#Sonali Bhattacharyya

[sszeemedia]

Orange Tree Theatre Announces Full Cast for the Return of Sonali Bhattacharyya’s ‘Two Billion Beats’

The Orange Tree Theatre today announcethe full cast for the return of Sonali Bhattacharya’s Two Billion Beats. Nimmo Ismail and Tian Brown- Sampson will direct Shala Nyx (Asha) and Tanvi Virmani (Bettina) in the return of this exhilarating production following its acclaimed world premiere at the Orange Tree Theatre in 2022. The production opens on 24 January with previews from 20 January and runs…

[anniekoh]

multiculturalism vs multiracial organizing & solidarity

Two from Novara Media

We Can’t Dismantle Capitalism Without Antiracist Solidarity: Cross-community organising is key.

by Sonali Bhattacharyya, Novara Media (9 August 2021)

My dad was a lecturer and a trade unionist, my mum a social worker, both from India via what is now Bangladesh. They saw no distinction between the racist abuse they experienced and that experienced by their colleagues who originated from Pakistan or the Caribbean. In their eyes, they were all being exploited under the same unjust system.

If you look at photos of iconic acts of resistance from that era – protests against the violent racism that led to the murder of Altab Ali, the police brutality faced by visitors to the Mangrove, or the picket lines in support of the strikers at Grunwick – you’ll see the working class in all its diversity.

How State-Sanctioned Multiculturalism Killed Radical Anti-Racism in Britain: Enter the rainbow nation.

by Ilyas Nagdee & Azfar Shafi, Novara Media (21 June 2022)

In this way, antiracism from above became entangled with the British state rather than presenting an opposition to it. Multiculturalism served as a means for the state to manage the contradictions of governing a racist society without meaningfully addressing them – instead enveloping them a dense vocabulary of ‘culture’, ‘ethnicity’, ‘diversity’, ‘identity’ and so on.

At worst, multiculturalism provided an alibi for racist state agencies. This contradiction was laid bare in a pamphlet by the National Convention of Black Teachers on policing and race training, highlighting how between 1981 and 1984: “[The] police training establishment implemented a number of new programmes. So that cadets, recruits and officers may now be taught multi-agency policing methods in the morning and commando work in the afternoon: multiculturalism in one course and the use of plastic bullets in the next: concepts of American-imported racism-awareness on the one hand and Northern Ireland style repression on the other.”

As multiculturalism was elevated to an ideology of governance, racism itself was emptied of its ideological substance. This was underlined by the response to policing following the 1981 uprisings, whereby the question of state racism which the police were enforcing became recast as a matter of racial attitudes among the police. More broadly, structural racism was refashioned as an issue of managing racist attitudes and interpersonal hostility. This in turn held the door open for apolitical and procedural ‘solutions’ to racism – such as the new racism awareness trainings prescribed by professional antiracists.

After the 1981 uprisings, such professionals were drawn from the ranks of organisations like the Racism Awareness Programme Unit (RAPU) to help in smoothing out the hard edges of the police force. Nearly 40 years later, their US counterparts were soothing the hearts of white America, as Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility shot to the top of bestseller lists at the height of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Labour leader Keir Starmer’s warmest gesture towards the protests was to prescribe unconscious bias training for his MPs. And before the dust had settled, race consultants on both sides of the Atlantic were polishing up their portfolios and waxing lyrical about their ‘anti-oppression workshops’ and ‘antiracist dinner parties’, like shameless antiracist ambulance chasers.

[vileart]

Bitched Dramaturgy: Juliet Knight @ Kali

KALI THEATRE COMPANY presents

the premiere of:

‘BITCHED’ by Sharon Raizada

A pacy, sharply observed contemporary drama about 

relationships, marriage, children, careers and having it all…or not…

October 25th-November 11th – Tristan Bates Theatre, London WC2

‘Bitched’ centres on the relationships and everyday lives of two vibrant couples: Rob and Ali, and Suzanne and Nirjay.  The tangled subjects of love, marriage, parenthood, responsibility, ambition and careers are aired and debated in an often heated atmosphere amid polarising views and changing circumstances.  

