Details

1659. Mughal India. The imperial court, a place of opulence and excess; music, drugs, eunuchs and harems. Two brothers, whose mother's death inspired the Taj Mahal, are heirs to this Muslim empire. Now they fight ferociously for succession. Dara, the crown prince, has the love of the people - and of his emperor father - but younger brother Aurangzeb holds a different vision for India's future. Islam inspires poetry in Dara, puritanical rigour in Aurangzeb. Can Jahanara, their beloved sister, assuage Aurangzeb's resolve to seize the Peacock Throne and purge the empire? There is no limit to what families do to one another, so much crueller than they are to strangers.

Cast/Performers

Esh Alladi, Nathalie Armin, Rudi Dharmalingam, Emilio Doorgasingh, Vincent Ebrahim, Mariam Haque, Indira Joshi, Scott Karim, Nicholas Khan, Ranjit Krishnamma, Anjli Mohindra, Simon Nagra, Ronak Patani, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Anneika Rose, Chook Sibtain, Gurjeet Singh, Liya Tassisa, Zubin Varla, Anjana Vasan, Gary Wood, Sargon Yelda

Creatives/Company

Author: Shahid Nadeem
Adapted by: Tanya Ronder
Producer: National Theatre
Director(s): Nadia Fall, Liam Steel (movement), Kate Waters (fight)
Design: Katrina Lindsay
Lighting: Neil Austin
Music: Niraj Chag
Sound: Carolyn Downing