New Year, new month and the South Asian theatre scene is very much alive and vibrant…
By Suman Bhuchar
TEMPERATURES are really low outside and the spending over Christmas may have taken its toll but South Asian theatre is ramping up its offerings and please do what you can to support independent theatre companies and freelancers working in the creative sector.
10 Nights – Personal torment, spiritual redemption?
DELIGHTED to see that ’10 Nights’ – the play by writer Shahid Iqbal Khan and produced by Phizzical Theatre is back for a new tour.
The play is the story of a young man, Yasser who decides to perform Itifak (fasting and sleeping in the mosque for the last ten nights of Ramadan) and goes on a journey of self-discovery – and facing the consequences of your actions.
Khan told www.asianculturevulture.com: “I am thrilled to see this play return. The play is touring to cities and audiences who have not heard of the play before and I am excited for them to discover it. I am also really moved by audiences, especially in London, who said that they are going to watch it again.”
’10 Nights’ continues to resonate with audiences, Khan continued. “I think what Yasser is going through is universal – grief, the overcoming of shame and the journey of accepting your religion and culture on your own terms.”
The play is also included in The Bloomsbury Lit in Colour (Incomplete) Playlist for 2024 – an initiative by the publisher to champion inclusive drama in schools.
’10 Nights’ was developed through the Write To Play programme by Graeae Theatre Company. It was originally co-produced by Graeae and Tamasha, in association with the Bush Theatre in 2021. It was then produced by Phizzical in January 2024 with Azan Ahmed and the 2025 production features Adeel Ali in the role.
It is currently at Riverside Studios, London till January 26, and then tours to Derby Theatre, January 27 & 28; The Lowry, Salford, January 30-February 1; Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (Febuary 4-5); and Birmingham Hippodrome February 6-8 2025.
https://www.phizzical.com/show/10-nights/
Graeae – Breaking through: Neurodivergent and hearing loss playwrights
TALKING of Graeae – the theatre company is presenting its first ever New Writing Festival at Rich Mix on January 25 & 26. The festival will celebrate the contributions from deaf, disabled and neurodivergent playwrights.
Shahid Iqbal Khan, who is partially deaf himself, told acv: “I was on attachment to the Graeae Theatre via their Write To Play programme in 2018. It was a turning point in my career. Graeae empowered me to write the kind of stories that I wanted to.”
I was able to learn a lot about the London theatre scene. Sadly writing schemes like this are now at risk of becoming extinct – emerging writers have very few avenues to turn to, he revealed.
“The New Writing Festival weekend will celebrate the work of disabled writers through script sharings, panel discussions, Q+A sessions and accessible networking events. My play ‘Jinnity’ will get a rehearsed reading sharing on Saturday 25th directed by the wonderful Milli Bhatia.
It is important for writers to experiment in different forms of writing and ‘Jinnity’ is very different to ‘10 Nights‘ – very big and very crazy!” (‘10 Nights’ was developed as part of this programme and was initially produced by Graeae annd Tamasha).
For more information and booking: https://richmix.org.uk/events/graeaes-new-writing-festival-2/
Santi & Naz – Friendship across boundaries
THIS play written by Guleraana Mir and afshan d’souza-lodhi is a story of female friendship set during Pre-Partition India and how the Partition ends up dividing them.
Santi is Sikh and Naz is Muslim and two girls play together and grow up together. The both fancy the local guy but then later Naz is engaged to a tailor from Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, the friendship between the two women develops into a more complex attraction which come to a crossroads with serious consequences.
Aiyana Bartlett plays Santi and Farah Ashraf is Naz in this show, which contributes to a conversation around the post-colonial legacy and gives a fresh perspective on coming of age and coming out.
‘Santi & Naz’ is produced by The Thelmas – a female-led touring company who explore the social, political and cultural stories in a fresh and surprising way and directed by Madelaine Moore.
The show premiered at Vault Festival in 2020 and played at the Pleasance at Edinburgh Festival Fringe after winning the Charlie Hartill Fund in 2023.
Mir said: “Santi & Naz is full of joyous moments, playfully shining a light on a moment in time that is a major part of British history; one that is rarely seen on stage or taught in schools.”
