Sudha Bhuchar – författare

"All heart and humour, irresistibly charming and shamelessly enjoyable...a treat" - Sunday Times Pooja falls in love with Rajesh. Prem, Rajesh's brother, falls in love with Nisha, Pooja's sister. But when Pooja dies suddenly and in tragic circumstances, Pooja finds herself betrothed to the wrong brother. Will Nisha's secret love for Prem be discovered before it's too late?Featuring the classic Bollywood film ingredients of romance, drama and comedy, Fourteen Songs, Two Weddings and a Funeral is a spirit lifting and enchanting love story lavishly told in true Bollywood style. First performed in the studio at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in November 1998, Tamasha's production has won several awards including the TMA Best New Musical award.Tamasha is Britain's leading Asian theatre company whose vivid and distinctive performance style has been applauded by critics and audiences alike. Their previous successes include the world premieres of East is East and Balti Kings.

Tamasha Theatre's stunning new play Strictly Dandia, Tamasha Theatre Company's new play, takes us into the competitive world of the Navratri Festival where regional and caste rivalries abound in a bid to outdo each other with smart moves and step variations. An affectionate satirical tribute to British Gujaratis adapting their Hindu dance festivities to London street culture. A disco-dandia competition brings the Hindu Juliet and Muslim Romeo together in spit of their communities' disapproval."All heart and humour, irresistibly charming and shamelessly enjoyable...a treat" Sunday Times [on Fourteen Songs, Two Weddings and a Funeral] Published to tie in with the premiere at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith in January 2004, prior to a nation-wide tour.

An emotionally charged story of love and loss set during India's partition. When his fingers slip away from his father's hand, one boy's destiny changes forever. In the chaos of border crossing between India and the newly formed Pakistan, a small boy called Pali suddenly finds himself lost and alone. Taken in to a Muslim family he is given a new name, and a new faith - Islam. In his changed world, he learns to find love and forge friendships in the most unexpected of places. Seven years later when fate reunites him with his Hindu roots; he must decide if he is the boy he was born, the boy he has been brought up to be, or simply a Child of the Divide. Child of the Divide, produced by Tamasha Theatre Company and Polka Theatre, premiered on 5 May 2006 at Polka Theatre, Wimbledon, London.

Based on the Booker-shortlisted novel by Rohinton Mistry and adapted by Sudha Bhuchar and Kristine Landon-Smith, this programme text edition of A Fine Balance is published to coincide with Tamasha Theatre Company's 2007 revival and tour of the hit play. India, 1975, and a callous government has declared a State of Emergency. In these uncertain times a spirited Parsi widow determined to avoid a second marriage takes a student boarder and two Hindu tailors into her ramshackle flat. The four strangers whose lives have become inextricably linked find themselves crossing divides of caste, class and religion to form the most unexpected of friendships. Produced by Tamasha - creator of the groundbreaking East is East and the award-winning musical Fourteen Songs, Two Weddings and a Funeral - A Fine Balance was first seen at Hampstead Theatre in 2006, where it enjoyed a sell-out run. 'it tells a grim tale with wit, warmth and a keen eye for the join between public policies and private lives' The Times**** 'nothing short of a miracle' Sunday Telegraph 'a moving but unsentimental homage to endurance, asking for no pity, only understanding' Sunday Times

I have a boy. He is across the border, I know he is.A few miles between. The same starsShine on himSummer 1947. Sixteen million people are on the move between India and the newly-formed Pakistan. Amid the violent political upheaval, young Pali’s fingers slip from his father’s hand, and his destiny changes forever.Lost, dispossessed and alone, Pali is saved by a Muslim family. The boy is given a new home and new family, a new name, a new faith and a new life. But seven years later, his real father returns to claim him and Pali’s life is turned upside down again. He is forced to decide who he is: the Hindu boy he was born to be, the Muslim boy he has become, or simply a child of the divide.This edition has been published to mark the 70th anniversary of the partition of India and a new high-profile production originating once again at the Polka Theatre. Sudha Bhuchar’s remarkable story of family, identity and belonging set against a fractured landscape is a fictionalised account of real experiences, of families torn apart and of stolen pasts, where friendship and love are found in unexpected places.

Theatre has a complex history of responding to crises, long before they happen. Through stage plays, contemporary challenges can be presented, explored and even foreshadowed in ways that help audiences understand the world around them. Since the theatre of the Greeks, audiences have turned to live theatre in order to find answers in uncertain political, social and economic times, and through this unique collection questions about This anthology brings together a collection of 20 scenes from 20 playwrights that each respond to the world in crisis. Twenty of the world’s most prolific playwrights were asked to select one scene from across their published work that speaks to the current world situation in 2020. As COVID-19 continues to challenge every aspect of global life, contemporary theatre has long predicted a world on the edge. Through these 20 scenes from plays spanning from 1980 to 2020, we see how theatre and art has the capacity to respond, comment on and grapple with global challenges that in turn speak to the current time in which we are living. Each scene, chosen by the writer, is prefaced by an interview in which they discuss their process, their reason for selection and how their work reflects both the past and the present. From the political plays of Lucy Prebble and James Graham to the polemics of Philip Ridley and Tim Crouch. From bold works by Inua Ellams, Morgan Lloyd Malcom and Tanika Gupta to the social relevance of Hannah Khalil, Zoe Cooper and Simon Stephens this anthology looks at theatre in the present and asks the question: “how can theatre respond to a world in crisis?” The collection is prefaced by an introduction from Edward Bond, one of contemporary theatre’s most prolific dramatists.

