RSC AND WISE CHILDREN ANNOUNCE FULL CAST FOR THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA AT THE BARBICAN
THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA
Based on the novel by Hanif Kureishi
Adapted for the stage by Emma Rice, with Hanif Kureishi
Directed by Emma Rice
Barbican, London
Tuesday 22 October – Sat 16 November 2024
Opening Night: Tuesday 29 October, 7pm
The RSC and Wise Children today announce full casting for Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia. Adapted for the stage by Wise Children’s Artistic Director Emma Rice, with Kureishi, this critically acclaimed co-production runs at the Barbican in London from 22 October – 16 November, with an opening night on Tuesday 29 October.
Rice directs Dee Ahluwalia as Karim, Ankur Bahl as Haroon, Tommy Belshaw as Charlie/Shadwell, Rina Fatania as Tracey/Jeeta/Marlene/Auntie Jean, Natasha Jayetileke as Jamila, Naveed Khan as Anwar/Joanna, Deven Modha as Ensemble, Katy Owen as Margaret/Eleanor, Simon Rivers as Changez, Lucy Thackeray as Eva and Ewan Wardrop as Matthew Pyke.
The returning creative team is also announced today. Set Design by Rachana Jadhav; Costume Design by Vicki Mortimer; Sound and Video Design by Simon Baker; Lighting Design by Jai Morjaria; Composition by Niraj Chag; Choreography & Intimacy Coordination by Etta Murfitt; Fight Direction by Kev McCurdy; and Casting by Matthew Dewsbury CDG.
“I am thrilled that The Buddha of Suburbia is getting another life, and even more thrilled to have such an incredibly talented cast performing it and bringing renewed energy and vitality to it. Above all, I can’t wait to see this delicious, naughty and tender piece back on stage and to celebrate Wise Children’s collaboration with the RSC – I hope it’s the first of many!”
The RSC’s Co-Artistic Directors, Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans, said:
“We’re delighted that our first collaboration with Wise Children is transferring to London. Emma Rice and her team inspire us consistently - and The Buddha of Suburbia is no exception. We’re thrilled that audiences at the Barbican will get to savour the show’s wit, energy and audacity.”
South London in the late seventies. High unemployment, high inflation, food shortages and strikes. But despite the winter of discontent, 17-year-old Karim’s life is about to explode into glorious technicolour as he navigates a path to enlightenment. Or at the very least, Beckenham.
Director Emma Rice brings her unique and joyful style to Hanif Kureishi’s award-winning 1990 novel, exploring family, friends, sex, theatre and, ultimately, belonging, in a critically acclaimed production that will you leave you ‘on a rare high’ (The Telegraph).
The Buddha of Suburbia is part of the RSC’s strictly limited Barbican season and will be followed by A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Eleanor Rhode, from 03 December. The productions will mark Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey’s first transfers to the London venue since taking over as Artistic Directors of the RSC.
Tues 22 Oct – Sat 16 Nov 2024
Captioned: Sat 2 Nov, 1.30pm
Performance with Integrated BSL Interpreter: Wed 6 Nov, 7.15pm
Relaxed: Sat 9 Nov, 1.30pm
Audio Described: Sat 16 Nov, 1.30pm with a Touch Tour 11.30am-12pm
FOR FULL SCHEDULE DETAILS VISIT RSC.ORG.UK
Emma Rice is the Artistic Director of Wise Children and is an internationally respected theatre-maker and director. For Wise Children she has adapted and directed The Buddha of Suburbia, Blue Beard, The Little Matchgirl and Happier Tales, Wuthering Heights, Bagdad Café, Angela Carter’s Wise Children, Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers and Romantics Anonymous. As Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe: Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales). Rice worked for Kneehigh as an actor, director and Artistic Director, creating critically acclaimed productions including: The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, The Wild Bride, The Red Shoes, Cymbeline (in association with RSC), A Matter of Life and Death (in association with National Theatre), Brief Encounter (in association with David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers Productions), Don John (in association with the RSC and Bristol Old Vic), Wah! Wah! Girls (in association with Sadler’s Wells and Theatre Royal Stratford East for World Stages), and Steptoe and Son. She received the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre award at the 2019 UK Theatre Awards.
