Tower Hamlets Council Presents A SeasonSeason ofof BanglaBangla DramaDrama Performances, exhibitions and talks 1-30 November 2014 For more information call 020 7364 7900 www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/arts festivalsandevents@ towerhamlets.gov.uk Message from the Mayor of Tower Hamlets I am delighted to welcome you to the 2014 Season of Bangla Drama. This is back for the 12th year running with another energetic, high calibre and diverse programme of events which take place throughout November. It promises to be entertaining and informative as well as being a great vehicle for championing local talent and engaging new and established audiences in celebrating and learning about Lutfur Rahman Anglo-Bengali theatre. I hope Tower Hamlets’ residents Mayor of will take advantage of this wonderful and unique Tower Hamlets theatrical festival. Message from Head of Community Affairs, Canary Wharf Group Plc Canary Wharf Group Plc are once again delighted to be associated with A Season of Bangla Drama 2014. We take pride in supporting local community initiatives, events such as this give local emerging writers, directors and performers from the community the opportunity to showcase their hidden talent. I am Zakir Khan particularly pleased to see the performances being held Head of Community at different venues in the borough, displaying another Affairs great selection of drama, music and seminars for all to enjoy. I hope the 2014 season continues to inspire audiences through its many performances by once again exploring the Bengali culture and heritage. Congratulations to all the writers, directors and performers for sharing their wonderful thoughts and aspiration with us, and good luck with all your future endeavours. 2 1-30 November 2014 A Season of Bangla Drama Saturday and Sunday, 1-2 November (incl matinee) Brady Arts Centre Subachan Nattya Sangsad presents Mohajoner Nao (The Boat of Infinity) Written by Shakoor Majid SYNOPSIS ABOUT US Bangladeshi musical play Mohajoner Nao (The Boat of Infinity), is a biographical sketch of mystic bard Baul Abdul Karim portrayed through the tradition of Baul folk songs which use music and lyrics to express thoughts on divinity and philosophy. Shah Abdul Karim Karim was born in a remote area of Sunamganj in Bangladesh where the low lands are submerged with water for much of the year. With no formal education, Karim‘s life has been focussed around the land, the water and nature. In Subachan Nattya Sangsad was established his quest to seek out truths about himself in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 7 January 1977. and his creator, his songs explore the Subachan is a professional theatre group manmade structure of the boat as a and an active member of Bangladesh metaphor for the self and how to navigate Group Theatre Federation and the safely through life. In this play, the body is Bangladesh Centre of the International compared to a rented boat from a Theatre Institute. We are committed to merchant (i.e. the almighty, infinity) which protecting cultural heritage and has be rowed correctly to its ultimate celebrating the power of human destination in order to be returned in achievement through activism and good order. Human existence is a journey performance. Subachan keeps faith in the with numerous perils and challenges and spirit of humanity and chants: humanity the good character of the protagonist is thou supreme, humanity thou subject, also depicted through Karim‘s stand humanity thou eternal prospect. against bigotry and social discrimination, in keeping with the Baul tradition of Ministry of Cultural Affairs celebrating spirituality and moral strength. Govt. of the People's Republic of Bangadesh Design & Direction: Sudip Chakroborthy Production: Subachan Nattya Sangsad, Dhaka, Bangladesh Actors: Gias Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Ansar Ali, Md. Amirul Islam, ASM Asadul Islam, Sonia Hassan, Tanvir Ahmed Bhuyan, Shah Salauddin, Md Imran Hossain, Md Sohel Khan, Muhammad Fazlul Huq, Md Imtiaj Shawons Reza A Season of Bangla Drama 1-30 November 2014 3 Friday, 7 November Arts 1, Pinter Studio, Queen Mary University of London Daedalus Theatre Company presents East www.daedalustheatre.co.uk SYNOPSIS East is a project that invited local residents to join in and share some of the stories which stem from the East End‘s rich and diverse history of immigration. Working in collaboration with storytellers Shamim Azad and Sef Townsend, and supported by local organisations Bishwo Shahitto Kendro and Daedalus Theatre Company, this project not only celebrates the cultural variety of East London but also some of ABOUT US the points of connection between peoples from across the world. It has been created Daedalus Theatre Company is a in rehearsals using a mixture of the professional theatre group based in East performers‘ own experiences, and their London that specialises in devised, memories of traditional songs and tales. documentary theatre and often works The resulting performance will be backed outside of arts venues, performing in up with music, visuals and a taste of local places like Southwark