STRICTLY DANDIA

A play by SUDHA BHUCHAR and KRISTINE LANDON-SMITH; Music Shri (Shrikanth Sriram)
Presented by Tamasha Theatre Company and the Lyric Hammersmith

Director Kristine Landon-Smith
Decor Sue Mayes
Lighting Chris Davey
Sound Mike Furness
Choreography Liam Steel

LYRIC HAMMERSMITH - 20 January – 14 February 2004

SYNOPSIS

This is the story of how dance unites across racial and social divides. Dandia is a Hindu folk dance that, not unlike morris dancing, involves the clicking together of short sticks. The piece is set during Navratri — the nine-night festival before Diwali — and all the members of North London's Gujarati community are preening, picking out their outfits and perfecting their steps for the intercaste dandia competition.

Parental plotting is afoot to broker a marriage between high-caste teenager Preethi and geeky computer whiz-kid Dinesh. But Preethi only has eyes for Raza. The trouble is, Raza is a Muslim. Can Preethi and Raza overcome prejudice and win the dance competition — and each other's hearts?

The Original Cast

Sudha Bhuchar - Prema Ghedia
Charubala Chokshi - Shanti Patel
Susan Cruse - Roopa
Shaheen Khan - Pushpa Shah
Jalpa Patel - Hina Shah
Shiv Grewal - Mohan Patel/ Popatlal Shah
Davina Hemlall - Sonya Patel
Divian Ladwa - Dinesh
Don Kalss - Jaz
Simon Nagra - Bharat Shah
Prashant Kapoor - Anant Patel
Sonit Shringi - Shrenek Patel
Paul Tilley - Raza
Fiona Wade - Preethi