'Lions and Tigers' - Tanika Gupta's moving Independence drama pictures press night

A new play based on some letters by one of Britain’s top playwrights proves for great theatre… more to come soon but here are the pictures from last night…

Stirring. Powerful. Moving, completely riveting – Tanika Gupta’s very personal play ‘Lions and Tigers’ at Shakespeare’s Globe on the South Bank in London is a triumph and not to be missed if you want some small part of you to feel the courage and nobility of a freedom fight.
There’s been a lot about the horrors of Partition (now 70 years old and fading in active memory) here in the UK, but this covers the other side and a period of history not much remarked upon or discussed in the UK – the pre-Independence years 1931 and how the struggle was shaped by young men such as Dinesh Gupta – who is Tanika Gupta’s great uncle.
It’s a great production – with superb acting, especially impressive in his first (major) play is Shubham Saraf as Dinesh Gupta.
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is an intimate space and the set is terrific and you feel like you are in Kolkata and Bengal 1931.
We will have more soon but for now…
(Sailesh Ram)

Star quality: Shubam Saraf (Dinesh Gupta)

A funny thing: Meera Syal and playwright Tanika Gupta share a light moment

Laughter: Meera Syal and Tanika Gupta

Splendid look: Emma Rice, Shakespeare’s Globe with Shalini Peiris (Kamala, Dinesh’s sister-in-law and fellow traveller to a point…)

Directors together: Pooja Ghai, director ‘Lions and Tigers’, with Indhu Rubasingham, artistic director Tricycle Theatre

Talent check: Richie Mehta, filmmaker with Shalini Peiris (Kamala)

In the moment: Arun Ghosh, music and Sudha Bhuchar (Bimala, a fiery revolutionary)

From ‘The House of In Between’ to Gandhi: Karishma Balani (casting) with Esh Alladi (Gandhi) Esh appeared ‘In the House of Between’ (Theatre Royal Stratford East, for more put title into ACV search bar)