Dhaka Padatik will stage the 44th performance of its acclaimed production Trial of Surya Sen on 17 July at the Experimental Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The show will begin at 7pm.
The play, the theatre group’s 38th production, centres on the mock trial and execution of Masterda Surya Sen, one of the leading figures of the anti-British movement in the Indian subcontinent.
Ekushey Padak-winning dramatist Masum Aziz wrote and originally directed the production. Following his death, eminent actor and director Nader Chowdhury took over as director. He has also introduced new artistic elements and stage design enhancements where required.
The production has received widespread appreciation from theatre enthusiasts. Its historical narrative, powerful dialogue and stagecraft have made it one of the country’s most talked-about theatrical productions.
The play has also been staged twice in New Delhi, India, where it received praise from audiences and theatre critics.
Speaking about directing the revived production, Nader Chowdhury said Trial of Surya Sen is an important historical drama based on the anti-British movement. He said he refined parts of the production after assuming responsibility for its direction following Masum Aziz’s passing. He also plays the role of Masterda Surya Sen and believes the younger generation should watch the history-based production.
The play features nearly 40 characters, including Surya Sen, Kalpana Dutta, Tarakeswar Dastidar, Pritilata Waddedar, Ambika Chakrabarty, Nirmal Sen, a British lawyer, Netra Sen and a Bengali lawyer.
The cast includes Nader Chowdhury, Mahbuba Haque Kumkum, Monjurul Islam Nantu, Sabiha Zaman, Hasnahena Shilpi, Mamun Ur Rashid, Shyamal Hasan, Robiul Milton, Akhtar Hossain, Tarek Ali Milon, Atikur Rahman, Al Amin Swapan, Suman Ghosh, Farzana Nipa, Arif, Maksud and Zahid, among others.
Zakaria Kiran serves as lighting designer, Abul Bashar Sohel is the music director, while Shyamal Hasan is responsible for stage management.
Trial of Surya Sen premiered on 18 January 2018. Since then, it has enjoyed several successful performances at home and abroad, earning recognition as one of Bangladesh’s most notable historical theatre productions.
