I was invited for the Nepali adaption of George Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart by director Yubaraj Ghimire. I had once tried to read the drama itself, but couldn’t find enough energy to complete it so I just read a long summary of it and thought it was a Monarchist drama. I was surprised when Ghimire said Silpi, a theatre group he has co-founded, had staging the drama.
The long drama was shortened, I was informed beforehand, and I found I would have enjoyed it even if it was not shortened. I was amazed to see how the drama perfectly fitted to the present context of Nepal. And, then it changed my belief that The Apple Cart is an advocacy to monarchy.
Actually, the drama tells you why the King is always a threat to democracy; reminds us how he could be at a position to take decisions that may undermine people and sovereignty. And, for us, sadly, it also reminds on how the political parties are performing. Of course, there were a few lapses in drama (the thing I found most disturbing was the use of sleeping dress as national dress…).
