Casts picked for plays about Ugandan Asians
LOCAL PERFORMERS TELL STORY OF FIVE DECADES
CASTS have been finalised for three plays telling the stories of and celebrating 50 years of Ugandan Asians in Leicester.
Ruka, Ninety Days and Call Me By My Name will run at Curve between July 29 and August 6.
They have been written by Chandni Mistry (Ruka), Ashok Patel (Ninety Days) and Dilan Raithatha (Call Me By My Name).
Dilan said: “There is still a gap between Asians and theatre.
“When we were doing prep workshops, we could tell that people were still reluctant to step foot in the theatre, and so we want to break that barrier.”
As part of their mission, the playwrights have hired predominantly black, Asian and minority ethnic city residents to portray the main characters in each of their productions.
All will be directed by Mandeep Glover.
Curve chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said: “The story of the Ugandan South Asian exodus to Leicester is one that begins with trauma and upheaval for so many.
“Fifty years on, it is undoubtedly a story of resilience and triumph over adversity.
“In this historic and hugely important year for our city, we are proud to work with more than 40 local actors and creatives to celebrate and reflect on the last 50 years and are thrilled to see these incredible stories unfold onstage and through events at Curve.
“Led by talented local director Mandeep Glover and Leicester writers Chandni Mistry, Ashok Patel and
Raithatha, these plays are a beautiful exploration of stories from the past 50 years and, ultimately, a celebration of this extraordinary community.
“We are grateful to everybody who is taking part and our production partner, University of Leicester.”
Professor Nishan Canagarajah,
vice-chancellor of the university, said: “The arrival of thousands of Ugandan Asians in Leicester 50 years ago was an important moment that has helped to shape Leicester as one of the most culturally diverse places in the UK.
“The University of Leicester celebrates diversity in all forms and we are proud to sponsor these producDilan
tions at Curve theatre. They recognise the resilience of the families who were displaced and they celebrate the fantastic contributions they have made to Leicester over the past 50 years.”
For details of times and tickets for the productions, see the Curve website: