The gift of Krishnan's Dairy is the opportunity to look more closely at the familiar hopes and dreams of people we meet everyday, in small family-owned corner shops all over the western world, yet may never have given a second thought.
Fifteen years on since the 1997 premiere of Krishnan's Dairy, the story and its message are as fresh as the day's NZ Herald shop-front headline (‘Coroner Points Finger at Kahui'), which graces the middle of the stage for most of the play.
A dozen or so five metre-tall, soft, richly-coloured saris form the backdrop and the wings around (John Verryt's) simply constructed two-piece set. The stylised counter and display stand are papered with magazine covers and coated with a blue wash.
Solo performer Jacob Rajan enters with his guitar, accompanied by outstanding and most aptly appointed musician, arranger and Foley sound-effecter David Ward. Together they blat out the prologue in the form of a simple, matter-of-fact indo-folk ballad, explaining the arranged marriage of Gobi Krishnan to his wife Zina and their subsequent migration to our comparatively quiet, spacious and chilly island nation.
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On the surface it's a small story about simple folk seeking quiet and comfort, yet – like the dimensions and versatility of the set and props – there's a deeper connection to the universal human condition; the desire for identity and security. The gift of Krishnan's Dairy is the opportunity to look more closely at the familiar hopes and dreams of people we meet everyday, in small family-owned corner shops all over the western world, yet may never have given a second thought.
Ultimately, though the scale and technology of retail continues to grow and prosper, it seems the classic corner dairy is here to stay, for the foreseeable future at least. As is the ideological notion that love is the greatest power of them all.
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