Bangla Drama 1-24 Nov 2019
BANGLA DRAMA 1-24 NOV 2019
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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. We pay tribute international students. Mr. Jamal to the experiences and struggles that runs Copy & Coffee, an all-in-one often find no platform or voice. We haven for these students, offering are actors and we are activists, using empathy along with printing and the stage to voice everyday issues pastries. which are otherwise ignored. Based on intensive research on socio-political impacts of vilifying CREDITS immigrants, the play touches the WRITER AND DIRECTOR: heart of the current crisis faced by Syeda Tasmia Tahia society in the deep-seated divides MENTOR: Rokshana Khan that devalue the migrant experience. Hostile Environment was first devised through the Golper Shuru project. Suitable for those aged 7+ 8 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA EASTERN THESPIANS PRESENTS A WAKE Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm + Sunday matinee 3pm PINTER STUDIO, QMUL English | 90 minutes £12/£10 concessions
SYNOPSIS Set in a remote house near and art forms, both traditional and Lolegaon, a quiet hamlet in the hilly contemporary, they are committed north eastern region of West Bengal, to presenting live theatre that is vital, India, on one stormy night when a thought-provoking and engaging. few old friends have gathered for Their aim is to produce theatre in all the wake of their deceased friend, its genres which appeals to London’s Roger Vaz. Although initially the multilingual and multicultural characters interact in a manner fairly community. congruous with the sombre situation of an old friend’s demise, as the play CREDITS develops the interactions gradually WRITER AND DIRECTOR: become awkward and hint at a dark Debasish Banerjee past which forebodes a still darker TECHNICAL & AV: Arjun Sen aftermath. As the night progresses, MUSIC: Deyashini Mukherjee the old friends are forced to play a SOUND: Shubhojit Karmakar and bizarre game through which the play Sarit Bose hurtles to its inevitable and brutal STAGE MANAGEMENT: climax as a long buried truth of Shiblu Chowdhury and Raja Dutta intrigue and deceit surfaces. PRODUCTION AND PUBLICITY: Suitable for those aged 12+ Subhash Ghosh and Urmi Singh Roy PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO: ABOUT THE COMPANY Shobhon Ahmed and Adrika Established in 2012, Eastern CAST: Moumita Moitra, Chandrayee Thespians is a contemporary theatre Sengupta, Ayan Bhattacharya, group based in London. Drawing on Koushik Chatterjee and Debasish the rich resources of both eastern Banerjee and western life, thought, philosophy
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 9 CHARON PRESENTS KOKILARA Saturday 9 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE Bangla | 60 minutes £10/£8 concessions
SYNOPSIS ’Kokilara’ tells the harrowing stories of three different women in a patriarchal society, who are all vulnerable to mistreatment and suppression by dint of their gender alone. The first ‘Kokila’ was a village girl who came to the big city as a maidservant, was abused by her integrate with and contribute to the so-called lover, and eventually British multicultural society while committed suicide. The second celebrating their distinct cultural story recounts the tale of a middle- identity and rich heritage. class housewife and mother who trusted her husband, was betrayed, CREDITS became homeless, got paralysed WRITER: Adbullah Al Mamun and unfortunately died. The third DIRECTOR: Rubaiat Sharmin Jhara ‘Kokila’ was a solicitor seeking justice PRODUCTION: Sadeq Ahmad through the punishment of the Chowdhury, Arfuman Choudhury, abusers of these two victims, but Fahmid J Sayem, Aanon Siddiqua, thwarted by the unequal judicial Snehashon Chowdhury, Mesbah system and subsequently driven to Shaheed, Ayham, Shaheed Raad, depression and mental breakdown Mr. Kutub, Masud Rana and Rubaiat herself. The unhappy outcome of the Sharmin Jhara play is that class and education have CAST: Rubaiat Sharmin Jhara, Sunita little bearing on women’s attainment Chowdhury, Mehbuba Sultana Lithi, of justice or equality. Sadeq Ahmad Chowdhury, Arfuman Choudhury, Fahmid J Sayem and ABOUT THE COMPANY Ehan Roudro Charon is a London based community organisation engaged in promoting Bengali language, literature and culture in the UK. One of its aims is to help Bengali diaspora
10 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA MESSAGE CULTURAL GROUP PRESENTS #OURWORLD Sunday 10 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE English/ Bangla | 60 minutes £10/£8 concessions
SYNOPSIS The planet is full of mystery and human nature is the most peculiar. This play explores the big questions of kindness versus cruelty in terms of both collective and individual behaviours, using CREDITS the vehicle of one family’s story, WRITER AND DIRECTOR: following the loss of their mother and Muhib Chowdhury the impact on their lives. Though the PRODUCER: Gulzar Ahmed effects of violence and conflict in the SET AND COSTUME: Shahidul Islam modern world cannot be ignored, MUSIC: Nowshad Mahfuz, Zahidul and the normalisation of bombing Islam and Mazharul A Chowdhury attacks and conflict can lead to MARKETING: Monwar Ahmed and desensitisation, this production Jahangir Alam also looks at the microcosmic level. LIGHT: Sojlul Haque Small acts of kindness are equally PROJECTOR AND SOUND: telling. A child realises through an Didat Ahmed Arafat encounter with a homeless man, MAKE UP: Abdul Hannan how cruel and unjust the world is, CAST: Gulzar Ahmed, Shahidul Islam, but her innocence and generosity Jahangir Alam, Ahmed Choudhury, are a testament to the better side of Akhter Hussain, Mohammad Ali, human nature. Zahidul Islam, Naveen Chowdhury, ABOUT THE COMPANY Denisa Alexandra Gogoman, Naqib Chowdhury, Wafia Islam, Dominic Message Cultural Group started in Copot, Muhammad Tahsin, Mahi 1999 and has grown ever since with Alam, Zannatul Mifta, Sanzara Islam talented members who are keen and Brooke Carter to spread its messages throughout the community using the medium of culture. They are based in Tower Hamlets and uphold British-Bengali values, in order to raise awareness of a variety of issues.
