Charles Dickens’ famous rags to riches tale will be coming to Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre this September, helmed by British Indian creatives, the award-winning playwright Tanika Gupta MBE and Tamasha Theatre’s Artistic Director Pooja Ghai.
The successful writer-director partnership reunited in Manchester to stage a fresh adaptation of Gupta’s 2011 take on the Dickens classic. This time with Ghai’s direction, this new production of ‘Great Expectations’ is interpreted through a South Asian female-led lens and completes a trilogy of artistic collaborations by the duo exploring colonial history which began with ‘Lions And Tigers’ (Shakespeare’s Globe, 2017) and most recently with ‘The Empress’ (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2023).
Set in the Bengal of 1903 – a contentious time in the Indian history – this adaption seeks to reframe Dickens’ exploration of 19th century London by placing it firmly in the time of the British Raj. Exploring themes of caste, race and colourism, the story is sharpened further in this version by its interrogation of the British Empire and colonial legacies. As rumours of the British Empire’s plans to partition Bengal spread, uncertainty is on the horizon. For one Indian boy – Pipli - destiny is found on the banks of the River Padma before the Goddess Lakshmi. Born out of terror or kindness, the choice Pipli makes that night will shape his life forever. With an open heart he navigates unforgiving darkness and unsettling friendships in his search for a better future.
The 12-strong cast is led by the Winner of the UK Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance for Hobson’s Choice (2019) Esh Alladi as Pipli and Catherine Russell, best known for her role as Serena Campbell in BBC’s Holby City, playing Miss Havisham.
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Director Ghai, whose relationship with this play has come full circle said: “This new adaptation of a classic by Tanika Gupta is just pure genius. You’ll get to see the familiar Dickens framework, but it comes with a twist – and all beautifully set against a colonial backdrop of 1903 Bengal, India. I’ve been excited about this play ever since I was an actor (playing Mrs Gargery) in the original production. And now, twelve years later, I’m beyond thrilled to be coming back to it as the director.”
“I have always deeply admired Dickens’ classic tale of a boy who goes from rags to riches and then back again. This story works well when young Indian men were being educated by the British Raj to become ’English in manners’ to help administer the colony,” commented Gupta on the fresh take.
“The issues of class, caste and race are also easily interchangeable, and I love the timeless nature of the story, the idea that our destiny can turn on a chance encounter and a kind deed.”
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The play will run at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre from Friday, 8 September to Saturday, 7 October 2023.
*Info: Royal Exchange Theatre
