Four theatres are to tour Pink Sari Revolution, based on the real story of equal rights campaigner Sampat Pal.
Leicester’s Curve, Coventry’s Belgrade, West Yorkshire Playhouse and English Touring Theatre are collaborating on the play which has been produced after an extensive period of research and development in both Leicester and India. Funding came from Arts Council England as part of its Reimagine India programme.
Pink Sari Revolution will also be presented as part of UK/India 2017, a year-long celebration to mark India’s 70 years of independence and to showcase British and Indian creativity.
Curve chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said in a joint statement, “Pink Sari Revolution is a call to arms, based on the real life story of Sampat Pal, who with 400,000 Indian women made a stand for gender equality and equal rights.
“Our associate director Suba Das and a team of artists have been working alongside writer Purva Naresh to create a stage play based on Amana Fontanella-Khan's internationally acclaimed book.”
Purva Naresh said, “it’s incredible for a playwright to tell the story of someone as extraordinary, complex and divisive as Sampat Pal. As a woman even more so. I’m thankful to Curve, Suba Das and Amana Fontanella-Khan for making it possible for a young, international team to put this living icon on stage.”
Pink Sari Revolution will have its world première at Curve from 27 September until 7 October and will then transfer to the Belgrade from 11 until 22 October, Northern Stage from 31 October until 4 November and West Yorkshire Playhouse from 7 until 11 November.