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 11 BENGAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION PRESENTS PRERONA – INSPIRATION Friday 15 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE Bangla/English | 75 minutes £10/£8 concessions
SYNOPSIS Bhanu Sinha is the reincarnated literary giant Rabindranath Tagore, who has a present day encounter in London with the supportive and inspirational women in his life. Sinha is a successful writer and has visitations one winter afternoon while relaxing in his study. UK through cultural, educational, Hecate was his early inspiration and sporting and tourism avenues. BHF reminisces on their days together promotes social cohesion through and her interest in literature, the events that champion artistic attention she enjoyed, and the and cultural experiences gaining neglect from Tagore. Bijoya was born advantage from shared history and to a wealthy, high society family in values. Buenos Aires and they talk about how they inspired each other in their CREDITS writings. Chuti reminds Sinha of his WRITERS: Koushik Chatterjee and regard for educated, progressive Ranjan Bandopadhyay women but his neglect for her. This DIRECTOR: Koushik Chatterjee play uses a little bit of magic and PRODUCTION: Vishnu Sarawati, Sarit realism to impart the messages and Bose, Ripon Dey, Sudipto Mondal, memories from these daydreams Sambrita Das and Arijit Sarkar and highlight the influence of these CAST: Koushik Chatterjee, Tanusree women on Tagore. Guha, Nirmal Nag, Gargi Ganguly Sarkar, Debarati Goswami, Mousumi ABOUT THE COMPANY Mukherjee, Ranjana Roychoudhury Bengal Heritage Foundation (BHF) Banerjee, Sharmi Ganguly, Anamika was established in order to preserve Sarkar, Suranjan Som, Amit Guha, Avi and promote Bengali heritage in the Sengupta and Amith Dey
12 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA ESSEX INDIANS PRESENTS HEAL THE WORLD Saturday 16 November ABOUT THE COMPANY Doors 4.30pm | Show 5pm Essex Indians is a community based BRADY ARTS CENTRE organisation which focuses on children-centred drama and involves Bangla/English | 90 minutes families as part of inter-generational £10/£8 concessions productions. It continues to connect British Asian children with their SYNOPSIS culture and with their heritage. Tista and Vaibhavi are two teenagers CREDITS who explore the extent of pollution WRITER AND DIRECTOR: Dr Arpita Ray of rivers during a family summer PRODUCTION: Arpita, Dipankar, holiday in India. They face a number Arya, Chitra and Malini of challenges in their campaign CAST: Arya, Teerna, Tista, Shreoshi, for cleaner water through the Gargi, Chaynsh, Vaibhavi , Shrey, mindsets of those they encounter, Malini, Chitra, Dipankar,Zia, Anirban, and finally manage to convince Sayantini, Molly, Amith, Chinu, Gita, people to change some of their Priya, Chandrima, Antara, Arpita and lifestyle habits for the improvement Krishtika of the environment and the health of the planet. This youth production highlights the ecological issues which are at crisis point today and the actions of young people in an ideological climate of passion versus indifference and denial.
