Talkback Readings

Information for Talkback Readings at Arcola, Inner London (Play). Readings of seven rich, bold and provocative new plays. Come and experience some of the freshest and most original voices in new theatre writing. Mon 3 December - 8pm Song For A Sanctuary by Rukhsana Ahmad Directed by Aileen Gonsalves. When Rajinder arrives at a women's refuge to escape her violent husband, her religious commitment and conformity to tradition lead to clashes with radical refuge worker, Kamla. Lost in their battle for the soul of Rajinder's teenage daughter, Savita, both women forget the dangers of a breach of security, with disastrous consequences... This was the first play produced by Kali. It was presented at the Lyric, Hammersmith and on a national tour. It was also broadcast by BBC Radio4 and nominated for a Susan Smith Blackburn Award. Sat 8 December - 3pm (Double bill) Speed by Iman Qureshi Directed by Poonam Brah Five sexy, sassy and cynical twenty-somethings come together at a speed-dating event. A banker in denial, a writer with a hang-up, a publicist with a penchant for sexagenarians, a jilted musician and a shrink with a secret reveal their misanthropy and closeted desires in a wry comedy of heartbreak and loneliness. In a culture obsessed by the pursuit of money, love and success, Speed examines what we lose in the process. I Killed My Best Friend's Father by Sushma Joshi Directed by Rosamund Hutt. What happens when a war ends and the people left behind have to deal with the consequences? Two teenage girls are displaced by the conflict in Nepal. The father of one has killed the father of the other. As the ghosts of their fathers linger nearby, still fighting between themselves, the two girls battle to preserve their friendship and survive in a hostile world... Mon 10 December - 8pm Pickaninny by Nessah Muthy Directed by Trilby James. What does it mean to be 'English' in modern England? Pickaninny explores what it means to grow up in a white English household but have the skin colour of what the outside world deems as non-English. English/Mauritian Zorah, returns to her white English grandparents for Christmas with a myriad of secrets, questions and a desire to reunite with her estranged Mauritian father. There, Zorah must face the toughest challenge of her life.... Sat 15 December - 3pm (Double bill) Behind The Twenty-Second Floor Window By Farrah Chaudhry Directed by Rosamund Hutt 2071. A totalitarian era of segregation and racial partition. People live in high rise buildings with blocked up windows. One day the window on the twenty-second floor of High Rise 0501 is exposed. Ahmed and Karolyn meet while investigating. Ahmed dreams of Kashmir where his father comes from. Karolyn dreams of having a family of her own. Is Kashmir the answer to Ahmed's questions or do the answers lie behind the twenty-second floor window? Payback by Manjeet Mann Directed by Trilby James. Dee's community service is coming to an end, Pippa is at the Occupy London camp and Chrissy is having a hard time getting his rose bush to bloom. When the council threatens to sell the allotment for a luxury apartment block the protest moves there from St Pauls, triggering a tale of corruption, bribery and revenge. Sat 22 Dec Still Life by Aamina Ahmad Directed by Janet Steel. When Colonel Tariq, an Intelligence Officer in Pakistan's notorious secret service discovers an American has killed a prostitute in Lahore's red light district, a diplomatic crisis ensues. While the two nations negotiate, angry mobs gather and political tension mounts. As professional ambition and private life collide, Tariq faces life changing decisions with far reaching consequences for his family and country. Part of the Kali Talkback Festival celebrates 21 years of cutting edge theatre by South Asian women

QTix Codes:
Listing: L2023959545
Production: T01351585594
Event: S2076417264
Venue: V1422226940
QTix codes uniquely identify each venue (V), listing (L), tour/production (T) and show/event (S).