BANGLA DRAMA • • 1-24 NOV 2019 www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/arts 19 1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 1 BANGLA DRAMA I am glad that we are continuing to A Season of support A Season of Bangla Drama Bangla Drama across Tower Hamlets for another not only month-long festival of British-Bengali champions new theatre. It is now in its 17th year and and established firmly established in our cultural playwrights, but calendar. also showcases a fantastic fringe Ever topical, this festival takes a programme of unique approach to current affairs, talks, walks and tackling issues such as immigration, exhibitions to homelessness and the environment complement the theatre on offer and within the context of British Bengali provide even more food for thought. identity in the UK today. I hope you enjoy this year’s drama Human rights, women’s rights festival, along with friends, family and and migration are all key themes the wider community. along with gender equality and the commodification of women. Those from all backgrounds will John Biggs understand the universal message Mayor of Tower Hamlets conveyed through a myriad of tales of human frailty, vulnerability and moral weakness. There are light-hearted For further details, please go to stories too and unique personal tales. www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/arts. 2 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA ‘A’ TEAM ARTS PRESENTS NEMESIS 2 Friday 1 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE English | 75 minutes £10/£8 concessions SYNOPSIS Nemesis 2 – The Game Changer!, a dynamic theatre performance that looks at how, through a hypothetical game called Nemesis, the actions of powerful nations can have far reaching repercussions for the world, ABOUT THE COMPANY and in this case – the UK, particularly ‘A’ Team Arts is Tower Hamlets affecting young people in many Council’s youth arts division. It co- ways. ordinates youth arts programmes The production will explore and across the borough aimed at young challenge mainstream and social people aged 13-19 years, and up to media perceptions of young people 25yrs with SEN, who live or study (particularly Muslims) and how in Tower Hamlets. Using theatre, the terrorism issue has evolved to textiles, design, and music, artists become more localised, impacting and young people learn, discover and on young people’s safety and sense experiment. Ideas are transformed of identity. and translated into performances, exhibitions and personal works of art Focusing on online grooming, to share with friends, families, the marginalisation and religious community or sometimes a much extremism in east London and wider public. the UK, Nemesis 2 uses rap and spoken word, movement, drama CREDITS and technology to raise questions WRITER: Dr Canan Salih and around the dialogue between various Tasmia Tahia nations, the media coverage of DIRECTOR: Dr Canan Salih events and incidents that specifically CAST: Reyhad Ali, Mahi Ali, affected the UK in 2017, and the Samir Kemal, Lily Mya, Anika Protiva, impact of terrorism on Britain’s Tasnia Tahsin, Tasmia Tahia, youth. Anthony Bren, Giovanna Dias, Takir Hossain and Jeba Shikdar FILMED PERFORMERS: Rokshana Khan, Justin Pesce, Shara Ismail, Frances Cherry, Boris Rupnik and 1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 Lutfiye Demir 3 BSK LONDON PRESENTS DYSTOPIA Saturday 2 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE Bangla | 75 minutes £10/£8 concessions SYNOPSIS Fahmida is a Rohingya refugee, fleeing the brutality of the Myanmar military and waiting in the moonlight to be picked up by boat. Dealing with grief and the CREDITS harsh reality of war, she faces an WRITER: Bulbul Hasan uncertain future and reflects on DIRECTOR: Syeda Saima Ahmed her right to a home, a life, a state CASTING: Syeda Saima Ahmed and and an education. Heartbroken by Zakir M Hussain violence and bereft by the loss of her STAGE DESIGN: Khadija Rahman house and her books, she queries COSTUME DESIGN AND MAKEUP: whether, despite all odds, she can Farhana Alam,Reshma Sultana and maintain her dreams of becoming a Shuchona Chowdhury lawyer, and inspiring other Rohingya PROPS: Tapti, Firoze Ahmed Bipul, girls deprived of education. Her Adiba Anjum Hossain, Farah Rahman psychological journey is played out and Wafeeq Zaman through conversations with different POSTER AND PUBLICITY: Imran Khan mystic characters and elements of ART AND PROP DESIGN: Farah Naz magic realism. VIDEO EDITOR: Ibrahim Aditya There will be flashing lights that PHOTOGRAPHY: Shoyeb Chamak some audience members may find ADVISOR: Shamim Azad difficult. CAST: Amal Nawar Rivu, Himu M Hossain, Arfuman ABOUT THE COMPANY Chowdhury, Zahurul Islam Russell, Bishwo Shahitto Kendro is a non- Adnin Tarannum, Anindita Tahsin, profit organisation which invites its Imran Khan, Sadeq Ahmed audiences to explore the breadth Chowdhury, Bulbul Hasan, Ramira of Bengali and worldwide cultures Hasan, Sarina Zayba and through literature, music and Rayan Prachya visual art forms. It aims to share MUSIC: Taslima Parvin, Kowssar-E- our common creative heritage and Zannat, Shanta Chowdhury, nurture an appreciation of literature Wahid Zaman Upal and Josh amongst the next generation. 