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 13 IMD + BOLLY FLEX PRESENTS EAST SIDE STORY Saturday 16 November Doors 6.30pm | Show 7.30pm GREAT HALL, QMUL English | 100 minutes £22/£20 concessions
SYNOPSIS East meets west in this high octane dance-off with two titans from the dance world, IMD and consistently take risks and perform Bolly Flex. This show fuses hip hop at high professional level. High and Bollywood in four acts, The profile appearances include Britain’s Greatest Bollywood Showman, Got Talent and World Hip Hop The Real Avengers of the UK, The Championships. History of Hip Hop and Romeo and Bolly Flex is Europe’s leading Juliet Remixed! Check out glittering Bollywood dance production examples of cinema’s great dance company bringing together moves with breath-taking agility some of the finest talent, events and dynamism. These tributes and and entertainment. High profile stories use acrobatics and physical appearances include Strictly theatre and provide the perfect Come Dancing, Nobel Peace homecoming for both IMD’s Omar Prize Performance and Bollywood Ansah-Awuah and Bolly Flex’s Showstoppers. Naz Choudhury to return to their east London roots. Special guest Both companies have been finalists appearances will help ignite this with standing ovations and rave energetic dance spectacular as a reviews on Sky One’s Got To Dance. reminder that commonalities and https://www.imdofficial.com/ differences between cultures can be https://bollyflex.uk/ celebrated in the most exhilarating ways! CREDITS CHOREOGRAPHERS: ABOUT THE COMPANIES Omar Ansah-Awuah and IMD Legion Is an Urban Dance crew Naz Choudhury from London. They boast over 60 members from all across the UK and are known for being a team who
14 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA BANGLADESH HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, ENGLAND WOMEN’S BRANCH PRESENTS LONDONI KANAI (KANAI IN LONDON) Sunday 17 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE Bangla | 120 minutes £10/£8 concessions
SYNOPSIS The story of Londoni Kanai is based on a love story between Kanai Shah and Saifa Rani who both are renowned folk singers of Bangladesh. Unscrupulous Alta Miah is an established businessman, community leader and music promoter who invites them both to headline in his next concert. However, under the auspices of being The main objectives of BHRC are to a cultural champion lurk darker identify the issues on human rights motives involving sexual abuse and in different sectors of a country human trafficking. and to represent the victims of Saifa, the unfortunate target of his discriminations. BHRC, England attentions, fights and seeks justice, Women’s Branch was formed four finding an unlikely ally in Miah’s years ago. wife, a human rights worker and eventually he gets his just deserts. CREDITS This play celebrates artistic prowess, WRITER AND DIRECTOR: cross-cultural engagement and Mozibul Hoque Moni genuine love while touching on PRODUCTION MANAGER: Ruby Hoque the dark underbelly of the Me Too PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR: Kazi Rose movement with corruption and PUBLIC RELATIONS: Roche Anche sexual abuse in the entertainment STAGE SETTINGS: Babu Chowdhury industry. LIGHT SETTING: Mitu Azad CAST: Arif Islam, Sajia Chowdhury, ABOUT THE COMPANY Hafiz Alam Bokth, Golam Kabir, Ahad Bangladesh Human Rights Chowdhury, Shamsuddin, Helen Commission has been working on Islam and Roche Anche human rights issues in Bangladesh and around the world since 1987.
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 15 JUMBLE ABODE THEATRE PRESENTS LIKE A RAMBLING STONE Thursday 21 and Suitable for those aged 12+ Friday 22 November ABOUT THE COMPANY Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm Jumble Abode Theatre ventures SPACE THEATRE across art forms weaving together English | 60 minutes imaginative stories unlike any other. £10/£8 concessions Specialising in playful puppetry and audience interaction- no two stories are ever the same! SYNOPSIS Like a Rambling Stone follows the CREDITS journey of a daughter finding a way WRITER: Jum Faruq to tell her Baba’s stories, from his DIRECTORS: Jum Faruq and time in East Pakistan’s first ever rock Shabz Razvand n roll band, to his epic journey from PUPPETRY DEVISORS: Almudena Adalia Dhaka to Denmark by road…but Calvo, Amber Rose Perry and Zahrah what happens when the storyteller Sheikh is gone? This biographical show PUPPET MAKER: Amber Donovan features puppetry, film, spoken word, DRAMATURGY: Omari Swanston-Jeffers Q&A with the audience and a playlist PHOTOGRAPHY: Saima Khalid Baba would be dancing his socks off CAST: Jum Faruq to! An exploration into grief and how we might begin to heal through the stories we tell.
16 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA SOAS INDIAN DANCE SOCIETY PRESENTS ADAJHYO - THE UNBURNABLE Saturday 23 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm Matinee 2.00pm SPACE THEATRE English/Bangla | 75 minutes £10/£8 concessions
SYNOPSIS The play is an adaptation of Parnab Mukherjee’s “These Trafficked Texts.” It is constructed as a montage of oral narratives, first to create performances with non- person accounts and testimonies dancers, present students and of trafficked women, interviews, alumni under careful mentoring monologues, poetry, songs and of professional performers in order dance. The Unburnable negotiates to understand various styles and issues of human rights and of aesthetics that inform the field of everyday gender objectification and Indian dance. discrimination. A hard-hitting and soulful audio-visual experience which CREDITS rethinks issues of human rights, WRITER: Parnab Mukherjee gender-based violence and everyday DIRECTORS: Suha Priyadarshini objectification. Chakravorty PRODUCTION: Mohanish Jaju and ABOUT THE COMPANY Suha P. Chakravorty School of Oriental And African CAST: Apoorva Sohoni and Studies – Indian Dance Society Suha Priyadarshini Chakravorty (SOAS IDS) is a student-led dance community that was established in 2013. IDS welcomes, introduces and acquaints those who are keen on the classical, folk and martial dance forms of India. The IDS continues
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 17 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2019 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
Doors open 7pm, shows start at 7:30pm sharp (unless otherwise stated) Tickets cost £10/£8 concessions (unless otherwise stated)
4 SAREE DAY 5 TALK: RAFI 6 TERROR 7 BAC FREE HOSSAIN’S QMUL 11AM MUSINGS TALK: QMUL FREE JOURNALISM QMUL FREE
11 12 13 BENGALI 14 HISTORY WALK ALTAB ALI PARK £5 11AM TALK: MEMORY & BELONGING BAC FREE 2PM TALK: BENGALI… ISH? KNC
18 19 TALK: 20 LIKE A 21 A PERSONAL RAMBLING TESTIMONY IN STONE CONFRONTATION ST KNC FREE
More info: 020 7364 7900 [email protected] www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/arts 18 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY VENUES EXHIBITION: 1 TALK: 2 AN ABSURD 3 Brady Arts TRIBENI ASADUZZAMAN STORY Centre (BAC) BAC NOOR PU 1-24 NOV BAC FREE MESH O 192-196 EXHIBITION: 4PM RAKKHOSH Hanbury BENGALI BRITAIN DYSTOPIA BAC Street, E1 5HU KNC BAC 1-24 NOV NEMESIS 2 Kobi Nazrul BAC Centre (KNC) 30 Hanbury TALK: 8 A WAKE 9 A WAKE 10 Street, INTERGALACTIC QMUL £12/£10 QMUL £12/£10 SUPER-HEROISM KOKILARA + MATINEE 3PM E1 6QR QMUL FREE BAC #OURWORLD 4PM MUSIC: MON KA BAC Poplar Union TERROR SANGEET (PU) QMUL KNC HOSTILE 2 Cotall Street, ENVIRONMENT E14 6TL BAC Queen Mary PRERONA 15 HEAL THE 16 WORKSHOP: 17 University BAC WORLD PERFORMING BAC 5PM BANGLADESH of London TALK: GENOCIDE THEATRE (QMUL) IN TEA ESTATES BAC FREE Mile End KNC FREE 12.30PM AN EAST SIDE MUSIC: TRIBENI Road, STORY QMUL FREE 5PM E1 4NS £22/£20 LONDONI KANAI KNC BAC Rich Mix (RM) 5-47 Bethnal LIKE A 22 ADAJHYO ST 23 MASTERCLASS24 Green Road, RAMBLING + MATINEE 2PM THEATRE- STONE RAAGA IS A MAKING BAC E1 6LA ST HUMAN RIGHT FREE 11AM SCRATCH NIGHT KNC £5 MOHUAR Space Theatre BAC FREE PALA RM MOHUAR PALA (ST) HOPE N MIC RM + MATINEE 3PM KNC £5 GUHAR JAAN GUHAR JAAN 269 Westferry BAC BAC + MATINEE Road, E14 3RS 2.30PM
To book tickets please go to http://aseasonofbangladrama2019.eventbrite.com Booking fees apply 1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 19 RADHARAMAN SOCIETY PRESENTS MOHUAR PALA: THE BALLAD OF A RIVERINE LAND Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November Doors 7.30pm Matinee on 24 Nov at 3pm RICH MIX English/Bangla | 90 minutes £10/£8 concessions
SYNOPSIS With English narration, powerful dialogue, dazzling dance, mesmerising melody and the rhythms of Bengali folk music, this story of a popular Bengali opera forms around the globe. It organises depicts a philosophical journey of the annual Baul and Vaishnav Music self-exploration, spiritual love and Festival in east London as well as the victimisation in a stunning theatrical RadhaRaman Festival in Leeds, one setting. The story revolves around a of the largest festivals outside the beautiful princess who is kidnapped Indian subcontinent. RadhaRaman as an infant and raised as a snake Society is a community art dancer under a snake charmer’s organisation that promotes Bengali family. As she grows up and falls in folk music and dance to the young love with the son of a local feudal global diaspora. lord, social norms and customs of casts and classes are put to the test. CREDITS Based on pre-medieval Bengal, the WRITER AND DIRECTOR: play follows her search for spiritual T M Ahmed Kaysher love and mirrors the plight of CAST: Amith Dey, Sonia Sultana, women in modern times, and their Sohel Ahmed, Jessy Barua, Amal commodification in patriarchal Podder, Rahel Chowdhury, Jasmin society. Chowdhury, Urmee Mazhar, Sheheen Mituli, Shamim Shahan, Saeed ABOUT THE COMPANY Fahim, Abu Bakar, Ganga, Anu, Mouli, RadhaRaman Society is a prominent Amar Baidya and Sujith Chowdhury platform that brings Bengali folk music to the world-stage through meaningful fusion other relevant art
20 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA MUKUL & GHETTO TIGERS PRESENTS GUHAR JAAN / THE DATIA INCIDENT Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm Matinee on 24 Nov 2pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE English/ Bangla | 60 minutes £10/£8 concessions
SYNOPSIS through their otherwise radically Maharaja Bhawani Singh of Datia different lives. Aimed at those aged is holding a coronation ceremony 12+. for his son. He has invited the finest ABOUT THE COMPANY musicians from all over India to perform and among the line-up is Mukul and Ghetto Tigers is an east Gauhar Jaan, the gifted and eccentric London-based theatre company young courtesan from Kolkata, that features new writing as well as known for her musical prowess and taking a fresh look at the classics, arrogance. Insulted by the excessive both western and sub continental. demands of the young courtesan as Their aim is to mentor and nurture a condition of her attendance, the fresh talents through re-imagination, Maharaja decides to delay Gauhar’s innovation and collaboration performance until every artist and between artists and art forms in a guest has left and the coronation is diverse cultural context. over. Gauhar is insulted by the tactic CREDITS and refuses the invitation to perform. Meanwhile, Fred Gaisberg travels WRITER: Tarun Jasani across India on a mission to capture DIRECTOR: Mukul Ahmed the exotic sounds of the East using PRODUCTION: Sophie Jump and a groundbreaking technology - the Cecilia Calf, Paul Micah, Tarun Jasani, gramophone. Their next destination Subhaluxmi Mukherjee and is Kolkata, to record the beautiful Rez Kabir voice of Gauhar Jaan. As the story CAST: Shivani Sethia, Rez Kabir, Dave progresses, both king and courtesan Patel, Dave Kukadia and Arunima discover a common thread running Kumar 1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 21 EXHIBITION: TRIBENI – RHYTHM OF WATER BY MUKTO ARTS CIC Friday 1 – Sunday 24 November BRADY ARTS CENTRE FREE
‘Tribeni: The Rhythm of Water’ is an exhibition of 40 paintings by a talented young Bangladeshi born artist name Mukta Chakravarty based in the UK. The word Tribeni comes from an ancient South Asian language Sanskrit, and means junction of three rivers. Three is the magic number with this project. Artist Mukta Chakravarty’s series of 40 paintings were painted by three different paint mediums; watercolour; acrylic and oil painted on three different surfaces ranging from hand-made paper, to wood, to canvas. Tribeni is used to refer to the confluence between rivers as ABOUT THE COMPANY a metaphor for human interaction through fine art. Mukto Arts CIC is a community interest company that develops and Water is an elemental force which supports creative arts, artists and art knows no boundaries and traverses organisation from under-represented the natural world in rivers, seas and groups in the London and other oceans as well as through cloud and cities in the UK. weather formations. It can be soft and tranquil or raging and brutal. It is https://twitter.com/MouniMukta vital for commerce, irrigation, and life https://www.facebook.com/ itself. mounimukta/ Fine art has endless possibilities for visual interpretations of ideas across many media and subject matters and can forge multiple points of connection.
22 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA EXHIBITION: BENGALI BRITAIN BY MIGRANT MEMORIES & POST-COLONIAL IMAGINATION, LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY
Friday 1 – Sunday 24 November Exhibition launch Friday 1 November at 4pm KOBI NAZRUL CENTRE FREE
What does it mean to be British Bengali? How do memories of life in Bangladesh and of migration to Britain influence our present? Showcasing a series of photographs that trace the history of “Bengali Britain”, from the days of the Empire until present day life in Britain, this exhibition, designed collaboratively by the MMPI team and BritBangla members, will address these questions. These photographs/images have been selected by second and third generation British Bengalis who have been involved in the project. They Migrant Memory and the capture their family histories and the Postcolonial Imagination is a research memories of migration which have project which explores the legacies been passed on from generation of the 1947 Partition of British India to generation, offering a portrait of for South Asian communities in the the cultural history of the Bengali UK and their memories and post- presence in Britain. memories of migration Join us for the exhibition launch on Friday 1 November when there will be a short film screening, panel discussion and light refreshments.
