A scene from Madiah Muchi at Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati. Picture by Eastern Projections

Two ethnic productions presented on the third day of the eight-day Surjya National Theatre Festival, 2010, gave Guwahati at once a feel of earthy folklore and epic extravagance.

Rabha play Madiah Muchi and Bodo play Monglee, staged on February 14, reminded theatre lovers of Assam’s rich cultural tapestry.

Madiah Muchi (Madiah the Cobbler), a 70-minute-long gripping production by artistes of Badungduppa of Rampur village in Goalpara district, can easily be attributed as one of the most significant examples of “physical theatre”.

The theme of the play is derived from a folk epic of Karnataka about Madeswara.

The original script, written by Prof H.S. Sivprakash, was translated and adapted into Rabha language by Sukracharjya Rabha, the director of the play.

King Sravana, the autocratic ruler, has enslaved all gods and goddesses. He now plans to capture the sun, the moon and Mother Earth, and succeeds with his own power and might.

But a group of common men decide to launch a people’s revolution to overpower King Sravana and stop his atrocities.

One day, they meet Madiah, a man with supernatural powers, and with his help and guidance, the small group of common people kill King Sravana and end his regime.

Strictly from the point of storyline, the play is an ordinary folk tale.

But director Rabha, who has earned accolades for his experiments on stage, stunned the audience with striking images and metaphors.

Exaggerated physical movement, haunting music and innovative choreography added to the effect.

The acting, as the design of the play suggests, is loud, but unique.

Dhananjoy Rabha as Madiah and Radhika Rabha as mother earth were impressive.