It’s a play that claims to give you ROFL (roll on the floor laughing) moments throughout. It also drives home a message, without being preachy. Touted to be one of the funniest plays written in the history of English theatre, One Out of Six is a thought-provoking comedy adapted from its original by Karla Singh and produced by Raell Padamsee.
The play sees actors Cyrus Broacha and Bugs Bhargava team up for a laugh riot. It’s about Jo Pereira, a haughty dry cleaner and father of a gay son.
The father, however, doesn’t know that the son is gay and when he does find out, all hell breaks loose. To add to the chaos, Jo’s wife, who had eloped with his brother, comes back to her son too. Whether they come to terms with their son’s sexual orientation and manage to overcome their own conflicts form the crux of the plot.
While Raell admits that this play wasn’t their first choice and that they locked it after one fun script reading session, Cyrus jokes, “Raell gave me money and asked me to do the play and I happily agreed!” The funnyman recalls how he loved the original version and calls it a timeless classic. And although homosexuality is one major part of the play, Cyrus clarifies that it’s more than that.
“The play deals with the communication gap between the father and the son, the husband and the wife. I think we’ve come a long way in terms presenting the gay movement in entertainment. And we’re definitely not preaching; it takes a look at how people look at relationships. Plus, it’s really funny.”
Co-actor Bugs Bhargava agrees, “It is about human relationships at the end of the day. After people stop laughing, they’re forced to think. It’s a play about the fact that you have to understand relationships and accept them as they are. Whether your kid is straight or gay, he’s still your kid. It does have a social message. But it is also easily relatable and we’ve added a few Indian references to make it more identifiable.”
Raell feels that it is a perfect piece for Cyrus and Bugs to show off their comic timing. “It’s not a cheesy, slapstick comedy. There’s interplay between the characters, bringing forth issues that we do have to deal with today. But it is a hysterically funny play at the same time,” she says.
