Wipers, which honours the contribution of the one million South Asian soldiers who fought alongside British troops during World War I, is to have its première at Leicester’s Curve.
Commissioned by Curve and co-produced with Coventry’s Belgrade and Watford Palace Theatre, Wipers by Ishy Din is inspired by the story of Khuddadad Khan, the first South Asian soldier to be awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery at the first Battle of Ypres.
Wipers is set in October 1914 when the British forces, bolstered by huge numbers of volunteer soldiers from across the Empire, have suffered huge casualties at Ypres in one of the first bloody battles of The Great War.
The cast comprises Waleed Akhtar as Ayub, Sartaj Garewal (A D), Jassa Ahluwalia (Thomas) and Simon Rivers (Sadiq). Curve’s associate director Suba Das directs.
Wipers opens at Curve on Friday 8 April and runs until Saturday 23 April. Press night is Thursday 14 April. It then moves to Watford Palace Theatre from 27 April until 7 May and Coventry’s Belgrade from 12 until 21 May.