Mad Theatre is set to stage the 13th show of Rabindranather Dwitiya Bijoya on Tuesday evening at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, bringing Rabindranath Tagore’s relationship with Argentine writer Victoria Ocampo back to the stage.
Scheduled for 7:15pm, the production explores Tagore’s stay in Argentina in 1924, when illness forced him to abandon his planned journey to Peru to attend celebrations marking the country’s independence.
During his visit, Tagore stayed at Miralrío, a villa in San Isidro near Buenos Aires. There, he formed a close intellectual and poetic bond with Ocampo, a prominent writer and cultural figure.
Their connection grew despite differences in language and the unfamiliar surroundings.
Conceived, written and directed by Mad Theatre chief director Asadul Islam, the two-character play features Islam as Tagore and Sonia Hasan as Ocampo.
Drawing on research into their relationship, the production revisits their shared memories and lesser-known aspects of their encounter.
Islam said the play focuses on a period when Tagore, far from home and struggling with illness, found comfort in Ocampo’s company. The experience, he suggested, brought a sense of happiness amid his physical difficulties.
The play also explores the significance of Purabi, the poetry collection Tagore wrote during his stay in Argentina, and the chair Ocampo gifted him.
The poet often sat beside the Río de la Plata, where the landscape and his experiences during the visit influenced his creative work.
Through an intimate theatrical format, Rabindranather Dwitiya Bijoya examines the emotional and artistic connection between two literary figures whose lives and cultures differed, yet whose meeting left a lasting mark on Tagore’s life.
