO
Mahesh Dattani, born in Bangalore on 7 August 1958 studied in Baldwin s High School and St. Joseph s College of Arts and Science, Bangalore.
He has worked as a copywriter in an advertising firm and subsequently with his father in the family business. His theatre group Playpen was formed in 1984, and he has directed several plays for them, ranging from classical Greek to contemporary works. In 1986, he wrote his first full-length play, Where There s a Will , and from 1995, he has been working full-time in theatre. In 1998, he set up his own theatre studio dedicated to training and showcasing new talents in acting, directing and stage writing, the first in the country to specifically focus on new works.
Dattani is also a film-maker and his films have been screened in India and abroad to critical and public acclaim. His film Dance Like a Man has won the award for the Best Picture in English awarded by the National Panorama.
In 1998, Dattani won the Sahitya Akademi award for his book of plays Final Solutions and Other Plays , published by East-West Books Chennai, thus becoming the first English language playwright to win the award.
Dattani teaches theatre courses at the summer sessions programme of Portland State University, Oregon, USA, and conducts workshops regularly at his studio and elsewhere. He also writes plays for BBC Radio 4.
He lives in Bangalore.
The Swami and Winston
A Radio Play
A Note on the Play
Another case for the intrepid Uma, daughter-in-law of Bangalore s Deputy Commissioner of Police, and wife of the Superintendent.
Still researching her thesis on violence in India, and having one solved case to her credit, Uma comes into contact with religious fanaticism at its most extreme when investigating the death of a member of the English aristocracy.
An English Burberry raincoat and a mischievous dog provide the only clues as to the identity of the murderer. But why did Lady Montefiore visit the ashram in the first place when she had little interest in the Hindu religion, and what can be a possible motive for her murder?
Jeremy Mortimer (Jeremy Mortimer is Executive Producer, BBC Radio Drama.)
The Swami and Winston was first broadcast on 3 June 2000 at 3 p.m. on BBC Radio 4. The play was directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
Cast for first production: UMA Priyanga Elan SURESH RAO Ajay Chabra MUNSWAMY Shiv Grewal SWAMI Saeed Jaffrey SITARAM TRIVEDI Paul Bhattacharjee CHARLES MONTEFIORE Andrew Wincott LADY MONTEFIORE Richenda Carey DRIVER Amerjit Deu FARMER Nitin Chandra Ghanatra
Exterior. Lady Montefiore and the driver are negotiating in the car.
LADY MONTEFIORE . Surely this isn t the place! I know an ashram when I see one.
DRIVER . No Madam. This is the famous Bull Temple. All tourists come to this . . .
LADY MONTEFIORE . I am not a tourist!
DRIVER . It is very old. You can see the statue of the great big bull of Shiva. Very big.
LADY MONTEFIORE (speaking slowly but raising her voice) . I want to go to the ashram. I am not here to waste my time looking at your bulls! Can you understand that?
Winston whines some more .
DRIVER (hurt) . Not my bulls. I am a Muslim. This is a very sacred bull, the vehicle of God Shiva Himself.
LADY MONTEFIORE . Oh well ... if it makes a difference to you. (Getting out of the car.) (Firm.) But after I see the bull, we go straight to the ashram. Is that clear?
DRIVER . Yes, Madam.
Shutting her door .
LADY MONTEFIORE . Cross your heart.
DRIVER . Huh?
LADY MONTEFIORE . Or swear by the big bull ... no never mind. What do I do with Winston?
DRIVER . Leave the dog in the car.
LADY MONTEFIORE . Nonsense! I never go anywhere without Winston. Tell all these people to go away. Winston is very sensitive to . . .
DRIVER . They have never seen a dog like this before.
Winston barks .
Give the dog to me Madam.
LADY MONTEFIORE . No. He is not used to anyone else! Winston! Oh dear. Maybe it isn t such a good idea after all.
DRIVER . Don t worry Madam. I will take him for a walk. Give him to me.
LADY MONTEFIORE . No! Oh dear, oh dear! Here hold on to this-Now Winston, I know we don t like the leash but-the temple priest begins to blow on the conch, a loud steady note. Oh! (Winston whines and yelps.) Winston! Oh!
The bells at the temple begin to clang and continue to do so .
Winston! No! Stay! Winston!!
Initial credits. Fade out .
Interior/Exterior/ Uma and Suresh Rao s home.
Steady fall of rain on a window pane. The whistle of a pressure cooker. Knock on a window pane .
UMA . Come in! Through the kitchen door!
Boots on slush .
How are you, Constable Munswamy? Would you like some breakfast?
MUNSWAMY . Madam! Please help me Madam!
UMA . What is the matter? Are you unwell?
MUNSWAMY . I have to find a dog! Help me Madam.
UMA . I will pour you some coffee and you can explain it to me.
MUNSWAMY . I have to find her dog in twenty-four hours or else Sir will get me transferred to some village! I tell you her driver only must have done some mischief! What am I to do?
UMA . Munswamy!
MUNSWAMY . Sir!
UMA . Have some idlis. Drink your coffee. Then explain everything to me properly. And remember-you are not to tell my husband I am helping you out.
Fade out on rain .
Exterior. Car driving on a busy road.
They drive slowly because of the rains .
MUNSWAMY . If it continues to rain like this, the roads will be flooded again.
UMA . Lady Caroline Montefiore. Quite an impressive background.
MUNSWAMY . You know who she is?
UMA . A wealthy woman even by European standards. I spent some time after class searching the web for information on her. There are quite a few news articles on her.
MUNSWAMY . If I had more time to find the dog . . .
UMA . Munswamy, you really are capable of handling this by yourself. You don t need me to find her dog.
MUNSWAMY . I cannot understand what she is saying. She cries as if she has lost her child.
UMA . Indeed, she has ...
Fade out traffic .
Interior. Hotel lobby.
LADY MONTEFIORE . What am I to do? I shall never see my Winston again!
UMA . I am sure Winston wouldn t want to be separated from you for very long.
LADY MONTEFIORE . You do see that, don t you? If it weren t for those temple bells and those crowds making my poor Winston nervous. It was all a big mistake! Coming here was a big mistake. I should have sent my secretary instead!
UMA . I take it this is not a pleasure trip you are on.
LADY MONTEFIORE . I am not leaving this country without my Winston. That s certain. What did you say your name is?
UMA . Uma. Uma. My husband is the Superintendent at the police station where you made your complaint.
LADY MONTEFIORE . Oh. Tell me something, what do you think of this . . . person or Swami or whatever they are called Jeevananda?
UMA . I believe he is a great spiritual leader. Why do you ask?
LADY MONTEFIORE . How long does it take to find a King Charles Spaniel in this city? Do you think it will help to offer some money?
UMA . I don t think that will be necessary. You don t want people thinking the dog is valuable do you?
LADY MONTEFIORE . He is! He is priceless!
UMA . Yes. But you don t want people to know that do you?
LADY MONTEFIORE . I don t trust your police. I have made my own arrangements, thank you. I instructed the hotel manager to advertise in the local papers. I am offering a reward of five thousand pounds.
UMA . I would strongly advise you not to do such a thing. By all means give your money to whoever finds him, but don t announce a reward.
LADY MONTEFIORE . Nonsense. Nobody will do anything unless there is some money in it for them. And Charles is too silly to realize that . . .
UMA . Charles?
LADY MONTEFIORE . Young lady, I am off to the Bull Temple. Not that I believe in praying to bulls but that s where I lost my Winston. Oh, there is the driver person! (Clapping her hands.) Hellooo. Let s go!
DRIVER . Oh, Madam. Shall I take you to the ashram? Big ashram?
LADY MONTEFIORE . Not the ashram. (Spelling it out) To the Bull temple. Take me to the Bull Temple.
Fade out .
DRIVER . But first we go to the ashram, yes?
LADY MONTEFIORE