Unpacking Baggage

New Indian Express

20-05-2025

With tensions between India and Pakistan at an all-time high and the nation having just recently grappled with the possibility of an all-out war, perhaps now, more than ever before in recent memory, questions of war and the human consequences of it are increasingly close to us. In the play Bag Dancing, Imelda, a woman from Vienna, has experienced the worst of war and human suffering – the holocaust – and is now a 'bag lady' in the UK. She carries her life in her bags, and questions authority boldly. Neville is a young man who works at a homeless shelter while caring for his mentally ill mother. He believes that not everybody is meant to dream. But what happens when these two share their stories and form a friendship? This is what acclaimed Olivier Award-winning UK playwright, Mike Kenny's latest play seeks to explore.
As director Ujwala Rao explains, the play tackles themes of war, displacement, classism, and mental health in a simple way. She says, 'They go around telling their stories and talk about things like war and mental health, but gently. It is not dealt in an overtly political way, but in a way that affects people's everyday lives.'
This gentle approach, according to Rao, has been a gateway for parents to explain difficult subjects to their kids, 'There are many parents of children who've said that they find it hard to talk about things like war and displacement to their children but this play opens up a chance for them to address these things because children will then ask questions like 'what is war', 'why did she lose her home', and 'why were so many people killed?'.'
Despite the central concerns, the play is not devoid of fun and whimsy, essentially aiming to leave audiences feeling optimistic while giving them food for thought. Rao attributes this to Kenny's writing, saying, 'Mike's writing is really engaging and there's a certain rhythm to it. I'm a fan of many of his plays, but with this one, especially, every girl or boy who reads or watches the play wants to be like Imelda and feels that they are like Neville. I love how Mike talks about some significant things with such humour and lightness,' she says, adding, 'Kids have been absolutely inspired by Neville and Imelda's friendship and come out feeling like changing the world, and you don't have to be in a position of authority to do so. The adults come out feeling warm and understood.'
(The play is set to be performed at Bangalore International Centre on May 21 at 7pm. Entry is for all above age 8 and is free of cost. For more information, visit bangaloreinternationalcentre.org)