Welcome culture vultures, here are the November listings for theatre – slightly later than usual, but we have been busy checking out the best there is to offer in drama this month. We will aim to review some here in due course…
Season of Bangla Drama continues…
A HIGHLIGHT of this month is the annual Season of Bangla Drama Festival in several venues in the Tower Hamlets area of east London.
The festival, now in its 21st year, focuses on the theme of Hope and the programme is varied.
The opening show, ‘Thief of Whitechapel’ by the Monchoshoilee Company opened to much laughter and delight. A thief breaks into a home to steal jewellery but is confronted by a pensioner in a wheel chair and his care worker, as well as a neighbour. Another highlight has been Saudha Literature festival event shedding light on the political similarities between the Spanish poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, Bengali icon Kobi Nazrul and Turkish poet, Nazim Hickmet.
Apart from plays, there are events around craft, history walks. Some highlights include the drama, ‘The Final Trumpet’ (Brady Arts Centre, November 14 &15 7.30pm) by Queen of Arts Theatre Company about a mother and daughter impacted by flooding.
There is a theatre workshop this Saturday (November 16) at the Brady Arts Centre around the 1984 story of Afia Begum – a young mother who lost her husband in a fire and was about to be deported until the Sari Squad come to the rescue. Hopefully this will be a future play for the festival.
Celebrate Bengali Heritage Bangalina by Brit Bangla at the Tower of London (a free event) on November 21 and the finale will be a play ‘Ghoorni – A Disastrous Cycle’ by Ayna Arts (Brady Arts Centre, 7.30pm), about two young people piecing together their family history and the links between the UK and Bangladesh.
Listing
The whole remaining programme – Brady Arts & Community Centre, 192-196 Hanbury St London E1 5HU
https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/leisure_and_culture/Season-of-Bangla-drama/Whats-On.asp
Bombay Superstar – Bollywood glitz and glamour on stage
IF YOU LOVE Indian cinema of the 1970s then check out ‘Bombay Superstar’, the musical by Phizzical – which played for one night only in the West End earlier this year – and is currently enjoying a stint at Beck Theatre, Hayes until Sunday (November 17).
The story set in the 1970s features a young ingénue Rani (Rekha) who arrives in Bombay – India’s La La Land determined to make it in the film industry, meets inscrutable producer, Pavan Picturewalla (Omar Khan) as well as superstar Bunty (Robby Khela) and aspiring actor, Arjun (Chirag Rao). Packed with melodrama, romance, dance, songs, colour and cheesy dialogue, the show is directed by Sâmir Bhamra.
‘Bombay Superstar’ features iconic Bollywood classics like ‘Dum Maro Dum’, ‘Chura Liya’, ‘Jumma Chumma’, ‘Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum’, Bachna Ae Haseeno’ and ‘O Saathi Re’ which will have you singing in the aisle.
There are also new songs by Robby Khela with musical arrangements by Hinal Pattani. The live music is performed by 515 Crew and dances choreographed by Leena Patel.
Listing
From November (12) to Sunday, November 17 (matinees also)
Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes UB3 2UE
https://trafalgartickets.com/beck-theatre-hayes/en-GB/event/musical/bombay-superstars-tickets
Expendable – Grooming scandal as seen by young women…
CENTRED around the experience of women – is a new play by writer, Emteaz Hussain – which was commissioned by the Royal Court in London and is due to have its world premiere at the Jerwood Theatre, Upstairs.
‘Expendable’ is set up North in the period from 1990s and 2010s against the backdrop of the grooming scandals, when hundreds of young girls were sexually exploited by gangs of predatory men.
The cast features Maya Bartley O’Dea as Jade Steel, Avita Jay as Zara, Lena Kaur as Yasmin, Gurjeet Singh as Raheel and Humera Syed as Sofia.
Yasmin and Zara are two sisters who grapple with the impact on their community as the men around them are embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal.
The play explores the often-overlooked experiences of British Pakistani women, and how many in the community lived alongside the perpetrators and their voice was not part of the national narrative when the story came to light.
‘Expendable’ delves into the shortcomings of national institutions – law enforcement, politicians and the media and is directed by Esther Richardson (who also did Hussain’s earlier play, ‘Blood’). Some of the themes in the story could be triggering so please read the access information.
Listing
‘Expendable’ runs from November 21- December 21 at the Royal Court Theatre, 50-51 Sloane Square London SW1W 8AS
Tickets/more info: https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/expendable/
King James – Sport, masculinity, basketball and Le Bron
AMERICAN Playwright Rajiv Joseph seems to be enjoying an Indian winter in London. His 2016 Obie Award winning play, ‘Guards at the Taj’ is currently enjoying a second production at the Orange Tree Theatre London, and now his new play, ‘King James’ is about to have a UK Premiere.
This play is about the friendship between two men, Matt and Shawn who are thrown together by chance due to their mutual passion for basketball and the great ‘King’ LeBron James (a real life professional baseball player who played for the Cleveland Cavalier’s team) – where this play is set.
This is a story about male friendship, sport and is directed by Hampstead associate director, Alice Hamilton and plays at Hampstead Downstairs.
Listing
King James at Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3EU from November 15 to January 4.
https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2024/king-james/
Wolves on Road – Crypto’s street cred
THIS IS a co-production between Bush Theatre and Tamasha (which is about to be 35 years old as a company and supports the work of global majority artists).
‘Wolves on Road’ is the world premiere by Bush Theatre Emerging Writers Group Alumnus Beru Tessema. It takes a deep dive into the world of crypto-currency focussing on how ambition and hope can be exploited.
The show is directed by Daniel Bailey, associate artistic director, at the Bush Theatre and it follows two young men who dream of making it big.
Manny sells fake designer goods but when his best friend, Abdul offers him a way to make money faster than he could ever imagine, he pulls his whole family into a world that’s almost too good to be true. They’re inspired by Devlin, a local man who’s made it big in the crypto world and has become Manny and Abdul’s face of success. To capture the importance of Devlin’s character in the play and his ‘local celebrity’ status, the Bush has cast three high-profile guest actors in that role, who will appear for two weeks each during the six week run, along with the core cast. The idea is to capture the same excitement for the audience of meeting a “big successful entrepreneur”, as it will for Manny and Abdul.
The idea is to capture the same excitement for the audience of meeting a “big successful entrepreneur” as it will for Manny and Abdul.
Listing
‘Wolves on Road’ has just started in preview and runs until December 21 Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, London W12 8LJ
https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/wolves-on-road/
Dizzy – young peple vent..
A NEW SHOW, for young people by Mohamed- Zain Dada, which was in Sheffield in September now arrives at the Half Moon Theatre in the capital.
Based on conversations with young people across the UK, ‘Dizzy’ is described as “a fantastical adventure exploring memory and mortality, graffiti and grief, and finding meaning amidst the chaos”.
‘Dizzy’ uses an innovative soundscape in a captivating blend of technology and storytelling and is directed by Rob Watt. It is suitable for children 13+
Listing
‘Dizzy’ finishes on Saturday (November 16) at 43, White Horse Road, Greater London E1 OND – https://www.halfmoon.org.uk/events/dizzy/