Hanif Kureishi is a novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. His father's family was displaced during the partition of India and Pakistan. Due to his mother being English, the family ended up in London. Hanif studied philosophy and achieved early success as a playwright. He collaborated with several London theatre companies. Commissioned by Channel 4, he wrote the script for My Beautiful Laundrette, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The Buddha of Suburbia, his debut novel, was adapted into a television series, featuring a soundtrack by David Bowie. His book Intimacy sparked controversy due to its autobiographical nature, which Hanif denied. The film adaptation, Intimacy, based on his stories and the book, was released in 2001. For the screenplay of the film Venus, Hanif received another Oscar nomination. The film was directed by his close friend Roger Michell. In 2008, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and in 2014, he sold his archive to the British Library. In December 2022, he suffered a serious fall in Rome, resulting in paralysis. After an extended stay in rehabilitation centres, he now resides at home in an adapted residence in London. Hanif has written a new memoir, Shattered which will be published in late 2024. <br bcx0"=""> <br bcx0"="">Dee Ahluwalia plays Karim. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. Other theatre includes: Our Generation (National Theatre). Television includes: Everything Now, A Gentleman in Moscow and Fifteen-Love. Film includes: Consent.
Ankur Bahl plays Haroon. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. RSC includes: Volpone, The Empress, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors. Wise Children includes: Wise Children (The Old Vic). Other theatre includes: The Father and the Assassin (National Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), Can We Talk About This?, To Be Straight With You (DV8 & National Theatre). Television includes: The Regime (HBO), Mary and George (Sky/AMC), Silo (Apple TV), Suspect (Disney+), and Avenue 5 (HBO). Film includes: Albion, Buckingham Murders, The Surprise.
Tommy Belshaw plays Charlie/Shadwell. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. Television includes: Sister Boniface Mysteries (BBC). Film includes: My Fault: London (Amazon).
Rina Fatania plays Tracey/Jeeta/Marlene/Auntie Jean. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. RSC includes: The Empress. Other theatre includes: Crazy For You (Gillian Lynne Theatre), The Killing Of Sister George (Told By An Idiot), The Art Of Illusion (Hampstead Theatre), Favour (Bush Theatre/ Cleanbreak), Shelia’s Island (UK Tour), NW Trilogy (Kiln Theatre), The Language of Kindness (Wayward Productions), The Man In The White Suit (Wyndham’s Theatre), Dead Dog in a Suitcase (UK & International Tour/Kneehigh Theatre Company), Wah! Wah! Girls! (Sadler’s Wells/Peacock Theatre), Approaching Empty (Kiln Theatre, Tamasha & Live Theatre), The Village (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Tin Drum (Kneehigh Theatre, UK Tour), Oliver Twist (Regents Park, Open Air Theatre), Roller Diner (Soho Theatre), Anita & Me (UK Tour/Birmingham Rep), Sinbad the Sailor (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Love N Stuff (Theatre Royal Stratford East, 2013 & 2016), Dick Whittington (Hackney Empire), A Fine Balance (Tamasha Theatre Company), Britain’s Got Bhangra (UK Tour/Rifco Arts), A Fine Balance, Strictly Dandia (Tamasha Theatre Co.), The Deranged Marriage (Rifco Arts), Bombay Dreams (Apollo Victoria), Arabian Nights (Midland Arts Centre). Television includes: Nolly (ITV); Too Close (Snowed In Productions); Wanderlust (BBC, Netflix) & People Just Do Nothing (BBC). Film includes: Ruby, Little English (Resource Productions); Shawafa (short, 2019); Raabta (Bollywood Film); Mummji Presents (BBC Space/ Pravesh Kumar); Mumbai Charlie (Pukkanasha Films).
Natasha Jayetileke plays Jamila. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. Other theatre includes: Pandemonium (Soho Theatre), The Secretaries (Young Vic), NW Trilogy (Kiln Theatre), Romantics Anonymous (Shakespeare’s Globe), Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre), Eurobeat (Novello Theatre), Mahabharata (Sadler’s Wells), Wah! Wah! Girls (Kneehigh/Sadler’s Wells), The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre), Takeaway (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Britain’s Got Bhangra (National Tour), The Snow Queen (Nuffield, Southampton), Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (New London Theatre). Television includes: Feel Good, The Kemps – All True, Deceit, Bumps, Silent Witness, Years and Years, Doctors, Eastenders, The Most Beautiful Hands of Delhi, The Royals, Hollyoaks, Hustle. Film includes: A Private War.
