“It was a great tragedy. We were friends one day and enemies the next. I will take these things to my grave.”
The 1947 partition of India saw millions uprooted and resulted in unspeakable violence. The partition resulted in the formation of three countries: India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan – now Pakistan and Bangladesh. It would also shape modern Britain. Witnesses to this brutal moment in history live among us, yet the stories of that time remain shrouded in silence.
SILENCE is a new play focused on communal storytelling – presenting a shared history inspired by the remarkable personal testimonies of people who lived through the last days of the British Raj. Commissioned to mark the 75th anniversary of partition, SILENCE is adapted from Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories and was originally co-produced with the Donmar Warehouse.
The production examined the legacy of this brutal moment in history. Abdul Shayek, former Artistic Director of Tara Theatre, directed the original production and had developed this version for touring at the time of his death in August 2023. Iqbal Khan, Artistic Director of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, and a friend and colleague of Abdul’s, will step in to direct the touring version.
SILENCE is adapted from the testimonies and stories of people who lived through Partition. It is based on Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories and written by Sonali Bhattacharyya, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Ishy Din and Alexandra Wood.
Click here to watch the interview with Kavita Puri and Iqkbal Khan
Original production directed and developed for tour by Abdul Shayek
Directed by Iqbal Khan
From an original co-production by Tara Theatre and Donmar Warehouse
In association with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
This will be Alex's second stint at Tara Theatre, her first production being Octopus by Afsaneh Gray. Alex is mostly known for her screen work: Chloe (BBC), Slow Horses (Apple TV), The Devil's Hour (Amazon), and Ackley Bridge (Channel 4). Alex studied Acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and Vassar College. She has British Indian (Goan) heritage, and is excited to be exploring the complex history and effect of Partition in Silence.
All of Alex's performances are dedicated to Lydia & Michael D'Sa, and Apeles & Assamina Andrade.
Tia Dutt is extremely grateful and proud to be a part of the National Tour of Silence. From London, trained at Identity School of acting.
Theatre credits include Pauline in David Hare’s Peter Gynt at the National Theatre & Tala in Alexander Zeldin’s - Faith, Hope and Charity.
Television and Film credits include Sara in BBC’s The Reckoning, Nabila in We are Lady Parts and Jeza in Focus Features - Polite Society.
Young Irfan / Tony / Noor’s Grandson / SamiRead bio
Aaron recently finished a run with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the role of ‘Hari’ in THE EMPRESS, directed by Pooja Ghai. Aaron previously went straight into Vinay Patel’s theatre adaptation of THE CHERRY ORCHARD (The Yard Theatre) after graduating from Guildhall in 2022. On screen, Aaron shot a role in the television series SMOTHERED (Roughcut TV for Sky), directed by George Belfield.
Asif trained at RADA and won the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award in 2008, as well as the Sir Alec Guinness Memorial Award in 2009.
Asif’s stage credits include the RSC’s production of Tartuffe, Paradise of the Assassins at Tara Theatre, The Hypocrite for Hull Truck/the RSC, the UK-wide tour of 5-star Handbagged, his one-man show Love, Bombs and Apples, and A Passage to India at the Park Theatre Finsbury Park.
Recent stage credits include A Kind of People at the Royal Court, Hamlet at the Theatre Royal Windsor. He reprised his titular role in Tartuffe at the Birmingham Rep in 2022, and Pooja Ghai’s Great Expectations at the Royal Exchange, Manchester in 2023.
His debut play as a writer, Combustion played at Tara Theatre and at the Arcola theatre to fantastic reviews.
Asif appeared in Diana & I, the acclaimed five-parter Better for the BBC, ITV’s The Long Shadow and he featured in ITV’s pivotal serial Mr Bates vs The Post Office."
Bhasker is best known as being a series regular on Emmerdale, playing Rishi Sharma since 2011.