She added: “The play speaks to anyone who’s ever felt like they have no control over what’s happening to them in the world. It’s for friends and lovers, families and history buffs, and for those who would like to know about the Partition of India.”
The show toured UK during 2024 and arrives at Soho Theatre London from January 21 to February 8 and plays on Mon – Sat 6.45pm, Sat matinee 3pm. The show is around 70 mins long and aimed at ages 12 plus and contains themes of violence.
https://sohotheatre.com/events/santi-and-naz/
Flowers, Stars and Conquerors – Breaking marrriage taboos
WRITER-PERFORMER Nusrath Tapadar’s debut solo show following three generations of women in the same family as they approach marriage is based on stories she heard growing up.
It is a re-imaginings of her family’s past exploring the role of culture and legacy in Bengali marriages, and what the consequences of breaking from tradition can look like.
‘Flowers, Stars and Conquerors’ asks whether it’s possible to reconstruct your culture after having left it behind for a future for which there is no roadmap.
Tapadar, who is a queer Bengali Muslim actor, writer and comedian from East London told acv: “I started writing and performing comedy, and then acting, whilst at university. I then trained at the Oxford School of Drama, and since graduating have written for TV. This is my first drama.”
Before training at the Oxford School of Drama, she wrote and performed her comedy hour, ‘Nusrath Tapadar: Hijabi to Hoejabi to Nojabi‘. Since graduating, she’s written for ITV X’s ‘Piglets‘ and begun developing her own original TV Sitcom with Clapperboard Studios. She was selected out of 1,700 writers to take part in the London Library’s Emerging Writer’s Programme, and has been invited to join The Royal Court’s 2025 playwriting group.
Two Nights only January 21 & 22 Hope Theatre, (The Hope and Anchor, 207, Upper Street, Islington N! 1RL.
No admittance to Under 18 and show is 60 minutes no interval.
https://www.ticketsource.us/thehopetheatre/flowers-stars-and-conquerors/e-qyyeqj
🎭 Also at The Hope Theatre is ‘Bhaijaan’, a new play that explores the impact of toxic masculinity on young South Asian boys clouded by violence, religion and ‘the need to be a man’.
Friday, January 31 and Saturday February 1 at 7pm.
https://www.ticketsource.us/whats-on/207-upper-street/the-hope-theatre/bhaijaan/e-gxxmdy
Colonial past, present issues – writer Sathnam Sanghera on the road
TIMES’ columnist and author Sathnam Sathnam Sanghera whose book ‘Empireland’ revealed how our colonial past continues to shape life in Britain today, is going on a Live tour to explore its lasting impact on the rest of the globe.
‘How Britsh Imperialism Has Shaped The Globe’ Live Tour begins on January 23 in Bristol and continues to Salford on January 26 with three dates in London, January 30 and April 9 at the Royal Geographical Society and February 4 at Richmond Theatre.
Many of the dates are sold out but you can still get tickets for April 9 event at the Royal Geographical Society London. At each venue Sanghera will be joined by different speakers who will interview him on this subject. These include, Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History Oxford in Bristol and BBC presenter Nihal Arthanayake in Salford.
Presented by production outfit Fane – which curates spoken word events and How to Academy that host artists, leaders and thinkers for spoken word events
For more information and how to book
https://howtoacademy.com/events/sathnam-sanghera-tour/
Love letter to Bradford – BBC radio drama
NICK AHAD is a local writer and presenter whose radio play commissioned for BBC Radio Leeds for Bradford City of Culture is available on BBC Sounds and is described as a “love letter to Bradford”.
There are four episodes of around 16 minutes each. Two teenage school friends, Bilal and Ted are asked by their teacher to find out what culture means to the city. They encounter a statue of JB Priestley – a famous playwright from Bradford which leads them onto a time travelling adventure to discover why their home city has been named the UK City of Culture.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kd4q16
*ACV recently attended ‘Rise’ on Friday evening (January 10) – the show in Bradford City Centre heralded the beginning of Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 – look out for a full report soon on here!