Will the couples stay together despite their differences…will they be able to balance parenthood, marriage and careers…will chasing the dream affect everything else…or will they somehow find a path to equality and happiness…Raizada asks all these questions and more.

What was the inspiration for this performance?

JULIET KNIGHT:      As a working mother I have wanted to work on a project exploring motherhood for a long time so I was really excited when I read Sharon's script. My relationship with the themes of the play was deeply rooted in my own experience of juggling motherhood and work for the past sixteen years. 

As a theatre maker I really thrive on collaboration so was excited to literally start on stage with a blank canvas. Exploring artists like Tracey Emin sparked the idea of a stage scattered with the cluttered life of a working mother; and Mary Kelly’s seminal 1972 short film Nightcleaners Part 1 made me very clear that the aesthetic for this piece of theatre would use realistic domestic items and stylised physical sequences to create the work of art.

.

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?

JULIET KNIGHT:      The story of Ali (‘Bitched’ protagonist) sees the journey of a financially dependent people-pleasing wife/mother to a self sufficient, financially independent working single parent. By following this story and facing uncomfortable portrayals of women and how they treat each other the audience are

invited to ask questions. 

I am looking forward to fellow parents from the school gates seeing this production. Something in the live nature of theatre and chats in a bar after feels good for the soul. I spend a lot of time with a screen these days so I feel gathering around a stage and being part of a collective is what we need more of.

How did you become interested in making performance?

JULIET KNIGHT:      As a kid I loved old black and white films. When I look back I realise I've always found great comfort and inspiration in stories. I trained as an actor and while I loved performing in my 20s, I started to enjoy the creativity of shaping and building a show. Finding the right piece of music to tell the story or watching actors discover their characters through an improvisation became joyful.

Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?

JULIET KNIGHT:      I do not decide what the actors will be doing before I begin a process. I like to be brave enough to trust that the real discoveries that make a show have pieces of magic happen in the room. 

One thing that excited me on ‘Bitched’ was when I set up a long improvisation with the actors and a room full of objects. I allowed them to go through an imaginary day in the life of their characters. Watching this improvisation fed into all the physical moments and helped to bring a playfulness to the text.

Does the show fit with your usual productions?

JULIET KNIGHT:      I find myself working mostly in new writing or using theatre as a form of social change. Creating work at the women’s theatre company Clean Break with women who have been in the criminal justice system and working with organisations that engage vulnerable young people has shown me how powerful the arts is. 

Last year I directed a show in Thameside Prison in south east London and watched the male prisoners engage, respect and create a professional production. The ethos of Kali and giving South Asian women a voice is something I feel proud to be part of.

What do you hope the audience will experience?

JULIET KNIGHT:      I hope the audience will care about the female characters. I hope they feel the struggle of the characters and most importantly I hope they ask the question of whether parenting alone is the "real" answer. I would also hope that they find the humour in the piece and leave feeling uplifted.

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?

JULIET KNIGHT:      I spent a lot of time with Sharon Raizada, the writer, working through the text. I immersed myself in the world of the play with the designer for a day. I played games in rehearsals and created a safe space to make work. I decided that the play would be more effective with an audience experience on two sides in order to pull them even closer to the action. 

By laying a laminate floor throughout the whole theatre it makes the audience feel they are in the set.  I think this intimacy gives the audience even more opportunity to be at the heart of the story.

The award-winning KALI THEATRE presents new plays by South Asian female playwrights.  Since it was founded 25 years ago, Kali has discovered and developed talent from across the UK and taken powerful new work to increasing audiences and critical acclaim.

This October Kali are delighted to present ‘BITCHED’, a contemporary new drama by Sharon Raizada, whose own experiences of becoming a mother led to her musings about having it all: marriage, children, job, happiness, equality.

