Art & Entertainment

David Goodale

A playwright by trade, David Goodale and his brother are bringing P.G. Wodehouse to the Indian stage

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David Goodale
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This is your first stop outside the UK. Any thoughts?

It’s really exciting. I first came here about 30-40 years ago and the first 12 hours were eventful.

What are the challenges in adapting Wodehouse?

It started 25 years ago, when my brother was looking for material for a one-man show festival. He played Bertie, the narrator and Jeeves.

And you are here with a full-fledged production?

The play has 12 characters, full of quick cha­nges. Bertie breezes through the play not rea­lising the efforts others are putting in.

Did you make any changes for Indian audiences?

It is exactly as it was in the UK. There is a lot of Wodehouse in the play—his words and dialogues.

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What is the period setting going to be like?

We gave it a 1930s feeling; the costumes and the set are very much of that period.

How much fun did you have while co-writing this play?

It was exciting. My brother had worked on the edit first for the one-man show.

Did you always know you would end up in comedy?

I tried to get into TV or movies and went on to make documentary films.

How important was a nod from the Wodehouse estate?

Very. We had approached the Wodehouse estate for the one-man show and they had said the script was very nice.

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How far and wide have your documentaries taken you?

I’ve worked with remote tribal cultures and travelled far to places such as Peru, Kenya, the wilds of the Sudan and Indonesia.

Tell us about an interesting experience.

It’s about a guy who left his village in Venezuela and came to England for two months. I filmed the whole thing for the BBC.

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