Tara Theatre have announced the full cast for the UK tour of Silence. Iqbal Khan will direct Tia Dutt, Alexandra D’Sa, Aaron Gill, Mamta Kaash, Asif Khan, alongside Bhasker Patel who returns to the production.
Abdul Shayek, former Artistic Director of Tara Theatre, directed the original production and had adapted and developed this version for touring at the time of his death in August 2023. Iqbal Khan, Associate Director of Birmingham Rep, and a friend and colleague of Abdul’s, directs the touring version of Silence.
Silence is adapted from the testimonies and stories of people who lived through partition. It is based on Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories and written by Sonali Bhattacharyya, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Ishy Din and Alexandra Wood. The production, including script and set design, has been updated since Silence’s 2022 run at the Donmar Warehouse.
It opens at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch on 6 April 2024, with a Press Night on 10 April 2024. It then runs at Curve Theatre, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Manchester’s HOME.
Iqbal Khan, Director of Silence commented: “I’m delighted to announce this new cast, and to work with this extraordinary group of actors. Together, we’re going to share the re-mounting of a necessary and vibrant piece of work that tells the story of a critical moment in British, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi history.
“Abdul’s legacy lives on through Silence, last year he was updating the script and having conversations about a brand new feel to the show. I’m so proud to be able to take this onwards and to share it with audiences across the country.”
Helen Jeffreys, Executive Director of Tara Theatre added: “Silence is a production that gives voice to the stories of Partition, and a history that was shrouded in shame and trauma bearing the mark of the brutal ineptitude of British colonialism. By taking this play to audiences across the country we hope that these real-life testimonies uncover the reality of an often unspoken period. This is not just South Asian history but a monumental feature of British history.
We are proud and grateful to be working with this wonderful cast, alongside Iqbal and the rest of the creative team.”
The 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan saw millions uprooted and resulted in unspeakable violence. It would shape modern Britain forever. Witnesses to this brutal moment in history live among us, yet the stories of that time remain shrouded in silence.
77 years later, Silence is a play focused on communal storytelling – presenting a shared history inspired by the remarkable personal testimonies of people who lived through the last days of the British Raj.
“India would be carved up in just 10 weeks, an act which forced dada’s family to flee. And so many others. And so many to die.”
The original London production was co-produced with the Donmar Warehouse in 2022, and marked the 75th anniversary of Partition.
In January this year, following a celebration of the life and career of Abdul Shayek at the National’s Olivier Theatre, Tara Theatre announced the Abdul Shayek Directors Fellowship.
The fellowship is designed to address the underrepresentation of practitioners from global majority and lower socio-economic backgrounds in UK theatre. It will provide an industry-led training and development programme, equipping two mid-career directors per year with the experience and skills they need to take on leadership positions in theatre.
For more information, and to make a contribution please follow this link: taratheatre.com/whats-on/silence-at-tara-theatre/%20
