`Anu', which is only 24.13 seconds, was staged yesterday while `Sarathya' (charioteer), running into 51 hours began its performance, also yesterday.

The 30-second `Breath', an Irish play by father of `Theatre of the absurd', Samuel Beckett, staged in 1969 holds the record for the shortest play.

The longest is also an Irish play, `Cannoli' by John Adams staged in Dublin in 1976, which had a duration of 26-and-a-half hours.

Directed by S L N Swamy, `Anu' and `Sarathya' have 24 characters each. It is staged by `Vidhata Kalavidaru', at Yavanika, the youth cultural centre here.

The only dialogue in `Anu', `nataka, nataka, na...Taka' (drama,drama, drama), hints at the whole drama of existence.

The play heavily relies on audio-visual effects to convey its message in incredibly short duration.

It was held according to the guidelinesfaxed by the Guinness authorities. Noted director G V Iyer was present at the performance.

`Sarathya', based on `Vachanabharatha' and `Aa Hadinentudinagalu' (those 18 days), began at 1300 hrs yesterday and will end at 1900 hrs on August 17.

It has about 200 songs and touches upon 18 parvas of `Mahabharata', linking the epic to the present day politics.

Director S L N Swamy lamented that sponsors were not coming forward to support their venture that involves an expenditure of Rs 350,000. They plan to give some amount to the Kargil fund.