For a Laugh: A family in the English countryside plagued by fears of a lunatic and a murderer hiding out in the vicinity. Inspector Hound, in charge of the investigation, turns up to help them cope. But then, the real Inspector Hound appears on the scene... That’s the storyline, more humorous than frightening, of the Tom Stoppard play The Real Inspector Hound, staged this week by Theatrecian. Directed by Dhruv Mookerji, the cast included Dana Roy, Nandini Das, Roshni Bose and Bikram Ghosh. The comedy, scenes from which have been captured here, will be performed again soon. Catch it if you can. Pictures by Amit Datta

For sceptics who believe Calcuttans cannot appreciate music, the most marvellous orchestra performance on October 30 at Kala Mandir proved them wrong. The event was to mark the 10th anniversary of The Mathieson Music Trust, India, and the 10th death anniversary of late Reverend Father Theodore Mathieson. For the concert, the students of Christ?s Hospital School, UK, and Mathieson Music School, Calcutta, performed together.

Keeping Father Mathieson in mind, the evening started off with a prayer. Then, the orchestra from Christ?s Hospital School, UK, performed a stirring rendition of Music for The Royal Fireworks, by German composer Handel. Capriol Suite, by English composer Peter Warlock, comprising variations of the main melody. With hues of sadness merged with happiness, the piece started on a dull note and ended with a tinge of brightness.

Next on the list was Summer from Four Seasons by Vivaldi, with Timothy Callagham as the main violinist. Anup Kumar Biswas, the renowned UK-based cellist who founded Mathieson Music School for under-privileged children, played Haydn?s Cello Concerto in D Major. Then was Bach?s Cantata 170, with Molly Carroll singing the soprano and Harriet Dillistone on the oboe.

Next, to give the Occident a feel of the Orient, the little boys and girls of the Mathieson School, beyond Thakurpukur, put up a commendable kathak performance. Hats off to the performers and the teachers behind them.

The spotlight returned to the Britishers. There were three Hungarian dance tunes by Dumitru Farcas, performed by a woodwind quintet. The sounds of the trumpets, French horn, trombone and tuba seemed to be more full and clear as the instruments glinted in the light. The Promenade was followed by Gershwin Medley. The Anton Bruckner song Locus Iste was also sung, a choral performance, the music lingering in the silence as the notes died.

The concluding piece was 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. With different moods, scales and tones, it was a grand finale.

Tanmoy Das Lala,
St Xavier?s Collegiate School

Drama hungama

Early last month was a milestone for The Heritage School ? we had our first inter-house drama competition. Preparations started from September, soon after the completion of the exams. We have four houses ? Aryabhatt, Chanakya, Dronacharya and Patanjali. There is stiff competition among them, so when it came to the drama contest, you can well imagine the excitement.

The theme was ?Life is?? We had to write our own scripts. It was a difficult task. Verse or prose, characters, the period, costumes... We had brain-storming sessions on these issues. We put our heads together and tried to pen our thoughts. This was how our play Life is a Challenge was born. The backdrop was World War II and I wrote it in verse. Then came sets and costumes. We scavenged around the art room for old props and used some leftover cartons and chart paper. The other houses were also bustling with activity, creating ships or lampposts, making music on the synthesiser or piano.

We had stage rehearsals on two days. The CESC transformer broke down just before the day of the event, leaving the light arrangements at a loss. We were able to squeeze in only one session with lights.

On D-Day, there was major excitement. The lots were drawn and our house (Chanakya) was last. So we had ample time on our hands. The judges were principal Nilkanth Gupta, Theatrecian?s Tathagata Chowdhury and actress Dana Roy.

Aryabhatt put up its play Live Life Kingsize first, which revolves around a millionaire who learns that he is to die that very day before the clock strikes 12. The only way to avoid it is by donating his wealth to someone in need. He bequeaths it to his old gardener, who dies at midnight.

The second play, by Dronacharya, opens with a street scene and the nukkad dadas discussing life. The play gives a brief glimpse of life as it appears to a businessman, politician, professor, beggar and a sadhu. The role of the beggar was played by Mudit Sanwalka. His ?Give in the name of Allah baba? was much appreciated.

Life?s a Mixed Bag, written by Upamanyu Bhattacharya, was the Patanjali play. It deals with the fancy of a 10-year-old boy who aspires to be a pirate. He sets out on a journey and learns about life.

