Melbourne Talam | Meet the cast

To complement the Meet the cast video with actors Rohan Mirchandaney, Sahil Saluja and Sonya Suares, these revision activities will assist you to analyse further Rashma N. Kalsie’s world premiere production of Melbourne Talam.

Revision Activities – VCE Drama

After watching the video, discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups. You may like to re-watch the video and pause it to take notes about specific aspects of the performance.

Discuss

• How do the actors describe the themes of Melbourne Talam? How would you describe the story in your own words? Revisit the Education Pack – Part B (page 24) for more about themes.
• Which key moments from the production are shown in this video?
• How does Rohan Mirchandaney connect ‘talam’ to the characters in the play? Revisit of the Education Pack – Part A (page 7) for more about talam.
• Rohan Mirchandaney mentions using props and costume to make his characters ‘individual from each other’ (for example, Rohan wears a trucker cap as Sonali’s date, Andrew). Identify which props and costumes belonged to which characters.
• Discuss how each character’s costume communicates their character. Revisit of the Education Pack – Part B (page 12) for more about costume design.
• Which animal does Sonya Suares associate with Sonali and why? Revisit of the Education Pack – Part B (page 4) for more insights from Sonya.
• How does Sahil Saluja describe the scene with the treadmills where Poorna is walking out of the office?
• Discuss Sonya Suares’ comment about Australia being an ‘immigration nation’. What has been the journey of the three central characters in Melbourne Talam – from where to where? What is your family’s ancestry? Revisit of the Education Pack – Part A (page 4) for more information about the Indian cities of Hyderabad, Delhi and Gurdaspur.
• Discuss how the dramatic element of rhythm is manipulated in Melbourne Talam, making specific connections to the footage of the performance in this video. Revisit of the Education Pack – Part B (page 22) for more information about the dramatic element of rhythm.

Individually write succinct responses to the questions below, using judicious adjectives and specific examples from the performance. Afterwards, share your responses with your peers.

Written Questions

1. Analyse how one dramatic moment was enhanced by the treadmills in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
2. Explain how Rohan Mirchandaney used one performance skill to portray a character in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
3. Explain how Sonya Suares used two expressive skills to portray a character in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
4. Analyse how Sahil Saluja used two areas of stagecraft in a non-naturalistic way to enhance a dramatic moment in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
5. Evaluate how one dramatic element and the conventions of the performance style(s) was manipulated in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
6. Analyse how the actor-audience relationship was manipulated in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
7. Evaluate how contrast was manipulated to realise transformation of character in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
8. Explain how one area of stagecraft was applied to convey a theme in the performance of Melbourne Talam.
9. Revisit of the Education Pack – Part B (page 7) for more questions about Expressive Skills and Performance Skills.

Want more revision activities? Meet the director and designer of Melbourne Talam here. Remember to always consult VCAA documents when preparing for your VCE exams.