Goa and the Goan Tiatr are inseparable parts of a true Goan. Right from the time Goans began migrating to a distant land for the promise of a better tomorrow, they took the art and culture of the land of their birth to their new locales of residence and lived a life that was deeply embedded in Gõykarponn, and began living as an Or’rad Gõykar!
When Goans reached Mumbai because of the job avenues in the booming textile industry and the employment chances brightening for a career in the shipping industry, migrating to Mumbai was an option preferred by Goans and as a result, Goans began settling in Bombay now Mumbai.
Goans carried along with themselves the zagors and carnival fells, while the educated elite took along the Portuguese dramas and concertos and began to live a culturally satiated life. Tiatr gained a good foothold in the last decade of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century and since then there has been no looking back for tiatr and tiatr activities wherever Goans have set their feet.
This October, PeteRoshan troupe along with their son's Com Brian and Benzer are all set to enthral the tiatr lovers in London as they stage their tiatr Atam Tem Mhojem under the banner of Goan Art & Culture Ltd.con.Uk., with Carlos Fernandes promoting the tiatr performance and Francisco Rodrigues as the Chief Sponsor.
The four family members heading this troupe are individually well acclaimed and respected for their talent. Peter de Benaulim is an acclaimed singer and a great character actor. His better half Roshan, lovingly called Dream Girl is an acclaimed singer as well. Together, they form an incredible duet, the best among the present day. While Com Brian is one of the leading young comedians of the Tiatr stage, Benzer is the dashing young hero and singer of repute, who of late has taken to playing music too.
The tiatr has a galaxy of stars in Santana Pegado, the number one villain of the tiatr stage, Franky Gonsalves, Sheena Gracias, Tony de Ribandar, Com Sally, Com Michael, Agnelo Lobo and others. Maestro Theo with James Vaz and Jack Rebello head the music band.
Ten performances of Atam Tem Mhojem are scheduled and will be staged on October 14 at Wembley, October 15 at Southall, October 16 at Wood Green and Reading. A repeat show at Wembley is scheduled for October 21, and two back-to-back shows at Southall on October 22. October 23 too will see the troupe perform two shows at Swindon.
The tiatr performance in London is promoted by Zina Dias who is the chief organiser and Sponsor and is supported by Liston Rodrigues and Geldo Verdes.
With the non-availability of auditoriums in Goa, due to the lack of interest shown by the concerned authorities in resolving the issue, the staging of tiatrs in the faraway European continent spells good tidings for the tiatr industry and is seen as a welcome step for the promotion and preservation of tiatr and an experience to the tiatrists!
