Taj

Synopsis

The Taj Mahal: one of the greatest architectural miracles wrought by man. A monument to live built by a great emperor for his dead queen. But through the pure white marble seep the rumours of madness, cruelty and despair. And four centuries later, the ghost of the grief-stricken empress is seen wandering the walls, begging for redemption. Taj brings to life an opulent period of Islamic history through the eyes of a young Asian woman on a pilgrimage to her past. Yet past meets present as fantasy, philosophy and drama are woven together to explore the eternal conflicts between love and death, belief and conscience, knowledge and understanding.

Our Review:

7 February 2003

Note: The following review dates from November 2002 and an earlier tour stop of this production.

The mighty Taj Mahal. One of the seven wonders of the world, built in the 17th century by the great Moghul leader Shahjahan to commemorate his beloved wife Mumtaz, who died giving birth to their 14th child. On most people's list of places to visit before they depart this earth, and now the peg upon which The Big Picture Company has opted to hang its acclaimed Asian theatrical cloak.

After a perplexing opening, in which Nicholas Immaculate's opulent Period costumes catch the eye, we meet Maryam, a bright young British Asian woman arriving in India. As the scenes unfold, we learn that Maryam is terminally ill with cancer, and has journeyed from England on a pilgrimage to her past.

During a visit to Mumtaz's tomb, and aided by the powerful drugs that control her pain, Maryam encounters the ghost of the former Queen. She reveals to her the troubles of her marriag...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

No reviews yet

Click here to add your review