Dhaka Theatre's “Our Country's Good”

Reputed theatre troupe Dhaka Theatre held the fifth staging of their 46th production "Our Country's Good" at the National Theatre Hall in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Tuesday. The play is written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, based on the novel "The Playmaker" by Thomas Keneally. The play was translated by Abdus Selim, and directed by Humayun Kabir Himu.

The story of "Our Country's Good" takes us back to 18th century Sydney, Australia, when convicts and Royal Marines, from Britain, were sent there as part of the first penal colony. The play shows the class system in the convict camp and discusses themes such as sexuality, punishment, the Georgian judicial system. The message delivered to the audience, though, is a deep one - that it is possible for 'theatre to be a humanising force'.

After arriving in Sydney with a ship full of prisoners, Governor Arthur Phillip, Captain David Collins, Captain Watkin Tench, and Midshipman Harry Brewer deliberate the 'intention' of prisons -- should they exist to punish or rehabilitate?; and the nature of criminal characteristics -- are they innate or acquired? When Tench mentions that the convicts are rather 'amused' by the hangings, Phillip wonders if they could be offered something else instead. He suggests the convicts stage a play. Through this 'play within a play', the audience learns about each of the convicts, who share their stories of crime, misunderstandings, abandonment, and despair. At the end of the play, the messages that makes its way to the audience are some that were in the very dialogues, like "art requires decency" or that "art itself grooms intellect", while the convicts accept their fate with the dialogue "We left our country for our country's good."

Some of the individual performances were commendable. The role of Liz Morden was captivating in the hands of Samiun Jahan Dola, substituting for Rosy Siddique, who controlled the audience's emotions through her rough and coarse dialogues, her ruthless stature, but humbling background. The characters of Mary Brenham and John Wisehammer were uplifted by both Setu Falguny and Anik who unravelled a truly touching love story. Captain Arthur Phillip's calmness and authority were both perfectly portrayed by Fakhrul Basher Masum as he showed patience and understanding towards the convicts, especially Liz Morden. Second Lt. Ralph Clark's dedication towards his work to get a promotion was evident in Mahmudur Rahman Shubho's acting, while the hilarity in Robert Sideway's character was portrayed with much zeal by Sayed Rinku.

The rest of the cast included Liton, Sajjad, Milu, Yousuf Khasru, Badal, Tarek Ahmed, Ratan, Shamrat, Saud, Tahmida, Mili Basher, Chumki, Rajib, Hillol, Modok and Rafi, playing various roles in the play. The lights were done by Wasim, costume by Dola, and music by Shumon.

All in all the play gave the audience a plethora of emotions to experience throughout the entire play, from fits of laughter to the shedding of tears, while also gripping everyone's attention through a captivating storyline.