7.30pm: ‘BITCHED’ at Tristan Bates:  October      25th, 26th, 27th, 28th RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes straight through, no interval November    1st, 2nd 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th

Tristan Bates Theatre, 1a Tower Street,London WC2H 9NP

Box office:      020 3841 6611 Tickets:     £14 (£10 concessions)

Kali’s Artistic Director, Helena Bell, says: “I’m really excited that we’ll be back at Tristan Bates with Sharon’s lively, thought-provoking new play.  ‘Bitched’ is very much a play for our times: about managing – and balancing - relationships and marriage, careers and parenthood that I believe will appeal to a very wide audience.  It’s written with great heart and personal experience by Sharon Raizada who has a wonderful ear for dialogue and a sharp eye for character.  I think audiences will be completely drawn into the world of the four – very strong – characters and I hope it’ll lead to much discussion afterwards.”

Sharon Raizada says:  “Inspired by my own shock at becoming a mum, I wanted to look at the lives of modern women through the polar opposites of Ali and Suzanne. ‘Bitched’ takes an unflinching look at our lives as we try to negotiate the stresses of work, sex and kids, asking: is it an impossible task?  I was very aware of the change in my own life that came with being a new mother; it was a shock to find the independence and autonomy of a young working woman that I’d always taken for granted, taken away, however temporarily.

“I naturally assumed I could ‘have it all’ and be on exactly the same level as my male friends and peers, but the experience of motherhood changed my role, my status and frankly my employability in a way that is much more similar to my mother’s experience than I wanted (and expected) it to be – I realised that maybe women have travelled a much smaller distance than I thought…”

Sharon’s work has been supported and produced by Kali Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Soho Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Oval House Theatre, ITV and BBC Radio 4. She is a graduate of the MPhil in Playwriting at Birmingham University and the Royal Court Critical Mass Writers’ Programme. She was a member of the Royal Court Invitation Studio Group and has worked on Emmerdale and hit CBeebies show ‘Apple Tree House’.

‘Bitched’ is directed by Juliet Knight whose many directing credits include: 'Zigger Zagger' by Peter Terson at Wiltons Music Hall with the National Youth Theatre, 'A Raison in the Sun' by Lorraine Hansberry with Synergy Theatre, 'Runts' by Izzy Tennyson at The Brighton and Camden Fringe Festival, 'Variety Hall' by Luke Barnes and 'Prime Resident' by Stella Duffy at Soho Theatre.

“Juggling motherhood and work is a recurring theme in my own life,” says Juliet, “so I am thrilled to be directing Sharon Raizada’s fresh new play which offers a much needed voice asking why parents struggle to fulfil their own needs and what is the cost? Why having children and raising a family in a partnership seems to offer little value or financial reward for the stay at home parent? And what roles do our employers and policy makers have in setting up a healthy home and work life balance?”

Juliet’s recent acting credits include 'Caught in the Net' by Ray Cooney at Vaudeville Theatre,'Tomorrow' by Sam Evans at The White Bear and ‘Eastenders’/BBC.  Juliet is a lecturer at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and an Associate Director for The National Youth Theatre.

Kali’s success in developing and staging new plays is evident: ‘Mustafa’ by Naylah Ahmed was nominated for 4 Offies in the Off West End Theatre Awards as well as the Royal National Theatre Playwright Award; tour dates included a two week run at London’s Soho Theatre.  Sonali Bhattacharyya’s play ‘Home’ was presented by Kali and led to a commission at Birmingham Rep and scripts for BBC series such as Eastenders and Holby City.

Kali Theatre was founded in 1991 by Rita Wolf and Rukhsana Ahmad to encourage, develop and present new theatre writing by women from a South Asian background. Kali seeks out writers whose work will challenge as well as entertain a wide audience.  Original content and ideas are an essential part of the company’s mission to encourage writers to reinvent and reshape the theatrical agenda. 

