Rethink Edmond Dantès not as an unsuspecting Bonapartist, but an unwitting arms smuggler. Theatrecian’s production of A Return to Monte Cristo, performed at Gyan Manch on February 21, was a retelling of Alexandre Dumas’s story, adapted for the stage and set in the context of present-day global politics and upward social mobility. Directed by Muhammad Ali Khan and Jayantika Ganguly, the performance used dance sequences and a semi-colloquial contemporary dialogue. But, in compressing the plot, the script became prosaic and the resolution appeared forced. Thus the link between Dantès’s incarceration and his return for revenge did not allow for any psychological insight. But the play’s primary weakness was its inability to exploit the idea of Monte Cristo as a metaphor.

Adaptations of classics must ensure that the modern elements are properly integrated. Aditya Banerjee, as Dantès, could have done without the Tom-Cruise salute from Jerry Maguire. Udit Sood in the role of Danglars and Kunal Gaurav as Abbè Faria gave the only near-perfect performances when some of the cast seemed to succumb to the banter and catcalls from an audience comprised mostly of family and friends.