How important is touch to you? Is there enough touch in the world or are we experiencing collective ‘touch hunger’ in these troubling times?Touchstone Tales is a unique collection of revealing and illuminating stories of Lutonians, seen through the prism of touch. Originally a Revoluton Arts/Wellcome collection co-commission, it is part of Wellcome’s national arts partnership programme and is an artist response to 'The Touch Test', Wellcome’s study on the role that touch plays in the lives and well-being of people. Pholi, a Sikh widow in isolation reminisces about Romancing in Bury Park in the 60s and delights in the children of her Polish neighbours. Hamza aka Desi cake lover awaits his Amazon parcels hoping that the arrival of ‘rose petals’ for his Persian love cake will help him find love in lockdown, The Ninja Sister inspires Sophia out of her shell and gives her the gift of confidence and faith in God, through sparring with the ‘sisters’ at Pink Diamond martial arts Club and in The Eid Hug, Anwar searches for his father’s full embrace, even in middle age. Farid and Manju celebrate their inter-faith friendship through iconic song and stories of lost loves and youth in The Fairy Queen, Nazira shares her buried secret in And the world kept turning, and offers touch through performing the last rites for others, a particularly humbling experience during Covid 19 and Atif in Paisley and Roses helps customers to adorn themselves in silks and shawls and realises that it is his absent mother’s touch that he is longing for in her fineries. Written by award-winning author Sudha Bhuchar, the play explores the theme of touch through a collection of fictional self-portrait monologues and a dualogue, directly inspired by creative encounters with mainly the British Muslim South Asian communities in Bury Park, Luton.

This is the story of a paintingcapturing a landmark moment in history.Or is it the story of the subjects of the painting?Maybe it's the story of the painter?Or those who are missing from the composition.Set in Mysore, Southern India, in 1805. The story begins when princess Devajammani arrives at the royal court of Mysore to marry Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. They were both twelve years old and he was the newly anointed ruler of the Southern Indian kingdom.But Devajammani soon found herself recruited for a more momentous cause - to publicise and promote the smallpox vaccine. What followed was a concerted mix of politics, power, and persuasion by the East India Company to introduce the world’s first ever vaccine to India, their biggest colonial enterprise.A Picture of Health is written by award-winning playwright Sudha Bhuchar, inspired by Irish painter Thomas Hickey’s portrait ‘The Three Queens of Mysore’, which itself has been called 'one of the most important scientific paintings in the history of medicine in India'.This edition was published published to coincide with Theatre of Debate's schools tour starting in September 2024.

“Bhuchar is a captivating storyteller, her words conjuring up visions of an antiquated India or a casual modern day home in Wimbledon; each location as clear as the next as we become part of the journey with her.” (West End Best Friend)Sudha Bhuchar is a leading voice in contemporary British theatre. Through a nuanced exploration of identity, culture, and social justice, Bhuchar’s work illuminates the complex experiences of British Asian communities and beyond. In this, her first play collection, her work from 1999 to 2024 has been brought together to showcase formally inventive and creative mix of work for the stage.Each play offers a profound meditation on themes of migration, faith, family, and the pursuit of equality, rendered with both incisive insight and emotional depth. Bhuchar’s writing combines thoughtful political engagement with richly drawn characters, creating narratives that resonate universally while remaining deeply rooted in specific cultural contexts. From Balti Kings which premiered at Lyric Hammersmith in 1999 through to her celebrated Lorca adaptation, House of Bilquis Bibi and her one-woman Evening Conversations, these plays are ripe for study, performance and enjoyment.This anthology stands as an essential contribution to modern theatre, inviting readers and audiences alike to engage with stories that challenge, enlighten, and inspire.

“Bhuchar is a captivating storyteller, her words conjuring up visions of an antiquated India or a casual modern day home in Wimbledon; each location as clear as the next as we become part of the journey with her.” (West End Best Friend)Sudha Bhuchar is a leading voice in contemporary British theatre. Through a nuanced exploration of identity, culture, and social justice, Bhuchar’s work illuminates the complex experiences of British Asian communities and beyond. In this, her first play collection, her work from 1999 to 2024 has been brought together to showcase formally inventive and creative mix of work for the stage.Each play offers a profound meditation on themes of migration, faith, family, and the pursuit of equality, rendered with both incisive insight and emotional depth. Bhuchar’s writing combines thoughtful political engagement with richly drawn characters, creating narratives that resonate universally while remaining deeply rooted in specific cultural contexts. From Balti Kings which premiered at Lyric Hammersmith in 1999 through to her celebrated Lorca adaptation, House of Bilquis Bibi and her one-woman Evening Conversations, these plays are ripe for study, performance and enjoyment.This anthology stands as an essential contribution to modern theatre, inviting readers and audiences alike to engage with stories that challenge, enlighten, and inspire.

When Gaby disappears from her Scottish home, it is assumed that her Pakistani father, Farhan, has kidnapped her. The spiralling headlines are only momentarily silenced when it emerges that Gaby may have fled of her own accord, choosing to spend her life in Pakistan. To the distress of her Scottish mother, Suzy, Gaby declares, “My name is Ghazala”, turning her back on "Gaby" and, seemingly, the West.This moving verbatim play reveals a cross-cultural love story that began in late-seventies Glasgow, a world away from the frantic "tug of love" well documented in the world's press. A captivating new play about love, family and ever-shifting identities, My Name Is . . . tells the story behind an event that fleetingly hit headlines in 2006 and continues to resonate throughout the UK and beyond. It was first produced by Tamasha at the Arcola Theatre, London, on 30 April 2014, before the production transferred to the Tron Theatre, Glasgow, on 29 May 2014.