Sonia's Story

My relationship with Tamasha began in 2004 when I attended the Individual Actor course run by Kristine Landon-Smith. Now a one day course, it was the last time Kristine ran the course over five days and I think our group broke her!  Through Kristine’s actor-centred approach, I learnt to throw out my old fashioned ideas about ‘building a character’, relax, have fun and let ‘character’ emerge naturally through improvisation and hot seating. Perhaps more importantly, the course was to prove a springboard both for my artistic development and an ongoing, very rewarding, relationship with Tamasha. One particular improvisation session I took part in on the course inspired me to write a short play (Behna) which I submitted to the Kali Shorts competition. I have since developed the play further and it was mounted as a workshop production last November at Soho Theatre as part of Kali’s ‘Talk Back’ festival. A full production is planned for 2008.

In 2005 I was cast in The Trouble With Asian Men.  Aware of my interest in writing, Tamasha also engaged me as a researcher for the show. This was incredibly valuable in terms of developing my interviewing skills, accessing an enviable variety of idiosyncratic voices and understanding the difference between a good and a performable story. The following year I toured with the show.  Then in January 2007 I took part in Tamasha New Writing, which ran for two weeks.  By then I’d already had discussions about taking up a position as Artist in Residence, and applied to the Arts Council for funding.  The detailed application process forced me to really focus on what I wanted to achieve from the year’s residency and how it could be of mutual benefit both to myself and Tamasha. We formulated a two-pronged approach which would expose me to the organisational realities of running a successful theatre company and in parallel develop my artistic skills as a writer. 

Since the residency started in Spring 2007, I’ve taken part in a number of projects, such as writing treatments and putting together production packs, arranging and overseeing photoshoots, organising a performance of extracts from The Trouble With Asian Men at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards, etc.  I’m getting a real understanding of just how much thought, organisation and hard work goes on behind the scenes, even between productions. I’ve also completed a first draft of a new play (mentored by Kristine and Sudha) and taken on full production responsibility for a forthcoming New Writers’ Platform featuring some exciting new work from participants of January’s New Writing course. Watch this space!