This Christmas-themed performance in Mumbai aims to foster the spirit of giving

The cast engages in a playful moment during the rehearsal

Imagine a cold, dark night with a tribe sitting around a fire waiting for Santa Claus while he is on his rounds. Two kids drop out of a hot-air balloon, and set in motion a musical narration of stories, experiences and dance that adds to the joy of the season. If it sounds ambitious, it is, says theatre maker Ulka Mayur. "It is never easy to make a production with kids, but it is always fun," she says, describing the work going into the making of her upcoming musical, You, Me and Gubbare.

The title takes off from the ‘gubbare' or balloons used by the two children to get to this mystical land. "They arrive by accident, and it is a sweet, fun moment when they land in the midst of this group of adults waiting around on Christmas Eve," Mayur says.

Ulka Mayur rehearses the script with the children

Though rehearsals only began a month ago, Mayur has been working on the concept for a few months. The play, she reveals, contains a motif that is as old as time in drama; more specifically Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Like the Chaucerian epic, Mayur's script has the children discovering more about the individual members of the camp as they begin to narrate their story. "The use of this premise is a happy one, and common in literature. There are four key stories, with every story becoming a piece in itself," she reveals.

These short pieces offer a chance to add colour through musical interludes. The cast of 15, including seven children, are all musically inclined. "We purposefully chose the cast to ensure that the music is integrated into the performance. For instance, we have a boy who is learning Kathak, another plays the tabla and djembe, there are two guitarists and a few singers as well. It makes the performance, even the rehearsals, such fun," she admits.

The kids perform a scene with an actor playing Santa

While the theatre maker had initially planned the performance around children, the season of Christmas made the stories all the more relevant. "The mini-stories offer an insight into the experiences of human nature, kindness and gentleness. One story tells of a mall-based Santa trying to retain his place against the emergence of a fitter, healthier Santa. Another speaks of a fictional reindeer who wants to fit into the crowd. These tales enable the children to understand the true spirit of the festivities, beyond the gifts and the decorations," Mayur says.

It is easy to forget the work that goes into making things fun. The director shares, "But it is so important to have fun. Children today, like adults, have such a hectic lifestyle. For this play itself, we had to find time since we could not rehearse every week. We worked in pairs, and sometimes online. But the important thing was to ensure that the children, and the grown-ups, enjoyed while they worked," she says. It is this element of fun that she hopes to bring back to the audience. After all, there is no better way to enjoy Christmas than with childlike joy.

Ulka Mayur

ON December 24; 5.30 pm and 7 pm
AT Veda Kunba Theatre, Four Bungalows, Andheri West.
LOG ON TO in.bookmyshow.com
COST Rs 450