Theatre Art Unit marks 34th anniversary with new play ‘Boloy’

To mark its 34th anniversary, Theatre Art Unit opened a new production, "Boloy", at the Experimental Theatre of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The play — written and directed by Mokaddem Morshed — premiered on October 22 and will run again tonight at 7pm.

"Boloy" is an intellectual drama about conscience and escape. It stages an extended encounter among three archetypal figures — a politician, a scientist, and a theologian — each trapped in the competing claims of politics, society, religion and power. All three, unable to resolve their inner conflicts, turn to a psychiatrist in search of liberation from doubt and contradiction.

Kamruzzaman Millat, the troupe's chief coordinator and a member of the cast, said the play offers a layered examination of contemporary life. "We explore how people become ensnared by ideology, authority and wishful reasoning, and how they seek refuge in analysis and confession," he said. "The drama follows these three characters as they confront personal failure, public responsibility and the ethical cost of their choices."

The ensemble cast includes Rejaul Amin, Swadhin Shah, Nahid Sultana, Selim Mahabub, Bashri Anannya and Rana Sikder in principal roles, supported by a broader company of performers. Millat described the piece as both timely and classical in scope: "It's an introspective play that asks urgent questions about identity, belief and the limits of rationality."

The staging coincides with the Theatre Art Unit's annual "S M Solaiman Pronodona" initiative, established in 2005 to encourage young theatre practitioners in the spirit of the troupe's founder. Millat emphasised the continuity between the company's founding ideals and this season's programming: "Our founder, S M Solaiman, embodied the youthful courage and creative energy we still strive to sustain. Presenting 'Boloy' at our anniversary is a deliberate continuation of that legacy."

Audiences can expect concentrated staging, dialogue-driven scenes and a focus on moral psychology rather than spectacle. The production aims to provoke reflection rather than supply answers: a compact theatrical investigation into how public roles and private contradictions collide.

Performances of "Boloy" are scheduled at 7pm tonight at the Shilpakala Academy's Experimental Theatre. Tickets and ensemble details are available from the Academy box office.