4 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA BANGLADESH UDICHI SHILPI GOSHTI UK SANGSAD PRESENTS EKTI OBASTOB GOLPO – AN ABSURD STORY Sunday 3 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm POPLAR UNION Bangla | 75 minutes £10/£8 concessions SYNOPSIS Desperate times have unintended but tragic consequences when a condemned man cheats death. The protagonist, who was hanged for the murder of his wife, finds CREDITS himself alive after the execution WRITER: Bimal Bondopaddhay and this exceptional turn of events DIRECTOR: Dr Rafiqul Hassan Khan highlights the moral debate around Jinnah capital punishment where law LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC: Gopal Das becomes a complex mixture of COSTUME DESIGN: Nurul Islam and ethics and societal beliefs. Despite Kazi Nazrul Islam his conviction, is he innocent or SET DESIGN: Shamsuddin, Salim Malik guilty? In a pluralistic society there is and Motiur Taj often no single right way, but many MAKE UP: Helen Islam and Eva Ahmed versions of a single truth. Both truth PRODUCTION MANAGER: Amina Ali and justice are at stake. CAST: Md Zoynul Abedin, Kazi Nazrul ABOUT THE COMPANY Islam, Helen Islam, Nurul Islam, Salim Malek, Manish Saha, Ashikul Haque Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Gosthi UK Tekka, Asma Shilpi, Hamida Idris, Sangsad believes in using arts and Shamsuddin Ahmed, Motiur Rahman culture to celebrate diversity. It also Taj and Amina Ali believes in the implementation of equal opportunities for all artists and actively supports policies which aim to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, age, religion or disability. 1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 5 MONCHOSHOILEE PRESENTS MESH O RAKKHOSH Sunday 3 November ABOUT THE COMPANY Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm Monchoshoilee is a British BRADY ARTS CENTRE Bangladeshi theatre group, working across the fields of creative art, Bangla | 90 minutes drama, dance, movement, music, £10/£8 concessions literature and education whose programmes promote harmonious SYNOPSIS cross community relationships. This musical drama tells a story CREDITS about corruption and impurity in WRITER: Monoj Mitra society, and the ruthless ambitions DIRECTOR: Ziaur Rahman Saqlain of those in power. It pits this against ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Rajib Das Raju the importance of love, peace, and LIGHT DESIGN: Humayuen Kabir Mahin humanity that have been ruined by PROPS: Elahi Shahi Rakkhosh, the demons, and the evils COSTUME: Jahanara Akter Shimla of our society. Hermits, sheep and STAGE: Fatema Siddika sorcery feature in this captivating CHOREOGRAPHY: Soniya/Saqlain fairytale told with colour, dance, MUSIC: Shorolipi music and a huge, intergenerational CAST: Mahin, Raju, Saqlain, Shadhin cast to convey a moral message Khasru, Rumen, Salahuddin Babu, about greed and dishonesty which Rabbi, Soniya, Ayesha, Najim, Tanjeer, resonates today. Shahin, Murtoja, Arif, Shorolipi, Joyeeta, Ahona, Arav, Zara, Jamima, Mahathir, Sami and Ruhul 6 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA SOHAYA VISIONS PRESENTS TERROR Thursday 7 and Friday 8 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm PINTER STUDIO, QMUL English | 90 minutes £10/£8 concessions SYNOPSIS What would you do if militants stormed a café while you were enjoying time out with friends and family? Young Faraaz Hossain faced this terrifying scenario at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 1 July in 2016. Out of nowhere, five young men ran riot, brandishing bombs, knives and assault rifles, and held everyone ABOUT THE COMPANY inside the café to ransom. The Sohaya Visions celebrates patrons suddenly became hostages, internationalism and cutting-edge divided by religion, preached to and cultural diversity through the arts. terrorised. Based on real-life stories They are particularly interested in from customers and staff alike, Terror promoting South-Asian and British- recalls an incident that shocked the Asian stories that tackle injustice and nation and beyond and includes discrimination. dialogue between the survivors and the departed. Throwing you into the CREDITS carnage, this imaginative new drama WRITER: Raminder Kaur asks: would you stand up against the DIRECTOR: Mukul Ahmed militants? DESIGNER: Erica Greenshields STAGE MANAGER: Thom Neta Suitable for ages 10+ CAST: Rez Kabir, Dave Kukadia, Subhaluxmi Mukherji, Diljohn Sidhu and Shivani Sethia 1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 7 AMRA THEATRE GROUP PRESENTS HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT Friday 8 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE English/Bangla | 60 minutes £10/£8 concessions SYNOPSIS What does a 40-year old father, a fiercely independent 20-something girl trying to escape the patriarchy, a hapless schemer searching the gold- paved streets and a pampered prince tasting adulthood have in common? They are all foreign students at London Emerald College. In 2010, London is reeling from the global recession and the political climate is changing. Whitechapel, first home to ABOUT THE COMPANY London’s ever-changing immigrant ”Amra” means “we” in Bengali. Amra population, has transformed into Theatre is a collaborative cultural an educational hub with the rise group, promoting contemporary arts of colleges serving predominantly, and literary activities.