His theatre credits include: The Vote; Silence (Donmar Theatre/ Tara Theatre), Passing (Park Theatre), Anthony and Cleopatra (Liverpool Playhouse); A Map of the World; Tartuffe; The Magic Carpet; Wicked Yaar; Royal Hunt of the Sun; Playing with Fire (Royal National Theatre); Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp (Bristol Old Vic); Timon of Athens (Young Vic); Vigilantes (Arts Theatre, West End); Whale (Sheffield Crucible); Zameen (Soho Theatre) The Great Celestial Cow; Blood (Royal Court Theatre/ Joint Stock); many more
His Television and Film Credits include: Snowden; Sumothethood; Anuvahood; Kidulthood; Partition; Being Human; Wild West; Transatlantic; Immaculate Conception; Flight; Arabian Nights; Mad Dogs; Thunderbirds; Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason; The Family Portrait; Rent; Casualty; Holly City; A&E; Birds of a Feather; Brookside; Casualty; Coronation Street; Dalziel and Pascoe; Fifteen Stories High; Only Fools & Horses; High Hopes; many more plus various Radio Dramas for BBC and independent Radio companies!
Iqbal Khan is an Associate Director of Birmingham Rep, an Associate Artist of Box Clever Theatre Company, and the Artistic Director of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.
He has worked extensively with the RSC, as well as directing for opera and classical music events. Credits include Otello, The Wildman of the West Indies and Shakespeare at The Bowl. He has directed in Paris, Japan (awarded a year long prestigious fellowship, based in Tokyo), had recent residencies and delivered lectures at Michigan State, La Fayette, Nanjing, and was the 2019 Michael Douglas Visiting Artist at UC Santa Barbara.
Iqbal has an MA (Distinction) in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University, was awarded a RYTDS bursary, based at Leicester Haymarket, trained on the National Theatre Studio directors’ course and was, most recently, made an Honorary Doctor of Arts by De Montfort University.
Rachana is an award-winning theatre designer, illustrator and co- Artistic Director of Brolly Productions. She trained as an architect and production design works include for National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre, Tara, Southbank, Polka and Derby Theatres. Her published illustration works include ‘Interactions’ an anthology of short stories and poems with stroke survivors and ‘Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation’ with Tim Crouch. Her latest video design incorporating hand drawn animations premiered at Sadlers Wells for Seeta Patel’s Dance company, solo work ‘Shree’ as part of ‘Rites of Spring’, and she is currently designing ‘The Buddha of Suburbia’ at the RSC.
The award-winning choreographer and dancer Seeta Patel was born in London and began her training under the guidance of Kiran Ratna in 1990. She has since worked with a range of Bharatanatyam and contemporary dance professionals including Mavin Khoo, Padma Shri
Adyar K Lakshman, Pushkala Gopal and Darshan Singh Bhuller. She has also performed and toured with a number of companies such as DV8 Physical Theatre, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, David Hughes Dance Company and Mavin Khoo Dance.
Simeon has worked as a Lighting Designer since he graduated from Mountview Academy in 2010. He works across theatre, dance, musicals, ‘gig theatre’ and devised work. He enjoys contributing to new writing, especially socially and politically conscious work which amplifies oppressed and radical voices.
Selected recent credits include: Cowbois (RSC and Royal Court); Pass It On (Bush Theatre); As We Face The Sun (Bush Theatre); Alice In Wonderland (Liverpool Everyman and Plymouth Theatre Royal); The Sun Shines For Everyone (Lyric Hammersmith); The Book of Will (Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, Bolton Octagon & Shakespeare North Playhouse); Ruckus (Southwark Playhouse & Summerhall, Edinburgh); Jekyll and Hyde (Derby Theatre & Queen's Theatre Hornchurch); Christmas in the Sunshine (Unicorn Theatre); Follow the Signs (Soho Theatre); The Poison Belt (Jermyn Street Theatre); Project Dictator (New Diorama Theatre); An Adventure (Bolton Octagon); Metamorphoses (The Globe); The Mob Reformers (Lyric Hammersmith); Subject Mater (Edinburgh Fringe); Black Holes (international Tour); and High Rise eState of Mind (UK Tour).
