a new play by David Hare based on the book by Katherine Boo Background pack National Theatre: Background Pack 1 Contents The National’s production 3 Synopsis of the play 4 Rehearsal Diary 8 Context and Research 18 Cast interviews Meera Syal 21 Hiran Abeysekara 23 Esh Alladi 25 Anjli Mohindra 27 This background pack is published Welcome to the National Theatre’s background pack by and copyright The Royal National Theatre Board for Behind the Beautiful Forevers. Reg. No. 1247285 Registered Charity No. 224223 This background pack introduces the process of bringing the National Theatre Views expressed in this background production to life, from auditions through to press night. pack are not necessarily those of the National Theatre Through imaginative and innovative in-school, on-site and online activities, Author NT Learning opens up the National’s repertoire, artistry, skills, and the building Emily Lim itself, enabling participants of all ages to discover new skills and experience the Editor excitement of theatre-making. If you’ve enjoyed this background pack or would like Emma Gosden to talk to us about getting involved in NT Learning activities, please contact us on Design [email protected] or 020 7452 3388. Clare Nicholson, Louise Richardson and Michael Cranston Jane Ball NT Learning Programme Manager, NT Learning National Theatre South Bank November 2014 London SE1 9PX T 020 7452 3388 F 020 7452 3380 E [email protected] The rehearsal and production photographs in this background pack were taken by Richard Hubert Smith Click on this arrow, when you see it, for more online resources. Further production details: nationaltheatre.org.uk National Theatre: Background Pack 2 The National Theatre production of a new play by David Hare Behind the Beautiful Forevers based on the book by Katherine Boo Sunil Sharma HIRAN ABEYSEKERA Director RUFUS NORRIS Deepak Rai, aka Kalu ASSAD ZAMAN Designer KATRINA LINDSAY Manju Waghekar, Asha’s daughter ANJANA VASAN Lighting Designer PAULE CONSTABLE Asha Waghekar STEPHANIE STREET Sound Designer PAUL ARDITTI Abdul Husain SHANE ZAZA Video Designer JACK HENRY JAMES Raja Kamble RANJIT KRISHNAMMA Fight Director KATE WATERS Mahadeo Waghekar, Company Voice Work JEANNETTE NELSON, Asha’s husband SARTAJ GAREWAL DANIELE LYDON Rahul Waghekar GAVI SINGH CHERA Dialect Coach ZABARJAD SALAM Zehrunisa Husain, Abdul’s mother MEERA SYAL Staff Director EMILY LIM Kehkashan Husain, ANJLI MOHINDRA Zehrunisa’s daughter VINCENT EBRAHIM Karam Husain, Zehrunisa’s husband SARTAJ GAREWAL Understudies Airport Director Esh Alladi (Mahadeo Waghekar/Airport Director/ Sub-Inspector Shankar Yeram, Abdul Shaikh/Kalu/Judge Dhiran), aka Fishlips CHOOK SIBTAIN Gavi Singh Chera (Clerk of the Court), Nagare MUZZ KHAN Sartaj Garewal (Raja Kamble/Karam Husain/The Master), Fatima Shaikh THUSITHA JAYASUNDERA Mariam Haque (Meena Chinnu/ Mirchi Husain, Abdul’s brother RONAK PATANI Kehkashan Husain/Manju Waghekar), Meena Chinnu ANNEIKA ROSE Muzz Khan (Kulkarni/Fishlips/Defender/Prosecutor), Cynthia Ali, a neighbour MANJEET MANN Manjeet Mann (Asha Waghekar/Laxmi Chinnu), Officer Kulkarni MARIAM HAQUE Noori Shaikh, Fatima’s daughter TIA-LANA CHINAPYEL/ Ronak Patani (Sunil Sharma/Abdul Husain/Nagare), NIKITA MEHTA/ Bharti Patel (Poornima Paikrao/Cynthia Ali/ TIA PALAMATHANAN/ Judge Chauhan/Fatima Shaikh/Zehrunisa Husain), PEHRR RAMRAKHYANI Assad Zaman (Rahul Waghekar/Mirchi Husain/Taufeeq/Guard) Poornima Paikrao, Special Executive Officer NATHALIE ARMIN Abdul Shaikh, Fatima’s husband RANJIT KRISHNAMMA The National Theatre would like to thank the following for their Guard at Dongri ESH ALLADI support of this production: The Master PAL ARON Arête Foundation / Betsy and Ed Cohen, Myoung Cheul Taufeeq MUZZ KHAN Chung, Cockayne – Grants for Laxmi Chinnu, Meena’s mother BHARTI PATEL the Arts & The London Community Foundation Judge PM Chauhan THUSITHA JAYASUNDERA Prosecutor CHOOK SIBTAIN The National Theatre wishes to acknowledge its partner Defender ESH ALLADI National Angels Limited Clerk of the Court MARIAM HAQUE This play is the recipient of an Judge CK Dhiran PAL ARON Edgerton Foundation New Plays Award This production opened in the National’s Olivier Theatre on 18 November 2014 Behind the Beautiful Forevers National Theatre: Background Pack 3 PHOTO: RICHARD HUBERT SMITH A synopsis of the play Act One Scenes 1 – 12 and on her husband’s dream of moving out of Abdul is sorting rubbish on the maidan while Sunil Annawadi to Vasai, a Muslim area in the countryside picks rubbish. Kalu enters on his motorbike and where they have bought a small plot of land. She tries to persuade Sunil to come thieving with him. reveals that she doesn’t want to leave because Sunil refuses. Meanwhile, Manju is waiting at the tap it would mean her being forced ‘back behind the to collect water, reading Mrs