Cathedral and food. Amnesty International UK‘s Human Rights Resource Centre. Bishwo Shahitto Kendro East is funded by Arts Council England (BSK) or World Literature Centre is a with support from Apples and Snakes. It community- based arts organisation in East was initially developed at Rich Mix, with London, which organises a wide range of additional funding from Queen Elizabeth events, including the Boi-Lit festival. Olympic Park. Actors: Cathy Daniels, David Solomon, John Heyderman, Rubi Hoque, Ziaur Rahman, Pernilla Iggstrom, Shoma Bari Performers/Assistant Project Leaders: Farah Naz, Paul Burgess, Sef Townsend, Shamim Azad Stage Manager: Vera Erenbourg 4 1-30 November 2014 A Season of Bangla Drama Friday and Saturday, 7-8 November Brady Arts Centre Eastern Thespians presents Uttoradhikar (The Inheritance) Written and directed by Debasish Banerjee www.easternthespians.com SYNOPSIS ABOUT US Set in the year 1958 in Goa, now a coastal Eastern Thespians are a contemporary state in India, this is the story of a theatre group, based in London, UK. time of change that revolves around the Drawing on the rich resources of both De Cunha family estate and the eastern and western life, thought, disintegration of its once glorious past. philosophy and art forms both traditional The play begins on a Sunday morning in and contemporary, we are committed to 1958 on the De Cunha family estate where presenting life theatre that is vital, thought Anatole De Cunha, the septuagenarian provoking and engaging. We explore who looks after the estate, his nephew, various genres of theatre in order to Joaquim and niece, Margarita, the heirs to deliver productions with a wide, the estate are entertaining some old multicultural appeal. friends. Through a series of scenes of reality interpolated with illusions of Margarita, the protagonist of the play, we are drawn into a turbulent world that makes the characters face questions of allegiance, heritage, rights, roots and identity. While uncle Anatole adheres staunchly to his Portuguese origin, Margarita and Joaquim respond to the situation very differently as do the other characters in the play. As the play unfolds and hurtles to its inevitable climax it raises the questions of belonging and identity and our search for it, a question that remains moot in the current world with its large migrant population. Actors: Chandrayee Sengupta, Suchishmita Ganguly, Souveek Ray, Mazedur Chowdhury, Samrat Sengupta, Debasish Banerjee Technical Support: Arjun Sen, Wasim Javed Makeem, Nilanjana Sengupta Stage Management: Adrika Sen Publicity: Shobhon Ahmed A Season of Bangla Drama 1-30 November 2014 5 Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 November Pinter Studio, Queen Mary University of London Mukul & Ghetto Tigers presents Romeo & Juliet Written by William Shakespeare www.mukulandghettotigers.com SYNOPSIS ABOUT US Romeo and Juliet have been crossing cultures for centuries and this Bengali language interpretation of one of Shakespeare‘s most cherished works uses poetry, dance and music to tell the tragic, but ever-relevant story of the star-crossed lovers whose feuding families prevent their happy union. Two families in the city of Verona are locked into an ancient vendetta. Juliet, a Montague, and Romeo, a Capulet, fall in love but cannot be together. The ill-fated Mukul and Ghetto Tigers was founded in lovers are wed secretly but Romeo kills 2011 by Mukul Ahmed. MGT is a London- Juliet's cousin Tybalt by accident and is based ensemble which devises inspiring sent into exile. Juliet's parents plan to and physically driven theatre. We are marry her off to another suitor, Paris, and committed to exploring the art of to prevent this happening, the Friar storytelling in all its facets, from suggests that she feigns death by taking a developing new writing to re-imagining strong sleeping potion. Meanwhile Romeo classical works. Our vision is to create is directed to meet his lover in secret but opportunity for the underprivileged. We does not learn about the wider subterfuge. propagate that theatre is not a commodity On arrival at the tomb, he mistakenly but a democratic means of self-expression believes that she is dead and in grief takes and a vehicle for raising questions, his own life. When Juliet awakes and finds protestations and provocations which are Romeo dead she too seeks solace in death all signs of a functional democratic society. and the promise of being reunited with The company believes that innovative her lover in eternity. theatre supported by the community helps us to understand our responsibilities. Actors: Delwar Hossain Dilu, Rez Kabir Vocalists: Tanusree Guha, Sharmin Reya Lighting: Paul Micah Set, Costume & Music: Mukul and Ghetto Tigers Collective 6 1-30 November 2014 A Season of Bangla Drama Sunday, 9 November Brady Arts Centre Shondany Arts presents Vashkorjo (The Sculpture) Written by Makbul Chowdhury SYNOPSIS Vashkorjo is based on an incident that happened in Sylhet Bangladesh in 2013 and explores the themes of art, religion, the symbolism of public sculpture and freedom of expression by recounting the actual debates which took place.