For the finale of our time in India we bought tickets to the famous Keralan performance of Kathakali. A 12 hour religious ceremony that has been shortened (luckily!) for tourist performances. How we had avoided it so far we will never know, though unfortunately it turned into bit of a farce. We bought the tickets the day before and had a peek into what looked a small rustic thatched hall. You arrive early to see the performers apply their heavy and striking make up – we were the only ones there, ominous. At some point during this it looked like the two performers had a disagreement, and all the while the room was drowned in a horribly bad recording of high pitched horns, bells and drums at full feedback levels, it was getting truly painful. Finally 15 minutes before the show started an Indian family arrived, then about 6 more tourists came in in drips and drabs to quadruple the audience.
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The show began (5 minutes late, after one of the Indian gentlemen got up on the stage and called down to the dressing room to ask what the delay was) first the green faced dude gave a demonstration of the hand and facial movements that are the heart of the act. The musical recording was worst than before and the actor himself finally got up and turned the amp down, but it could have been the tourists with fingers and plugs in ears that caused it. The Indian family left.
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In the second act green face was joined on stage with the one and only other actor in the performance and the show continued. 2 more people left, I was wishing we would at this point as I feared a cringeful end for performers and audience alike. We felt sorry for them as the make up was very good and the performance wasn’t bad, it was just horribly produced and painful. It must be shit to know that people will get up and walk out each night, hopefully they have thick skins as they sell the show daily. Anyway we didn’t leave and we think they wrapped it up 20 minutes early to half hearted applause. The actors asked if anyone wanted photos with them, everyone that was left looked at their feet nervously. Two girls timidly said yes and we broke for the door, past the tip box and visitors book (why bother) and into the warm night air slightly stunned by it all.
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It was enough to drive us to eat beef for the first time in 3 months (christian rather than hindu area so its fair game here). Thankfully the feelings of pity and despair had passed by the morning, it would not be our lasting memory of India! There are many places that perform this we just cocked up with the choice of venue, we may even brave it again some day…somewhere else.