Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s third play for Birmingham REP, Khandan (Family), is to have its première in the REP’s Studio.
The playwright’s first work for The REP, Behzti (Dishonour), sparked controversy in 2004 because a scene in a Gurdwara features rape, physical abuse and murder.
Some members of the Sikh community found the play offensive and organized a protest. Violence erupted and performances of the play were cancelled.
Set in a Birmingham suburb, Khandan (Family) is a tale of tradition and ambition and what happens when the legacy of a father collides with the dreams of his son.
The cast includes Birmingham-born Lauren Crace as Liz, Zita Sattar, also from Birmingham, who plays Cookie, Preeya Kalidas (Reema), Sudha Bhuchar (Jeeto), Rez Kempton (Pal) and Neil D’Souza (Major).
Birmingham REP’s artistic director Roxana Silbert directs, with design by Jamie Vartan, lighting design by Chahine Yavroyan and sound by Giles Thomas.
Khandan (Family) is a co-production between Birmingham REP and the Royal Court Theatre. It runs at The REP from Thursday (22 May) until Saturday 7 June before transferring to the Royal Court for three weeks.