In this month’s Culture Corner, I will be giving you a round-up of what will be on stage in the theatre this year that involves South Asian writers and actors. In the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, there will be a number of productions on stage that will bring South Asian talent to the forefront. Don’t forget to book your tickets in good time!
Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company in association with Roundhouse presents: Back Down by Steven Camden aka Polarbear in The DOOR at The REP from 26th February to 7th March 2015.
“Never been camping before. None of us have, but how hard can it be?”
Luke, Zia and Tommy have known each other for forever. With Luke about to leave for university it’s time for one last adventure together. Armed with Zia’s mix CD and a bag of Brummie pride, they set off to conquer Snowdon. But when their jaunt takes an unexpected turn they are forced to face up to the reality of why they needed the trip in the first place.
Back Down is the highly-anticipated first play by Birmingham-born Steven Camden, also known as the award-winning spoken word artist, Polarbear. Steven has crafted a must-see coming-of-age story that is both insightful and incredibly funny.
Waleed Akhtar plays the role of Zia. He is an actor, writer and director.
Ticket Prices: From £10 to £12.
Tamasha and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry present: Blood by Emteaz Hussain. Directed by Esther Richardson. From 19th to 23rd May 2015.
Love ain’t something you just say. Just this word. It’s something you do.
A 21st century love story. Caneze meets Sully in the college canteen. The heat rises over triple chilli sauce in Nando’s. She makes her move in the sweet smoke of a shisha bar. A touchpaper is lit… but neither of them bargained on the lengths to which her brother would go to keep them apart.
Blood is written by Emteaz Hussain, a writer and performance poet.
Ticket Price: £12
Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company presents: Anita and Me by Meera Syal. Adapted by Tanika Gupta from 9th to 24th October 2015.
Meera Syal’s much-loved novel bursts on to the stage for the very first time.
This poignant coming-of-age tale follows Meena, a young girl growing up in the only Punjabi family in a 1970s Black Country mining village. Meena spends her days happily getting into scrapes with the other local children until one day the impossibly cool Anita enters her life. Suddenly Meena knows exactly who she wants to be but is Anita all that she seems? Soon Meena’s world is turned upside down as she is caught between two very different cultures.
Anita and Me paints a comic, poignant, compassionate and colourful portrait of village life in the era of flares, power cuts, glam rock, decimalisation and Ted Heath. It has been adapted for the stage by the multi-award-winning Tanika Gupta.
Tanika Gupta is an English playwright of Bangladeshi descent. As well as a playwright, she has also written scripts for television and radio plays.
Ticket Prices: £8.50 – £35
Where: The Rep, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP (Next to the Library of Birmingham)
Tickets: Book online at http://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/ or call the Box Office on 0121 236 4455.
