A Thin Red Line – November 2007
A new play, produced in partnership with Birmingham Rep Theatre and Kali Theatre Company.
As 2007 was the 60th anniversary of Partition of India, Black Country Touring decided to mark the event by producing a new play by working in partnership with the Birmingham Rep Theatre and Kali Theatre Company.
We recruited and commissioned Sonali Bhattacharyya to write a play that explored partition in present-day Britain. Initially we ran workshops with 5 distinct and cross-generational community groups across the Black Country exploring this theme.
The play that emerged is about a relationship between a British Pakistani man and a white woman who fall in love, crossing cultural, religious and social divides. Their relationship is put to the test, when they return home to deal with a family crisis and have to redefine who they are.
Four of the community groups who informed the workshops successfully promoted the show at their local venue. This was the first time we had worked with Community Action Project in Smethwick and Ulfah Arts in the promotion of a show.
For more information about the partners for A Thin Red Line see…
Comments
- “Some of the issues that came out of it are very real and obviously close to my heart as an individual. They’re the kind of issues that tend not to date; issues which happen today, in the past and to come in the future.”
Mark Williams, Development Manager at CAP stated. - “It was a chance to highlight particular issues, prejudices and joys faced by the women. It was an ideal opportunity to bring women together to help them develop emotionally and socially by allowing them to engage in the process.”
Naz Koser, Director of Ulfah Arts, talking about the benefits for her members in participating in the project.
Audience Comments
- “Very credible characters. …and to be up so close. It was interesting, so far as the characters were believable, very real, and… I think you cottoned on very soon to the concept of partition. Is it about culture, is it about religion, you know… I don’t know… Is it just people, and how people see each other?”
Smethwick Library audience member. - “I thought it was very good and it reflected what goes on in modern society. Although it was based on a multicultural relationship between an Asian and a white heritage couple; myself, being a black person, I could relate to the things they were on about.”
CAP – young audience member.
To see more comments please see our Reviews page.
