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Episode

7

To Best The Beast

Krishnee Bhotooa
Port Louis, Mauritius
May 31, 2023

About the Story

A day in the lives of Mayor Toad, big boss Peahen and a hard-working assistant Ant. They launch a clean energy project designed to better lives. But when Tortois asks some difficult questions about who gets the benefits and who feels the impacts, sparks are sure to fly.

Get to Know the Writer

Krishnee is the coolest teacher who fell into the magic of theatre and now leads a double life: teacher by day, playwright by night.

Here is our mini Q&A!

Q: If you were a sound effect, what would you sound like?
A: If I were a sound effect, I would probably be an annoying creaking door because I always end up disturbing everyone around me by accident or, to be honest, quite deliberately.

Q: Why did you write about this topic?
A: I was interested in telling a climate story from the point of view of animals as they are direct and, sadly, silent victims of human activities.

Q: How does climate change affect your community?
A: My community has been trying to find a balance between periods of drought and flash floods; a balance continually compromised.

Q: Who would you like to listen to your episode?
A: If ants developed the ability to understand English and act accordingly, I would like them to listen to my play and be the change, given their massive number.

Q: What was your most memorable podcast-writing moment?
A: While creating my characters, I suddenly realized that two of my most eccentric characters had the traits of two friends of mine. I hope they won’t recognize themselves!

More about the playwright

Episode Producers

Lead Producer

Caudan Arts is a hub for music, art, food, dialogue, conferences and events at the waterfront of Port Louis, Mauritius. Here's what they say about their work:

'We aspire to be a space that brings creative and innovative minds together; a platform where people engage with ideas and art, in its diverse forms. We are setting the stage for a new cultural scene in Mauritius and in the region. Our motto: Creativity for All.'

Supporting Producer

Soulpepper is Canada's leading artist-driven theatre company and is based in Tkatonro/Toronto. We'll let them introduce themselves in their own words:

'We believe that stories can connect us, that they are vital to our understanding, compassion and knowledge, and that they can motivate us toward social change.'

Sunny's inventive and award-winning theatre works have been presented in over 60 cities across the world and translated into 4 languages. His wide range of audiences have spanned international arts festivals goers, queers in underground warehouses, seniors in regional theatres and young people in drop-in centres.

Episode Supporters

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Take a Deep Dive into the Themes!

Our Impact Producer, Chaprece Henry, unpacks the climate themes
in this episode in our Discussion Guide

Discussion Guide

Credits

Written by KRISHNEE BHOTOOA

Directed by ASHISH BEESOONDIAL

Starring: 

YAKSHINEE PURHOOA as Tortoise

SONIA MAISSIN as Mrs Peahen

ASHISH BEESOONDIAL as Ant

ESTELLE LASÉMILLANTE as Mayor Toad

Sound design, audio mixing and recording engineer KOOSHAL DWARKA 

Additional audio mixing RICHARD FEREN

Episode produced by CAUDAN ARTS CENTRE with support from SUNNY DRAKE PRODUCTIONS

Access the transcript here.

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