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A political play staging the Nazi takeover of Germany with an eye on India. Although Utpal Dutt is acknowledged as a trailblazer of post-Independence Indian theater, English readers have not had access to the range and wealth of his drama.
Barricade is a political play that stages the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933 with an eye on India. Today, the surge to power of far-right parties and fundamentalist fanaticism across the world means that the co-option of democracy and civil society that led to Nazi fascism can happen again--or indeed has already happened--granting
Barricade its immediate urgency. Equipped with an introduction analyzing its historical context, this translation of
Barricade is also a very rare product in dramatic literature, collating both the printed original as well as a documented performance of the production directed by Dutt.
About the author
Utpal Dutt (1929-1993) was one of India's most important playwrights, theater directors, and actors.
Ananda Lal, a theatre and translation specialist, retired as professor of English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He directs Writers Workshop, Kolkata, and runs kolkatatheatre.com.