Dalloway, by Virginia burqa’. Kehkashan, her daughter, prepares supper Woolf. Sunil takes his rubbish to Abdul who weighs alongside them whilst ranting about her husband whom she has just left, having discovered ‘intimate photos’ of another woman on his mobile phone. Karam, Zehrunisa’s sick husband, returns home and informs the family about the anti-Muslim riots that are happening in the city. Sunil arrives to tell Abdul the news about Kalu’s death. Officer Fishlips and his sidekick, Nagare, clear up Kalu’s body, falsely registering his death on the form as ‘suspected tuberculosis’. Act One Scenes 13 – 21 Back in the maidan, the Husain family, intent on doing some ‘home improvement’, empty out their belongings from their house in order that they can build themselves a new kitchen shelf. Their neighbour, Fatima Shaikh (known as ‘One Leg’) comes out of her house to complain, insisting that they have to ask her permission before starting work because ‘it’s a shared wall’. She and Zehrunisa exchange insults. Abdul warns his mother that it is a mistake to carry out the building work, reminding her that everyone already resents their wealth and warning that they should keep their heads low and it and pays him less than he was hoping. Manju not make themselves more of a target. Zehrunisa returns home where her mother, Asha, the ‘go-to disagrees with him, saying that they will be treated woman’ of Annawadi, is receiving her daily string like ‘shitty Muslims’ regardless of what they do, so of clients in need of her help. Mr Kamble, a family they might as well show that they can ‘live better friend, is first in the queue. He asks Asha for a than others’. The building continues. loan to help him pay for a new valve for his sick heart. Asha refuses, rejecting his offer of a 5,000 That night, Manju and Meena conduct one of their rupee ‘token of thanks’ and telling him to go and regular secret meetings in the toilets. Manju teaches pray at the temple instead. Manju tries to change Meena about Congreve’s drama, The Way of the her mother’s mind but is sharply reprimanded World, and its key themes of ‘love, social position for interfering with her work. Mahadeo, Asha’s and money’. Meena reveals she is unhappy and husband, and Rahul, Asha’s son, return home feels trapped in her life. Manju tries to persuade demanding supper. her to stop thinking negatively and to focus instead on her learning, which she believes will help her to Back in the maidan, Kalu tries again, ‘escape’. unsuccessfully, to convince Sunil to come on his thieving mission. That night Kalu goes alone to The Airport Director explains that the key challenge steal the scrap metal and is attacked and brutally of building a modern airport in Mumbai is the lack murdered by two drug dealers who accuse him of of space. informing on them to the police. The next day Fatima comes outside to complain The next day Zehrunisa Husain is working to the Husains that they have made a hole in alongside her son, Abdul, in the maidan, paying the her wall whilst building the shelf. Abdul tries to pickers who have brought rubbish to their scales placate her but her frustration erupts into a public for weighing. She reflects on the community’s row with Zehrunisa, who reminds her that their resentment of their success as a Muslim family, family paid for the wall to be built in the first place. Above: Assad Zaman as Kalu National Theatre: Background Pack 4 PHOTO: RICHARD HUBERT SMITH Synopsis, continued Eventually Fatima leaves, supported by Cynthia, her, is untenable because Noori, Fatima’s daughter, telling Zehrunisa she is ‘going to regret it’. Karam has said she saw Fatima doing this to herself. returns home from buying new floor tiles for the Poornima alters the statement so that it says the house. He says he has been told by a group of three Husains attacked Fatima and that she, unable boys that Fatima is in a rickshaw on her way to the to retaliate, was incited to suicide as a result. Abdul police station to file a formal complaint, accusing Shaikh, Fatima’s husband, worries for her health. Zehrunisa of assault. Zehrunisa hurries to the police station to defend herself. Meanwhile, Abdul is beaten by Officer Fishlips in the police station, having turned himself in. In the police station, Officer Kulkarni tells both women to stop wasting her time with their simple Poornima Paikrao, fresh from her visit to Fatima’s ‘domestic’. She sends Fatima home but instructs bedside, visits Zehrunisa in Annawadi, offering to Zehrunisa to stay. Asha arrives and tells Zehrunisa represent her as a professional negotiator, for a fee. that she can ‘get the whole thing wrapped up in Zehrunisa refuses the offer. Karam is thrown into the an hour’ for a mere 1,000 rupees. Zehrunisa does same holding cell as Abdul. Zehrunisa comes to the not accept the offer.