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 23 TALK: ASADUZZAMAN NOOR IN CONVERSATION WITH LEESA GAZI Saturday 2 November Doors 3.30pm, Starts 4pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE FREE
Asaduzzaman Noor is a Bangladeshi actor, politician and activist. He has been a member of parliament since 2001 and was Minister of Cultural Affairs (2014-2019). Leesa Gazi is a writer, theatre practitioner, filmmaker and Joint Artistic Director of Komola Collective. The conversation will focus on his journey through the performing arts in the Post-Independence Bangladesh. It aims to portray the struggle his generation faced within the performing arts arena. The conversation is an audience led discussion.
MOHILA ONGON PRESENTS SAREE DAY Tuesday 5 November 11am – 5pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE FREE | Women only event
This is a female only event to celebrate womanhood through both Mohila Ongon is a grass roots sarees and the Bangladeshi delicacy, organisation which represents ethnic pittha. There will be a variety of minority women, predominantly entertainment, stalls and activities of Bangladeshi background. It including a saree workshop and was established in 2010 in order to a fashion show as well as a drama organise and promote women and performed in Sylheti, traditional women’s causes. Mohila Ongon Bengali music, dance, and spoken organises a wide range of activities, Bengali poetry. Delicious food will events and educational workshops/ also be available. sessions.
24 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA LONDON BANGLA PRESS CLUB PRESENTS TALK: JOURNALISM - ETHICS AND STANDARDS Tuesday 5 November Doors 7pm | Start 7.30pm PINTER STUDIO, QMUL 90 minutes | FREE
Join us for a panel discussion on ‘Journalism: Ethics & Standards’. This is a timely topic for the world of media. There are always principles of good practice as espoused by professional journalism associations, truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, individual news organisations, and impartiality, fairness, and public journalists themselves who often accountability. have their own “code of ethics”. Most share the basic principles of
TALK: RAFI HOSSAIN’S MUSINGS Wednesday 6 November Doors 7pm | Start 7.30pm PINTER STUDIO, QMUL 60 minutes | FREE
Full time journalist and editor for The Daily Star’s Anandadhara and Star Showbiz Rafi Hossain joins us to share his journey as a theatre activist in Bangladesh. He has worked with the late Safdar Hashmi’s group Jana Natya Manch, and was an active member of Dhaka theatre exploring critic, and in this talk, he focuses on different avenues including acting, the changes in Bangladeshi theatre assisting with plays and designing and its evolution from its roots to costumes. This experience has current digitalization. informed his current role as a theatre
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 25 SOHAYA VISIONS PRESENTS TALK: INTERGALACTIC SUPER-HEROISM ACROSS THE GLOBE Friday 8 November At this event, we consider these questions with a film on South Doors 4pm | Start 4.30pm Asian superhero comics, and young PINTER STUDIO, QMUL people’s social and imaginative 90 minutes | FREE worlds to do with special powers, phenomenal technologies, justice, Superheroes bring to mind caped vengeance, geopolitics, and crusaders such as Superman, gender. We will be joined by an Batman, Captain America or the interdisciplinary panel with experts more gender attuned Wonder on superheroism followed by a Q&A Woman, among other avatars. Those with the audience. looking eastwards might highlight The event is followed by a linked Japanese characters from Manga. drama, Terror, by Sohaya Visions on What about other cultural repertoires Faraz Hossain’s heroic stand against of intergalactic superhero/ines? violent militants in a Bangladeshi How do other young people engage café in July 2016. with illustrations, storytelling and imaginaries of superheroism?
SURTAAL PRESENTS MUSIC: MON KA SANGEET Saturday 9 November Doors 7pm | Start 7.30pm KOBI NAZRUL CENTRE £10/£8 concessions
Mon Ka Sangeet (Music From The Heart) will be a night featuring Indian music which consists of two key classical instruments, the sitar and tabla. The inimitable sounds of this beautiful percussion and strings harmony are performed by Yousuf Ali Khan on the tabla and Mehboob Nadeem on the sitar. They will be performing Indian raaga.
26 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA SWADHINATA TRUST PRESENTS BENGALI HISTORY WALK Thursday 14 November 11am ALTAB ALI PARK 60 minutes | £5
The Banglatown walk and talk is aimed at anybody interested in Bengali migration and settlement in the East End of London. It is an opportunity to learn about the Bengali community’s history and heritage, and the lives of people with diverse backgrounds and as migration from the colonies experiences, values and customs. continued throughout the twentieth The experiences of Bengalis in the century. East End explore both the value of Meeting point: Shahid Minar (Martyrs multiculturalism and the tensions Monument), Altab Ali Park, Adler it creates. The walk/talk will look Street/Whitechapel High Street at the legacy of the British Empire
MMPI, LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY PRESENTS TALK: MEMORY & BELONGING IN THE DIASPORA Thursday 14 November Doctoral researchers of the Migrant Memory and the Postcolonial Doors 1.30pm | Start 2pm Imagination Project (MMPI), explores BRADY ARTS CENTRE the legacies of the 1947 partition 120 minutes | FREE of British India for South Asian communities in the UK and their Come along to this panel discussion memories and post-memories of debating different ways to explore migration. The research concentrates memories, belonging and identity in on the two sites of Loughborough the South Asian diaspora in Britain. and London and is in partnership This will cover media analysis, online with, respectively, Charnwood Arts ethnography, and creative and and Tower Hamlets Council. This performance based methods. session will provide an overview of the research progress of the different sites of doctoral research. 1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 27 BRIT BANGLA PRESENTS TALK: BENGALI...ISH? WHAT’S YOUR STORY?! Thursday 14 November Doors 7pm | Starts 7.30pm KOBI NAZRUL CENTRE FREE
Emerging British Bengali comedic talent Tahseen Khan will open the event with a warm-up sketch to provide a few laughs on all things Bengali! A panel discussion, hosted by Taryn Khanam, BritBangla, will explore their fusion of British and Bengali what Bengali identity and culture dual-culture. This promises to be means to a group of individuals a lively and informative talk with with a Bengali heritage. Panel Q&As covering views and cultural members will share their passions traditions, fashion, food, arts and on expressing their identity and music. CHANDOSIK PRESENTS TALK: RECITALS AND TALK - GENOCIDE IN TEA ESTATES IN 1971 Saturday 16 November of liberation in 1971. Writer, researcher and journalist Apurba Sharma has Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm documented the sacrifices of the tea KOBI NAZRUL CENTRE estate labourers within the context FREE of this struggle for Bangladesh’s independence. Through research he After the tea estates were established has collected extensive material from in 1854, it was necessary to recruit a the families of those involved to help large number of labourers to meet document this important tract of demand. Those from distant areas, history. particularly of South India descent Learn more about these untold had a reputation as hard workers and stories from 1971 through recitation were more sought after. and discussion from Apurba Sharma This talk highlights the tea labourers’ and Chandosik. little known contribution to the war 28 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA WORKSHOP: PERFORMING BANGLADESH THEATRE BY SUDIP CHAKROBORTHY Sunday 17 November Doors 12.30pm | Starts 1pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE FREE
Doctoral researcher at Goldsmiths University Sudip Chakroborthy will conduct this workshop which explores identity and society as it is seen by different generations of the British Bangladeshi community. How This is for anyone interested in do your understandings of where we exploring understandings of came from and where we are now, Bangladeshi identity in the UK, and who we are and who others say we sharing their stories. are, inform dialogue and mutual @theatredip understanding?
MUKTO ARTS CIC PRESENTS MUSIC: TRIBENI - THE RHYTHM OF WATER, LIVE BLEND OF MUSIC & ART Sunday 17 November through an acoustic performance which fuses east and west. Join Doors 4.30pm | Starts 5pm Ashim Chakraborty, Shagufta BRADY ARTS CENTRE Sharmeen Tania, Mukta Chakravarty, FREE Trisha Bhattacharjee and Gary Coughlan for a delightful sojourn This will be a melodic afternoon in to the realms of interdisciplinary in which to get immersed in the harmony. rhythmic connection between https://muktache.wordpress.com/ eastern and western folk music https://twitter.com/MouniMukta and to showcase the ‘live blend of https://www.facebook.com/ Music & Art’. Accompanying the mounimukta work displayed on the walls of the Brady Arts Centre’s gallery space, this connects poetry, film and music
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 29 TALK: A PERSONAL TESTIMONY IN CONFRONTATION: FROM NATIONALIST NARRATIVES TO HETEROGENEOUS PERFORMATIVES Wednesday 20 November Today he realizes that nationalism is a rigid ideological construct that Doors 7pm | Start 7.30pm mobilizes the politics of identity by KOBI NAZRUL CENTRE erasing difference, and generating FREE sameness and singularity. In the case of Bangladesh, the politics of After Jerzy Grotowski’s assertion identity today draws irrevocably that the core of theatre is an from intolerant Islamic codes. extreme confrontation, this talk Consequently, his theatre-making posits that confrontation between now seeks new moorings, in two ‘ensembles’ formed by the productions which dismantle speaker and the audience. Hopefully, the strictures of nationalism and this will be a unique opportunity celebrate heterogeneity, multiplicity for the speaker to be sincere, and plurality. disciplined, precise and total, as Professor Syed Jamil Ahmed, he attempts to unpeel his journey PhD, is the founding chair of as a professional theatre-maker. A the Department of Theatre and freedom fighter in 1971, Professor Performance Studies, University of Syed Jamil Ahmed began his journey Dhaka, and the author of six books as a staunch cultural-nationalist and numerous academic articles on who defined his theatre-making theatre, applied theatre and cultural as means of ‘narrating the nation.’ studies.
