Raising the profile of South Asian writers since 2007
Following a stellar reception at the biennial Shubbak festival, politically provocative play Love, Bombs & Apples embarks on a tour of the UK this summer. Comic and poignant, Love, Bombs & Apples is the latest play from award winning playwright Hassan Abdulrazzak (Baghdad Wedding, The Prophet). Using comedy as a vehicle to bravely tackle problems …
‘Clocks 1888: the greener’ is a ground-breaking new opera set inside a magical world of Clocks in the year 1888. At the heart of the story is ‘the greener’ – a term that was used at the time for a newly arrived foreign immigrant. This is a powerful love story featuring a critically acclaimed cast including …
Q. Tell us more about the story behind Wipers. Wipers is the story of four soldiers at the first battle of Ypres in WW1, mainly focusing on the untold stories of the vast number of South Asian soldiers that were involved in the battle. It’s set in a barn off the front-line where these four …
Theatre Royal Stratford East presents The House of In Between, the untold story of the Hijra. The House of In Between follows the lives of a Hijra clan, a family trying to make their way through modern India, while maintaining their culture, traditions, beliefs and values. Written by Sevan K. Greene and directed by Pooja …
What inspired this new piece of theatre? When I first came to live in the UK in the late 1990’s, I noticed particularly South Asian women of the first generation of migrants wearing saris much like my mother and aunts would back home although with heavy winter coats and cardigans. The sari was not just …
Q. Firstly, can you tell us a bit more about your theatre company and the ethos behind its formation. MUJU began life as the Muslim & Jewish Youth Theatre project in 2004. I was interested in the project as I’ve always enjoyed performing and writing. There is something quite unique about the relationship between British …
Q. What inspired you to write Blood? Where did the story come from? The initial commission from Tamasha Theatre was an adaptation of Lorca’s classic Blood Wedding to a contemporary setting. I knew, early on, that adapting 1930’s rural spain to 21st century inner city UK, was going to involve a massive shift, a change …
Q. What are the highlights of this year’s Inside Out Festival? Far too many to mention! The festival is a snapshot of the year round programmes we’ve created here at Curve to nurture and develop talent in the region. Every single show stems from a long-term initiative we have here for artists and communities, so …
It was after disappointing night at the theatre that Mahsuda Snaith turned her hand to playwriting. The evening left her feeling somewhat disillusioned about what makes good theatre. A seasoned novelist and short story writer, Snaith had attempted writing plays before, but found they didn’t always work. ‘I liked the premise of the play that night,’ …
Kalki is a wild, exciting, mysterious , 15 year old girl. She is also, possibly, the 10th incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. But now she has gone missing and her two best friends – who had not met her until she appeared a week ago – must try and explain to the police exactly …