His full portfolio and credits can be found online at www.simeon.lighting
Selected credits include Retrograde (Kiln Theatre), Wishmas: A Fantastical Christmas Adventure (Secret Group), Jack & The Beanstalk (Stratford East), What It Means (Wilton’s Music Hall), The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Watermill Theatre),Strategic Love Play (Belgrade Theatre/UK Tour), The Trial of Josie K (Unicorn Theatre), Akedah (Hampstead Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Mercury Theatre), Amma VR Experience (Tara Theatre), Death Drop: Back in the Habit (Garrick Theatre, and UK Tour); A Single Man (Park Theatre); Alice in Wonderland (Mercury Theatre);The Importance of Being Earnest (English Touring Theatre); Bridgerton (Secret Cinema); Mad House (Ambassador's Theatre); Mog the Forgetful Cat (Royal Derngate and Old Vic); Robin Hood (Bristol Old Vic); Death Drop (Garrick Theatre, Criterion Theatre and UK Tour); J’Ouvert (Harold Pinter Theatre& BBC); One Jewish Boy (Trafalgar Studios, West End & UK Tour),Typical Girls (Sheffield Crucible Theatre); Scenes with Girls; Living Newspaper (Royal Court Theatre); Isla (Theatre Clwyd); Tuck Shop West End (Garrick Theatre); Patricia Gets Ready (Pleasance Theatre, UK Tour); Gentlemen; Pipeline; A Fantastic Bohemian; Lovesick(Arcola Theatre), Reimagining (Almeida Theatre), Last Easter (Orange Tree Theatre); Mission (The Big House); One Under with Graeae Theatre Company (Plymouth Drum &UK tour), Superstar; Anything is Possible if You Think Hard Enough About It (Southwark Playhouse), New Views (Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre), Silence (Mercury Theatre/UK tour); Together, Not the Same(Sadler’s Wells Theatre); Great Expectations (Geffrey Museum); The State of Things (Brockley Jack Studio); As associate - The Manor (Lyttelton Theatre); Gunpowder Immersive Experience (Tower Hill); War of the Worlds Immersive Experience (56 Leadenhall Street); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tobacco Factory); Apollo 13 (Original Theatre Company); Dust (New York Theatre Workshop).
Olivia is a director and actor from Glasgow. Directing credits include; The Bench (The Customs House), Dance the Colour Blue (Old Gym Theatre). As Associate; Silence (Tara Theatre). As Assistant; Beauty and the Beast (Beacon Arts Centre), Sugar Coat (Southwark Playhouse), Exodus (National Theatre of Scotland). For more information please visit www.oliviamross.com
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Malena Arcucci is a theatre designer and costume supervisor based in London. She is co-artistic director of Mariana Malena Theatre Company.
Design credits include: When You Pass Over My Tomb (Arcola); The Wolf, The Mouse and The Duck (Unicorn), Strangers Like Me (NT Connect and Hackney Shed); The Bit Players (Southwark); Friday Night Love Poem (Zoo Edinburgh); Point of No Return (Actor’s Centre); La Llorona (Dance City Newcastle); The Two of Us (Wardrobe Theatre); Playing Latinx (UK Tour) and various productions in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Associate Designer credits include: Falkland Sound (RSC); Dear Elizabeth (Gate); Chiaroscuro (Bush); Thebes Land and Tamburlaine (Arcola).
Costume Supervisor credits include: Shifters (Bush); The Empress (RSC), August in England (Bush) Sucker Punch (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); Bootycandy (Gate); Super High Resolution (Soho); The Boys are Kissing (Theatre503); Blues for an Alabama Sky (as Assistant, National); The Cherry Orchard (Yard / HOME); Chasing Hares (Young Vic); House of Ife (Bush); Lotus Beauty (Hampstead); Moreno and Milk and Gall (Theatre503); and others.
Groups of 10 – 39 get 10% off each full price ticket
Groups of 40+ get 15% off each full price ticket
Tickets for school groups are £11 each. A teacher gets a free place with every 10 student tickets. This offer is available on weekdays only and must be booked in advance.
Please email groups@homemcr.org or call Box Office on 0161 200 1500 (12:00-20:00 daily).
