Winner of the Charlie Hartill Fund 2025, Niall Moorjani’s Kanpur: 1857 is a darkly comic new play that presents an interrogation like no other. Strapped to a cannon, an Indian rebel answers to a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur – an Indian uprising against British colonial forces. But who is the hero and who is the villain in this clever and satirical retelling?
Co-directed by Niall Moorjani (Mohan: A Partition Story, A Fairie Tale) and Jonathan Oldfield (Time of the Week, The Power), this comedic and explosive reckoning with colonial history is underscored by a live soundtrack from Scottish-Indian tabla player Sodhi, known as Talking Tabla. The production explores contemporary conflicts around gender, colonial violence, and the role of art in times of crisis.
Written in response to today’s turbulent world, Kanpur: 1857 confronts Britain’s failure to acknowledge the Indian lives lost to colonial violence. It is an audacious and comedic gut-punch that demands audiences confront the past with wit, acknowledgement and laughter – acting as a theatrical monument to those history has overlooked.
Moorjani describes the play as “an explosive, heart-driven, satirical take on a moment in Indian history that was deeply defined by British colonialism.” At its core is a trans love story, making the show as relevant today as it is rooted in the events of 1857.
Produced by Emily Ingram (The Grandmothers Grimm), and featuring dramaturgy by Nikita Gill and sensitivity consultation by Mohamed Tonsy, Kanpur: 1857 is a bold and urgent call to remember the pasts that shape our present.