Review: Partition

Partition explores the life and relationships of Srinivasa Ramanujan (played by Vinith Bhandari), a mathematical prodigy who travelled from British India to Cambridge in the early 20th century. It addresses themes ranging from responsibility to colonialism and is unquestionably a play worth watching at the Corpus Playroom. 

Why, you ask?

Well, there’s no one reason. The acting is largely spectacular. There is humour, grief, and tension. The setting means recognizably-Cambridge digs at Oxf*rd, discussions of bad hall food, gowns and the high table. And, of course, not understanding the math as a humanities student adds to the overall atmosphere of academia. 

Image Credits: Mara Postolache

G.H. Hardy (Cian Morey) and Alfred Billington’s (Isaac Allen) characters, in particular, were exemplified marvellously – arrogance, aggravation, and awkwardness were all captured throughout the show. Hardy’s speeches to the London Mathematical Society allowed Morey’s acting talents to shine; we see Hardy’s stiff, dogmatic character have his core beliefs fundamentally shaken over the course of the play.

Allen’s portrayal of Billington as a foil to Hardy’s eccentric character just nudges out Morey’s as the best performance on the show. He acts as the audience’s voice, challenging Hardy for his periodic neglect of Ramanujan and fighting to unite the two. Plus, for how far away from the actors I was sitting, Billington’s voice was never less than crystal clear. Right when I thought he couldn’t get any louder, the power and passion behind Allen’s performance at the climax of Billington’s and Hardy’s relationship gave me frisson.

Ramanujan himself was initially presented as a soft-spoken religious fanatic, and the audience witnessed his growing obsession with mathematical proofs as the plot progressed. Unfortunately, Vinith Bhandari made a number of noticeable errors in his dialogue, but these only marginally impacted his overall delivery. 

Image Credits: Mara Postolache

The more serious moments are interspersed with comedic relief from the ghost of Pierre de Fermat (Charli Foreman). Foreman’s manic laughter, delightfully distinct French accent, and dry dialogue had the audience laughing multiple times. 

Renuka Chintapilli’s portrayal of goddess Namagiri, who plays a maternal divine figure in Ramanujan’s life, also brought some unexpected humor to the stage. Her interactions with Fermat in particular revealed surprising perspectives and added a sickening twist to Ramanujan’s story.

Partition did acknowledge the colonial backdrop of Ramanujan’s story and the biases of the “civilised” world – Billington described Indians as “barbaric” at the beginning of the play. For the most part, it does so tastefully. Towards the end, Hardy suggests that “capturing and taming” Ramanujan earlier in his career as a mathematician may have produced different results, but recognized later it would have fundamentally changed Ramanujan’s approach to mathematics. 

Admittedly, the Partition crew did a great job of including both British and Indian cultural affects in the performance. Chintapilli’s costume – complete with a Kamarbandh (a traditional South Indian belt) – the selection of music and the regular allusions to Hindu customs were just a few examples of how representative the show was. 

Rating 4.5/5

Tickets for Partition can be purchased here.

Feature image credits: Mara Postolache