By Bibek Regmi, Kathmandu, Sept. 22: A soft melody is playing in the background. After a while, a dim light comes on and, moments later, an elderly man appears on stage. Recalling his past, he sometimes smiles, sometimes becomes emotional, and at times tears flow from his eyes.
The play The Final Song, staged at Russian House in Kamalpokhari, not only captivated the audience but also moved them with veteran theatre artiste Sunil Pokhrel’s poignant performance. The play, staged from September 18 and 21, features Pokhrel and Sabbu Gurung. The Final Song (The Swan Song, 1887), a one-act play written by Russian writer Anton Chekhov, has been translated into Nepali by Mahesh Poudyal. The play portrays loneliness, anguish, restlessness and the story of an ageing theatre artist.
The play, which particularly appears to mirror the life lived by Sunil Pokhrel himself, centres on the idea that the immense love received from audiences on stage is fleeting, while one may have to live life alone and in anguish. According to the story, the actor looks back on his long theatrical journey and, reflecting on his own life, recalls moments of sacrifice, despair and fleeting victories.
“It is not merely a translation of words; rather, a bitter experience is being translated. I am also there in it,” said Poudyal.
He said the play also incorporates a glimmer of hope within the bitterness. “For Nepali readers, The Swan Song may not simply be the story of an old Russian actor left alone on stage,” he said. “It can also be read as a reflection on the lives of Nepali artistes who carry their dedication to their art for longer than the attention of the world.”
According to director Nawaraj Budhathoki, the play is not merely the story of an artistes’ final night but also an emotional moment of looking back on his entire theatrical journey.
“When a theatre artiste who has spent his entire life on stage reaches the threshold of farewell, what remains with him are the dialogues of the characters he portrayed, memories, unfinished dreams and his love for art. That is The Final Song,” said Budhathoki.
Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short-story writer with a profound influence on modern world literature and theatre.
The Rising Nepal