We had a tough time getting the right make-up. Looking like Hirohito and Hitler is not easy. Chanakya won for the best script, followed by Patanjali. The best performer was Upamanyu Bhattacharya, with Gaurav Sureka in second place.

Akash Banerjee,
Class VIII, The Heritage School

Play time

The Dramatics Society of Loreto College held its annual inter-year drama competition in October. The judges were eminent personalities like Zarin Chaudhuri, Vishant Aggarwal and Biplab Dasgupta.

The first-years staged Dead Ringer by Stuart Arden. Their performance was praised and costumes appreciated by the judges. Anahita Ganguli, who played David, and Ankana Chakraborty, in the role of Madame Petrova, jointly won the award for best supporting actor.

The second-years performed the comedy The Healing Herb by Earnest A. Bryan, which drew quite a few laughs from the audience. Nicola Reynolds, who convincingly portrayed Mary, was given due recognition as the best actor.

The third-years were awarded best play for their production of Aria De Capo by Edna St Vincent Millay, which was a combination of good production elements ? lights, dance, music, etc. Laura Lopamudra Mishra was adjudged best director.

Radhika Basu Thakur,
2nd-year, English (hons), Loreto College

Students perform at The Heritage School’s first inter-house drama competition. The event witnessed original scripts, costumes, sets, music and more.

Treasure from trash

The students of Birla High School (junior section) decided to use recycled material and waste products in their quest for beauty at their annual art and craft exhibition held recently. Every culture, down the ages, found expression in the display. From cave-painting to stone-carving, man has experimented with form and colour to beautify his surroundings, strengthen his spirit or simply make a statement.

The theme of the exhibition was Peace and Harmony. In our works we tried to capture the spirit of divinity, its perfection, organisation, synchronisation, harmony, unity and balance.

The exhibition also showcased the various activities of our nature, GK and social service clubs. From Greece, the home of the Olympics, to the Narmada Bachao Andolan and visits to old-age homes, the presentations of the three clubs addressed the heart, mind and helping hand.

All the exhibits were fashioned out of recycled materials. Never was waste made to look more attractive or colourful. Even an image of Durga was made from old greeting cards.

Not to be outdone, the children of the KG section designed Old Macdonald?s animal farm using bindis, thermocol glasses, egg-holders and shredded paper. Old handkerchiefs were given a new look by using tie-and-dye techniques.

The success of the exhibition was the result of team work by teachers and students alike.

Karikeya Desai,
Class V, Birla High School

Catching up...

The enthusiastic alumni of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan lapped up passes to Rock Dandiya, organised by Bhavanaa, the alumni association of the school. It was bound to be a hit. The campus was decked up in festive gear, with decorations and lights. The word-of-mouth publicity drew 1,000-plus revellers, who grooved to the beats of DJ Harshit till past midnight. There were prizes, live dance performances and scrumptious food.

nThe Bhavan?s industrial fair was an endeavour to create awareness about the new range of products and services offered to the consumer by large and medium-scale industries. The products ranged from electronics to cosmetics. The students of Bhavan?s Institute of Management Science took steps to ensure the success of the fair, organised on the institute?s Salt Lake campus recently. The three-day fair had participation from numerous corporates from the eastern region. DJ Nite, on the final day, had party-goers thronging the premises to listen to Bangla band Cactus.

Stuti Agarwal, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

project report

Creativity for a cause

Handicrafts like artificial flowers (organdy, satin, stockings and Ikebana), candles, gift, bags and envelopes of handmade paper, lamasha (Spanish clay art) on frames, clay work and painting on earthen pots, Feng Shui items like golden leaves and stone trees, stained glass painting and more... All part of the Saturday vocational training classes at Chowringhee High School. The fruits of the labour of the students ? handicrafts worth Rs 80,000 ? produced with the help of teachers, will be sold at the TTIS Exhibition-cum-Carnival for a Cause this weekend at Iran Society. The proceeds will go to charity. There will be 12 stalls at the exhibition, each with theme-based decorations like communal harmony, Calcutta, TV serials, cartoons, fairy tales, Indo-Pak friendship and food of Bengal. The closing ceremony will celebrate the centennial year of Rotary with a huge cake. Prizes will also be given to participants and students who have excelled in making handicrafts, stall decoration, etc.

Firdous Jahan,
Class X, Chowringhee High School