English play The Urge being staged in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 26: Theatre enthusiasts in the city roared with laughter as seasoned theatre exponents Amir Raza Husain and his wife Virat Husain staged a slapstick comedy The Urge, at a city hotel on Saturday evening. The play received appreciation from the audience for its humorous script and effortless acting by the entire troupe.

An adaptation of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, Amir Raza’s version of the play was novel in many ways. The story unfolds in Yorkshire, which is brought out neatly through a lavish set adorned with British furnishings.

A theatre opera troupe run by Dicky Dickson has arranged for a show by Italian singing sensation Toni Corelli. However, his assistant, George who is in love with Dickson’s sister Annabel, ends up enacting Corelli and wins over many fans. A number of twists and turns in the tale create a series of confusions which are intelligently solved at the end.

While noted thespian and director of the play Amir was the perfect George, Virat was a bubbly and romantic Annabel, of whom you wanted to see more of on stage.

Rahul Karan Batra gave a dominating performance on stage as Dickson, with his impressive gait and stentorian voice suiting the character perfectly.

The characters of Toni Corelli, Carlotta and the stunning beauty, Angela were impactful too.

Though the comedy was rib tickling, unlike Shakespeare’s puns, the naughty dialogues were quite explicit. A few scenes were rather unconventional for the Bhubaneswar crowd.

However, at the end of the day, the viewers went home after having enjoyed themselves.

“The play was hilarious and the Italian accent taken on by the actors was simply lovely. We wish the troupe staged plays in the city more often,” said Deepak Mohanty, a viewer.

Amir and his team were in Orissa for the first time.

“We are glad to be here and performing for such a lovely crowd was a wonderful experience. We are looking forward to coming here,” said Amir.