Dark comedy strikes a chord with Lucknowites

Critical But Stable, a play written by French playwright Jean Pierre Martinez, was recently staged at the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Directed by Anurag Shukla, the production played to a houseful audience. KK Agarwal, a Lucknow–based playwright and member of the organizing team, welcomed everyone, with a speech.

The story revolved around Raj, who is in a deep coma after an accident. The audience watched in astonishment as Raj’s brothers, long separated from him, rushed to the hospital once they realised they stood to gain financially. The twisted tale offered uproarious scenes of unexpected humour, revealing how greed often triumphs over family ties.

Applause thundered through the hall when the cast took their bows. Director Abhishek Shukla, who also portrayed one of the scheming brothers, earned praise for his performance. Audiences left the venue buzzing with talk of the play’s audacious storyline and memorable comic turns.
— Manas Mishra