Championing bold new voices from the South Asian diaspora this electrifying showcase brings together three original pieces by emerging writers each uncovering powerful, complex and brilliant untold stories that reimagine British Theatre today.
As Tara Theatre approaches its 50th anniversary, our NOVA playwrights have been invited to look at the past. Expect a journey through hidden legacies that have long been overlooked — through radical revolutions that reshaped socio-political landscapes to intimate stories of queer protest and belonging, these stories illuminate the courage, resistance, and imagination woven into the fabric of British South Asian history.
Forgotten ancestors brought vividly to life, queer lineages reclaimed from silence, and defiant victories that echo into the present. These plays transform research into revelation, blending history, memory, and fiction to create urgent, contemporary theatre.
As a vital platform for new writing NOVA is where emerging artists take risks, experiment with form, and bring fresh perspectives to the stage. By being in the room for this you’re not only witnessing the next generation of playwrights, but expanding the canon of South Asian stories in British Theatre in the moment with us and unlocking the extraordinary potential they hold.
Join us for a script in hand sharing of excerpts from each piece of new writing.
The showcase will features the following pieces:
The Woman Who Defended An Elephant by afshan d’souza-lodhi
After failed attempts of being recognised as a barrister in 1920s colonial India, Cornelia Sorabji unwillingly takes on the task of defending an elephant sentenced to death. As the case unfolds, she is pulled between British colonial rule, Gandhi’s rising nationalism, and her loyalty to the silenced women in purdah whom she represents.
What begins as an absurd trial, transforms into a searing critique of power, loyalty, and justice, which forces Cornelia to ask: who does the law really serve, and at what cost?
How to be British Asian by Dilan Tulsiani
Anjali has been given the exclusive opportunity to play a lead in a multi-million-pound film production about the 1857 Indian Rebellion. The film stars the legendary British Asian actor, Sanjay Kumar, who has finally been given a chance to play a serious role in his illustrious career as a comedian. Anjali is told that this feature film will ultimately examine the significance and complexity of British imperialism in India. However, the rehearsal for the film begins to uncover the deep underlying issues of how British Asians have been represented on screen, including generational tensions and whether representation is enough in modern-day Britain?
NAZ: SINFUL PERVERTS, SEXUAL DEVIANTS, AND PRODUCTS OF THE GODLESS DEBAUCHED WEST by Mohammed Barber
Set in 90s Britain during the height of the AIDS crisis, NAZ tells the untold story of four
friends who dared to create the UK’s first South Asian gay nightclub and through it a
community. However, an undisclosed decision by one of the founders threatens to bring down everything the quartet have spent years working towards. With the pressures of creating joy for a persecuted people what comes first, club, community or yourself?
NOVA is generously supported by
Fenton Arts Trust
The Leche Trust