Naveed Khan plays Anwar/Joanna. RSC includes: Tamburlaine, Tartuffe. Other theatre includes: Around the World in 80 Days (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), A Thousand Splendid Suns (Birmingham Rep), Pitcairn (Shakespeare's Globe, Chichester Festival Theatre & Out of Joint), Paradise of the Assassins (Tara Arts), Darknet (Southwark Playhouse), 59 Minutes to Save Christmas (The Barbican & Slung Low), Flood - To The Sea & Flood - Abundance (Slung Low & BBC), The Trial (Watford Palace Theatre), Pioneer and After the Rainfall (Curious Directive). Television includes: Generation Z (All3Media International), Suspect (ITV), This City is Ours (LeftBank), Sex Education (Netflix), The Cleaner (BBC), Ludwig (BBC), Breeders (Sky), Not Going Out (BBC), Tell Me Everything (ITV), Living in Fear (Sky), Humans (Channel 4), Electric Dreams (Channel 4), Hold the Sunset (BBC), Josh (BBC), Birds of a Feather (ITV), River (BBC) and The Catherine Tate Show (BBC). Film includes: Bridget Jones - Mad About the Boy (Universal), Fuze (Sigma Films), Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios), Between The Lights (Laal Blue Dot), Northern Comfort (Good Chaos), What’s Love Got To Do With It? (Instinct), Body of Water (BFI & BBC Films), Survivor (Millennium Films), Second Coming (BFI/Film4).
Deven Modha plays Ensemble. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. Other theatre includes: Dear Octopus (National Theatre), Auntie’s House (King’s Head), United Queendom (Les Enfants Terribles), East is East (Northern Stage / Nottingham Playhouse), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New Wolsey), Game of Love and Chai, Macbeth, Kanjoos the Miser (Tara Arts). Television includes: Doctors (BBC); Top Boy (Netflix); Citizen Khan (BBC Comedy North) Film includes: The Chef (Rainbow Films); Shoot Me. Kiss Me. Cut! (Palladio Film).
Katy Owen plays Margaret/Eleanor. RSC debut season. Wise Children includes: Blue Beard, Wuthering Heights, Wise Children. Other theatre includes: The Kneebone Cadillac (Wildworks), UBU Karaoke! (Kneehigh), The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales (Bristol Old Vic /Shakespeare's Globe/UK Tour), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare's Globe), 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tipps (Kneehigh/Shakespeare's Globe/UK tour/USA tour), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare's Globe), Rebecca (Kneehigh), The World of Work, The Night Before Christmas (Chapter Arts Centre), Apparitions of Spirits with the Forsythe Sisters (Gaggle Babble), Maudie's Rooms (Sherman Theatre), The Little Matchgirl, The Tempest (Theatr Iolo), Plum - And Me, Will, Cinders (Sherman Cymru). Television includes: Casualty, The Story of Tracy Beaker. Film includes: Cyrano, Daddy’s Girl, Princess and Peppernose.
Simon Rivers plays Changez. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. RSC includes: The Empress, Falkland Sound. Other theatre includes: Glitterball (RIFCO), East Is East (Northern Stage/Nottingham Playhouse), Wipers (Curve Theatre/UK Tour), The Charming Man (Theatre 503), Dr Faustus (Stratford Circus/Present Moment Theatre Company), Where's My Desi Soulmate (Rifco Arts/Stratford Theatre Royal), Mela (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Algebra of Freedom (7:84 Theatre Company). Television includes: Doctors (BBC One), Anansi Boys (Amazon), Girlfriends (Rollem Productions), Call The Midwife (Neal Street Productions), No Offence (Freemantle Media/Channel 4), Crash (BBC/Red Planet Productions). Film includes: Little English (Resource Productions), ID2: Shadwell Army (Universal)
Lucy Thackeray plays Eva. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia. Other theatre includes: Brief Encounter (West End/David Pugh), Heroine (HighTide/Theatr Clwyd), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), Alginate (Bunker Theatre), Bike, Fallen Angels (Salisbury Playhouse), My Beautiful Black Dog (Bush Theatre/Iron Shoes), CORRIE! (Phil McIntyre/ITV Ents), Extra-Marital (Paines Plough/Forward Theatre), How The Other Half Loves, Sweeney Todd, Noises Off, Ladies’ Day, Cinderella (Queen’s Theatre Hornchuch), Best of Soho Slam (Soho Theatre), Louisville in London (Riverside Studios). Television includes: Doctor Who, Call the Midwife, Black Ops, Casualty, The Dumping Ground, New Tricks, Doctors (BBC), Top Boy (Netflix), Moon Knight (Marvel Studios/Disney), The Walk-In, Hatton Garden (ITV), Don’t Forget The Driver (BBC/Sister Pictures), Damned (Channel 4), The Five (Red Productions/Sky), Brooker’s How TV Ruined Your Life (BBC/Zeppotron). Film includes: Surge (BFI/Rooks Nest/BBC Films), iBoy (Wigwam Films/Pretty Pictures), A Royal Night Out (Ecosse Films), Prometheus: Red 2023 (RSA Films/Fox). Writing work includes The Christmas Goblin (Marlowe Theatre Canterbury/1 Degree East), one woman show Amaka (Jack Studio Theatre) which Lucy also performed: comedy short After Eric: Part of That World (Mini Mammoth Films), Queen on Facebook sketches (BBC Comedy).
Ewan Wardrop plays Matthew Pyke. RSC and Wise Children includes: The Buddha of Suburbia (RSC). RSC includes: Beauty and The Beast. Wise Children includes: Bagdad Cafè. Other theatre includes: A Monster Calls, The American Clock (The Old Vic), Jane Eyre (Watermill Theatre), Formby, Rebecca, Enron, Treasure Island (UK Tours), Much Ado About Nothing, 946 – The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Wind in the Willows (Vaudeville Theatre/ Duchess Theatre). For film, his credits include Matthew Bourne’s Christmas and The Magic Flute.
The RSC is supported using public funding by Arts Council England <br bcx0"="">The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund <br bcx0"="">The RSC is generously supported by RSC America <br bcx0"="">RSC £10 Tickets for 14-25s supported by TikTok <br bcx0"="">The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
New Work at the RSC is generously supported by Hawthornden Foundation and The Drue and H.J. Heinz II Charitable Trust
Created and led by Emma Rice, Wise Children launched in April 2018 and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Based in the South West, we make ground-breaking work with exceptional artists, and tour across the world. Alongside our shows, we run a unique professional development programme, training a new and more diverse generation of theatre practitioners. We make work from our home The Lucky Chance, in Somerset, which is our creation space and a tiny theatre in which we welcome audiences of all shapes and sizes.
Instagram: @Wise_Children
Facebook: @WiseChildrenCompany
About the Barbican The Barbican is a catalyst for creativity, sparking possibilities for artists, audiences, and communities. We showcase the most exciting art from around the world, pushing traditional artistic boundaries to entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke debate, and reflect the world we live in.
We are an international arts and events centre rooted firmly in our own neighbourhood, collaborating with local communities and putting the City of London on the map as a destination for everybody. Central to our purpose is supporting emerging talent and shaping opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives.
As a not-for-profit, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organisations, including our principal funder the City of London Corporation. Every ticket purchased, donation made, and pound earned supports our arts and learning programme and enables the widest possible range of people to experience the joy of the arts.
Opened in 1982, the Barbican is a unique and audacious building, recognised globally as an architectural icon. As well as our theatres, galleries, concert halls and cinemas, we have a large conservatory with over 1,500 species of plants and trees, a library, conference facilities, public and community spaces, restaurants, bars, and a picturesque lakeside oasis.
We’re proud to be the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a London base of the Royal Shakespeare Company. We regularly co-commission, produce and showcase the work of our other associates and partners including the Academy of Ancient Music, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boy Blue, Britten Sinfonia, Cheek by Jowl, Darbar Festival, Doc'n Roll Film Festival, Drum Works, EFG London Jazz Festival, London Palestine Film Festival, Serious, and Trafalgar Theatre Productions.
Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
The Royal Shakespeare Company creates exceptional theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and around the world, performing plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as commissioning a wide range of original work from contemporary writers. Our purpose is to ensure that Shakespeare – and theatre as a whole – is for everyone, and we do that by unlocking the power of his plays and live performance, and with our learning and education work throughout the UK and across the world.
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk.
Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of the bodies responsible for administering the Government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, of which we delivered over £1 billion to the sector in grants and loans. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19.
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