The Lighthouse Effect

Directed by Manjari Kaul

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Performed and Devised by:

Anannya Tripathyi, Arun Ramasubramanian, Astha Aggerwal,  Gaurika Bhatt, Himani Pant | Jayant Chand, Shobhit Tandon, Vrinda Misra, Priiya, Sayan Sarkar, Kiran Naig

Assistant Director & Production Head: Priiya

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Music: Nikhil Nagaraj

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Lights & Set Design: Tech Quartet (Akhilesh Yadav, Ankit Pandey, Anuj Chopra, Dhruv Malik, Tapesh Sharma)

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Costumes: Sandhya Raman

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Production Assistance: Harshita Guha

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The Lighthouse Effect (performed in 2019-20) is a devised Physical Theatre piece that comprises vignettes of stories about people from different walks of life, in varied situations that require them to make tough choices. To make this life changing decision they must seek the light within, look for what truly lights the fire in their hearts and embrace the best version of themselves they can possibly be. This journey is fraught with dangers and the characters of these stories must face their fears to be able to find their true potential.

One of the stories is about the adventures of a young boy who has several dreams of what he wants to be when he grows up. He is forced to go looking for the light within when he realizes that he, instead of pursuing any of the dreams he had as a child, is stuck trying to fit into a mold of success he does not identify with.

The other story is of two women as they talk about how the city changed and saved them by showing them a mirror to themselves. They describe, as they stand talking to each other atop a sky scraper, how they were engulfed, tormented and at times soothed by the city. They reclaim the space that frightened them as a city that empowers them and fuels their passion.

A woman who, when she comes face to face with her failing memory condition completely collapses under the life altering changes it brings forth. This is the story of how she rebuilds from the debris of a broken sense of self and collects traces of her past to build on a future.

A man, at the threshold of achieving all that he has ever dreamt of finds that something still seems amiss. Stuck in an airport lounge in the middle of a lockdown he realizes all he has is the here and now.

A young woman, tired of the problems in her life decides to literally wish them away.  She goes to an antique store looking for a lamp with a jinn that can grant her three wishes.

The stories are played out in episodic form and shall have moments intersection that weave together the varied colours of the vignettes into one grand narrative that moves deftly through varied emotions.