Some Questions

Will peace ever come
After the storm?

Will words find a port
Before darkness falls?

Will hearts be reconciled
Or will war stay warm?

Will peace ever bloom
Amidst the gloom?

Will peace reign
And soothe the pain?

Will peace dance
After the tears?

Will minds will
That to live
Is to forgive?

Will humanity learn
Or will hatred
Still burn?

Reflections on Russian Invasion of Ukraine

A truly dark chapter for Europe and the world with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. To think this can happen in 2022, in a world of increasing globalisation and mutual empathy! What will the endgame be? Will Putin come to his senses and realise that there can be no winner here with his heinous acts? Will peace ever prevail as long as “unhealthy” nationalism and perverse extremist rhetoric run amok? Is mankind forever destined to live in a perpetual cycle of war and destruction?

In an nutshell, peace can never truly prevail until there is a wholehearted revolution in man’s consciousness and emotional regulation. This will happen again and again. All too easily, people are swayed by the specious lies that demagogues shout with incendiary passion. And the demagogues prey upon this vulnerability that lurks within the darker recesses of the human psyche with rapacious intent. Add to this other baser instincts such as: lust for money, unquenchable greed, unfettered envy and a false understanding of history, then you have a perfect cocktail of deadly despair.

It is only when we possess the requisite skills to take care of the darker aspects of our selves will we see our more positive aspects flourish. It is only when we step out of the bunker of fetid, bigoted thinking and absorb the torch of tolerance and togetherness, that openness of spirit shines a light upon, will we recognise our shared humanity. Perhaps, in these tenebrous days, when so much of the world feels on edge, we need to cultivate, more than ever, those civilised qualities that allow both humans and societies to prosper: love, compassion, liberty, interdependence, truth, reconciliation. In the end, it is only love and philosophy of the will, action and mind to practise good and perform joyful acts that will save us. Nothing more, nothing less.

A Night To Remember

Perhaps it is due to everything that has unfolded during the past 18 months, but this was unquestionably the most joyful evening I have ever spent in a theatre. No one has been unaffected by the pandemic, least of all The Arts Sector, so to attend an open-air production of The Comedy of Errors at the RSC in Stratford on a specially- constructed stage, felt like a unique experience to be a part of.

The Comedy of Errors is one of the Bard’s shortest plays; it could be argued that with lengthy attention-spans becoming rare commodities during Covid-19, this was an apt play to perform. Yet, it is the themes that the play explores that are ever so resonant. Two sets of twins become separated after a shipwreck, eventually reconciled after many years and numerous instances of mistaken identity. Redemption comes at the end, but Shakespeare being Shakespeare makes his audience question whether this will indeed be lasting or merely a temporary truce.

What I particularly loved about this production was the exquisite blend of speech and movement. Many a Shakespearean play have I seen where actors have declaimed their lines from the neck upwards only; instead, and what this performance highlighted with unabashed exuberance, is that the words should come as much from the whole body as well as the head. Granted, a play that revolved around chaos and confusion may lend itself more readily to this “full-bodied” action. Yet when the words are allowed to sing in full flight, how much richer the interpretations prove to be.

Of course, all this is being said against a backdrop where touch has been night on impossible for millions of us, so maybe just witnessing actors, in the flesh, embracing one another – whether in affection or discord- is really just a huge cathartic release. Ultimately, the show is a triumph for the RSC as it just goes to illustrate how vital theatre is in elucidating the human experiences and the countless ways in which it can help us make sense of an often baffling and uncertain world. In the end, companionship and the spirit of amity is what matters above anything else. To hear Dromio of Ephesus say to his twin, Dromio of Syracuse, with whom he has just been reunited, at the play’s conclusion, “and now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another” was to witness the essence of humanity.

On a balmy summer’s evening in Stratford–Upon-Avon, Shakespeare has never felt more relevant.