Kali has contributed to the development and support of several important new writers and has become a natural home for women seeking new ways to express and explore contemporary issues and human interest stories.  Helena Bell became Artistic Director last year. Kali’s annual TALKBACK readings have previously taken place at the Arcola Theatre, Oval House, Soho Theatre and Tristan Bates Theatre.  Past Kali writers have presented plays across the cultural spectrum and written scripts for BBC TV, Channel 4 and other theatre companies.  

from the vileblog http://ift.tt/2yNja66

[londontheatre]

The Invisible Boy – Tricycle Takeover 2017 – Photo credit Tricycle Theatre

The pre-show for The Invisible Boy comprised audience participation, of the mildest kind, inviting members of the audience to take a Post-It note and put down any initial thoughts, even just one word, about what the show title might mean or what expectations people might have. Had I joined in the fun I might have written, “Rebellion”. The only properly invisible boy I was aware of prior to seeing this production is Harry Potter, with his ‘invisibility cloak’, which only came out when he ‘needed’ to shield himself from being seen either by figures of authority or forces of darkness. Something, I wondered, must have happened to the said invisible boy in this particular play. Just having the show’s title isn’t much to go on, but I wondered if this was a tale about a child refugee, or a young lad ostracised by his local community because of some dark secret, or a physical deformity of some description.

In the end, without giving too much away, one of a group of four close school friends loses his rag in their school’s debating society, going off on an irrational tangent. They were discussing neither President Trump nor Brexit, which was arguably refreshing, but in any event, Ivan’s bizarre temper tantrum leaves him ostracised. His peers are more confused by him than anything else, and there’s more than surface level disagreement between schoolboys going on when Ivan (Kwame Owusu) finds himself shunned by Rahul (Bipanshu Sharma) and Kyle (Rares Maglan). Only Yusuf (Noah Rhilam) remains loyal, caught in the middle. At some point, the psychological distancing has a physical effect. The effect itself was not entirely convincing to me, but the consequences are nonetheless equally heart-rending and hilarious.

This, then, is a youth production where a swear word isn’t uttered every second breath (hurrah!), and the richer vocabulary that results from only letting out an expletive during a point of heartbreak or anger is a joy to listen to. It may even be slightly artificial to have lengthy, acerbic and articulate putdowns, as opposed to merely dismissing someone as an ‘effing cee’, but it makes for some strong dialogue – and more often than not had me chuckling, if not outright laughing. This particularly came to light as Ivan resolved to make the most of being unseen. The manner of speaking seemed convincingly contemporary. Apparently “bricking” is a term in common usage, though the meaning is very, very different to the phrase “You’re a brick” used by previous generations.

There are some very minor points about diction and projection that I would have made an issue of in an adult production. These are quite superfluous anyway: the attention to detail was commendable, with all four boys maintaining character throughout. The usual low-level distractions that go on these days when performing in front of a live audience were handled deftly. The staging is simple, yet effective. A long scene change, switching from a school environment to the great outdoors, had much of the audience in stitches. To misquote The Wizard of Oz, it was made quite clear that they were not in North London anymore.

In the latter half of the play, there’s a surprisingly compelling consideration of the supernatural, or at least feelings and emotions that don’t fit any of the traditional five senses. The sound effects are remarkably atmospheric, too, not overdone and well balanced, never drowning out dialogue. It was pleasing to note the earlier school debate about affordable housing was subtly relevant in a late plot twist. If these schoolboys were able to resolve their differences without outside intervention, this only serves to demonstrate how futile and infantile so many squabbles and disputes between adults truly are. A ‘bare’ fascinating and inspiring show, ‘innit, bruv’.

Review by Chris Omaweng

The Tricycle Theatre presents As part of their fourth annual Takeover Mapping Brent

In association with the Wembley Young Company The Invisible Boy By Sonali Bhattacharyya

On Monday 3 April at 7:30pm and Tuesday 4 April at 2:30pm and 7:30pm At Yellow Pavilion, Engineers Way, Wembley Park, HA9 0EG Director: Tinuke Craig http://ift.tt/2nTdqj7

http://ift.tt/2nXPYm6 LondonTheatre1.com