Mumbai, Express India: At Prithvi Theatre, the sound of a soulful sax draws you to the lean figure of 19-year-old Rhys D’ Souza. In close proximity, actor Bugs Bhargava rehearses a monologue sprinkled with bebop and blues, slipping into inaudible melodies. Director Etienne Coutinho switches between an empty screen and the script, devising methods to make the narration seamless.

Part of Prithvi’s melodious ensemble that will greet theatre goers starting November 1, is Jazz, scripted by Ramu Ramanathan, it premieres on November 6. Bhargava and D’Souza comprise the dramatis personae in this tribute to Goan jazz musicians who contributed to the thriving entertainment scene of ’60s and ’70s Bombay.

It’s hard to imagine Mumbai, then Bombay, as the haunt of 100 jazz dives, with The Ambassador, Gaylord’s and The Astoria, serving as hubs of India’s most reputed jazz gatherings. Harder still is to envisage the duress of legendary jazz artists Anthony Gonsalves, Leslie Godhino, Chic Chocolate and Sebastian D’Souza who had little choice but to compose music for the Indian film industry in order to survive.

The idea came to Ramanathan “over food and feni with Denzil Smith and Naresh Fernandes discussing the latter’s favourite subject: The influence of jazz in Bollywood”. He adds, “The past six months have been a crash course in jazz. I’ve gone through spools of music, scores of photographs and DVDs.”

Bhargava plays an ageing jazz musician, sour at making a living off Hindi films. His bitter musings are easy to comprehend, but Ramanathan’s narrative is complex. “Chronologically, the script is unpredictable,” says Coutinho. Other characters are introduced via audiovisuals. “The play is really experimental because Bugs’ character comes back from the dead to tell his story. He interacts with acquaintances and other jazz heroes through video projections. It’s a brand new, tricky technique,” Coutinho informs.

The music—the most prominent entity, is composed entirely by keyboardist Merlin D’Souza, Rhys’ mum and Sebastian’s daughter-in-law. She will refer to the music of Chic Chocolate and Sebastian D’Souza, jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck and even Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa. Rhys plays Bhargava’s pupil, the latter is an amalgamation of all the great musicians referred to in the play. “As the play progresses, Rhys takes over the mantle and develops as a fine musician which is evident in the saxophone jugalbandi that he is involved in alone. He gives prominent old Bollywood tunes his own contemporary twist,” says Coutinho.

When the intercourse between music and narration reaches a crescendo, it’s easy to understand Ramanathan’s burst of feeling. He’s learned to jazz.

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