HOPE N MIC PRESENTS HOPE N MIC Friday 22 November Doors 7pm | Show 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE £5
Join Hope n Mic for their last event in 2019. This will be an evening of live acts from singers, poets, wordsmiths and musicians. Hope n Mic is the best open mic scene in East London, providing a platform for spoken word artists, both established and those who are new to the scene and giving the public an entertaining night out for only a £5 donation that goes to the charity of the month. 30 A SEASON OF BANGLA DRAMA SCRATCH NIGHT: FROM PAGE TO STAGE Friday 22 November Doors 7pm | Start 7.30pm BRADY ARTS CENTRE English | 90 minutes I FREE
This is the second year that that A Season of Bangla Drama has offered an opportunity for new writers to showcase some of their ideas. Under the mentorship of Rokshana Khan, this event is a mix of scenes that are a work in progress. The young, new writers will be sharing their work Rokshana Khan is an experienced for the first time. We will also have writer, actor and director. For over 20 a Q&A with a panel of experienced years, she has been an active theatre writers, helping to critique the work practitioner and a skilled mentor, that is presented in the evenings enabling new theatrical voices to performance. come to the fore.
SUR BANDHAN PRESENTS RAAGA IS A HUMAN RIGHT: IN MEMORY OF USTAAD BARKAT ALI KHAN Saturday 23 November Doors 7pm | Start 7.30pm KOBI NAZRUL CENTRE £7/£5 | 120 minutes
Ustad Fida Hussain will pay tribute to his teacher Ustad Barkat Ali Khan (1908 – 19 June 1963), a classical singer who belonged to the Patiala gharana of music. He will be joined by other UK singers in this celebration of his life and music including Hanif Khan, Soaful Uddin, Shahadat Hussain Masoom, Piya Mayenin, Rowshonara Moni, Sadia Afroz, Nazmoon Nahar Tanni, Pronoy Sinha Rinku and Rashida Khan Banu. There will be a presentation in English, with songs in Bangla, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi.
1-24 NOVEMBER 2019 31 MASTER CLASS BY PROFESSOR SYED JAMIL AHMED Sunday 24 November the word abinaya because it carries (ni-) the performance towards (the Doors 11am | Start 11.30am audience).” It will elaborate this by BRADY ARTS CENTRE drawing on Stanislavski, Barba and FREE Suzuki, and focussing on four key techniques; Scenic Presence, Action, Key Techniques in Theatre- Communion and Tempo-Rhythm. In making: Scenic Presence, Action, the masterclass, the notions behind Communion and Tempo-Rhythm these techniques will be explored University of Dhaka by means of theatre games and improvisations. The masterclass is underpinned by the notion of abhinaya (acting) Syed Jamil Ahmed is a director- articulated in the Nāṭyaśāstra thus: designer based in Bangladesh, with “the root ni- with the preposition extensive international experience. abhi which means towards, gives ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ashraf Mahmud Neswar – Founder A Season of Bangla Drama is of A Season of Bangla Drama, Rehan organised by London Borough Jamil, Josh McNorton, Natasha Clark, of Tower Hamlets Arts, Parks & Nicola Muir, Martha Rumey, Glenford Events Team in partnership with Barnes, Rosa Dunn, Adam Hemming, Queen Mary University of London Zakir Khan, Golam Nizam, Subrina and Migrant Memory and the Hossain, Hafiz Alam Baksh, Farhan Postcolonial Imagination Project Masud Khan, Urmee Mazher, Adnan (MMPI), Loughborough University. Pavel, Mark Strippel, Rob Littlejohn, SELECTION PANEL: Nadia Ali, Kohinoor Alam, Mustak Kazi Ruksana Begum, Ali Campbell, Babul, Urmee Mazhar, Leesa Gazi, Rokshana Khan, Karen Hubbard, Rukom Alom, Sabina Khan, Janice Suna Miah and Dr Canan Salih Hill Kocoglu, Ferdous Ahmed, Cheryl Westmacott, Jana Reidel, Emily Brochure information correct at Keightley, Clelia Clini, Julia Giese, time of going to print. Mahbub Rahman, Adam Renvoize For up to date information go to and Jessica Odubayo. www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/arts
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone involved in making A Season of Bangla Drama possible.
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