Through the three acts, the characters are forced into absurd actions in the hope of a release or forgiveness. With time, their wait becomes the punishment. Over 28 minutes, the play portrays the slow submission of the prisoners while questioning loftier concepts such as freedom, time and happiness, and their irrelevance from a prisoner’s perspective.

Interestingly, the constricted space of the performance — and the screen — adds to a feeling of oppressive foreboding that carries on. Verma confirms our view, saying that the audience is also imprisoned while it views the performance from within their rooms. “It [the play] also explores the idea of living in a simulation, of things beyond our own control. I wanted to leave the audience with the thought where this imprisonment feels endless. The dread keeps growing.” By the denouement when the prisoners repeat their first lines, this time without any defiance, this dread hits home.

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Written in 2021 as part of a grant from the German Consulate, Mumbai and Harkat Studios, the play was designed for a live and virtual interactive audience experience. To adapt it for the camera, the production utilises minimalism. There are no sudden cuts, or jerky camera movements. The camera maintains a fixed perspective without being intrusive. The audience, thus, becomes the faceless jailer taking delight in the prisoner’s confusions. The few close-ups serve to highlight emotional moments. Verma reveals that the editing for the production was done live in order to prevent any deviation from the performance.

In all, Age of Prison proves to be an interesting experiment. One must say that absurdist performances are always an acquired taste. In adapting it to a virtual audience, the production does prove successful. It might be interesting to see what comes next. 

Log on to: alfaaztheatre.com
Cost: Rs 299 per show (available for 48 hours after subscription)