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The
next 24 months are set to be a busy time for Tamasha with
three new productions in development; a slate of new commissions
emerging from our new writing programme; and the launch of
Tamasha Network - an innovative professional and social networking
tool for theatre artists and organisations UK-wide.
Forthcoming season
In an era where we are surrounded by the alleged
polarisation of Islam and the West, two new plays written
by Sudha Bhuchar explore how ordinary lives are affected by
our increasingly global ties. A third new production sees
Tamasha take a new direction, inspired by director Kristine
Landon-Smith's recent residency at The
Circus Space.
The
House of Bilquis Bibi is a new adaptation of Federico
García Lorca’s seminal 1936 play, The House of
Bernarda Alba. A story of a tyrannical widow and the
control she exerts over her five stay-at-home daughters, Sudha
has transported Lorca’s drama to present-day Jhang, a town
in Pakistan's Punjab region that is steeped in tragedy and
romance.
My
Name Is…, our second show in pre-production, is a story
of family breakdown and media sensation. A child vanishes
from her school in the UK, later to be found in Karachi. The
child of a Pakistani father and a white mother, her disappearance
immediately sparks global headlines of international kidnapping.
But what is the truth behind these dramatic events?
Completing
our new season is The
Arrival, based on the graphic novel by Shaun Tan, which
tells - through pictures alone - of a migrant who leaves his
home to begin a new life in another country. Shaun Tan has
created a fantastical world full of alien creatures, strange
encounters and surreal, shape-shifting buildings, and Kristine
will be working with circus artists to realise the theatrical
potential of this piece.
We're
delighted to announce this exciting season of new work - keep
an eye on future newsletters for updates.
New commissions
Satinder Chohan, Ishy Din, Em Hussain and Avaes
Mohammad: we are delighted to profile four writers currently
under commission by Tamasha, all of whom came to us through
our new
writing course. To read about these artists and their
works-in-progress click
here.
Also as part of our Developing
Artists programme, we will be presenting a Start
Night at Hampstead Theatre on Monday 14 December. Selected
writers will try out short extracts of their work, with the
support of a director and ensemble of actors. This is a chance
for audiences to see new work at an early stage of development
and contribute by providing the writers with valuable feedback.
If you would like to be part of the audience, tickets priced
at £5 will be available from Hampstead
Theatre nearer the time.
Tamasha Network
Do you have an idea but don’t know where to find the people
who could help you make it happen?
Early
next year, we will be launching an exciting professional and
social networking tool designed with you in mind. Tamasha
Network will be a place for theatre artists of all
disciplines and cultural backgrounds to meet and make connections,
join in debate, and hear about career development opportunities
from Tamasha and the wider theatre industry.
Some
of the members of the Developing
Artists programme have been helping us to develop the
site - we hope it will be a valuable resource for emerging
artists and organisations alike. Watch this space for updates.
News from our Artistic Directors
Kristine is currently directing a new production of Tamasha’s
landmark East
is East at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney,
performing 8 – 20 October. If you’re in Sydney this month,
you can book
tickets here.
Sudha,
meanwhile, is working as dramaturg with the Tobacco Factory
in Bristol and Travelling Light Theatre Company on their forthcoming
Christmas show, Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves. You can read more about the
show, including how to book tickets, here.
Elsewhere in London
Poonam Brah’s new company, Theatre
WaaH, presents Double Expresso, two short, sharp
new plays first developed by Kali
Theatre. The double bill performs at the Tristan Bates
Theatre until 17 October. Click
here for more details.
Meanwhile,
Shobana Jeyasingh
Dance Company will be presenting two pieces at the Southbank
Centre on 21 & 22 October as part of Dance Umbrella 2009,
including the world premiere of Bruise Blood featuring
beatbox supremo Shlomo. Click
here to read more.
Another
double bill, this time from Yellow
Earth Theatre who will be touring two very different plays
by East Asian writers Jean Tay and Sung Rno. The tour of Boom
and wAve begins at Greenwich Theatre on 21 October
- click
here for more details.
And
finally, the latest show from Out
of Joint is a fiercely funny and moving new play about
youth theatre leader Trish and her attempts to unite the white
and Asian young people in the Lancashire town of Burnley.
Mixed Up North performs at Wilton's Music Hall in
east London from 10 November. Click
here to read more.
With
best wishes from everyone at Tamasha.
Main image: Participants on Tamasha's recent course Design
Direct at RADA, August 2009. Photo: Robert Day
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