Anupama Chandrasekhar’s When the crows visit at the Kiln Theatre starts out in quite a light hearted way but descends into a harrowing tale of sexual violence in a patriarchal society. Directed by Indhu Rubasingham, the play is set in modern-day India with iphones and ipads.
We first meet a stubborn bed-ridden old woman Jaya (Soni Razdan) who is being uncooperative with her young nurse Ragini (Aryana Ramkhalawon). We find out she is the mother in law to Hema (Ayesha Dharker), who’s late husband it is implied was a domestic abuser. Jaya, his mother speaks of her late son as if could do no wrong.
The scene cuts to a bar in Mumbai, where we first meet the angry arrogant games developer Akshay (Bally Gill) as he complains to his friends he is being ignored by a waitress who won’t take his drinks order. In the background there are silhouettes of a busy bar of people enjoying a night out.
The same guy returns unexpectedly to his family home and is welcomed warmly by his grandmother. A policeman calls by to question him about an incident that happened in Mumbai where a waitress was violently attacked by three men and is now close to death in ICU. Hema is immediately defensive of her son but later witnesses a disturbing exchange between him and the young nurse that makes her question her son’s professed innocence in the Mumbai assault.
The play raises the issue of how mothers can be complicit in the circle of misogyny and violence towards women when they protect their sons.
With compelling performance by the actors in particular Ayesha Dharker as the conflicted mother, and a fantastic set design by Richard Kent (designer), Oliver Fenwick (Lighting) and Ben and Max Ringham (sound), this play is well worth seeing.
