LIVE PERFORMANCE
MID-DAY MANTRA SPRING SERIES FINALE: SWATI NATEKAR
When: Saturday March 26
Where: Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, 8 Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA
What: Acclaimed singer Swati Natekar will present a special collection of songs celebrating Holi, ranging from semiclassical to film songs. She will be accompanied by top UK-based musicians.
www.bmusic.co.uk
RAHEN NA RAHEN HUM MAHEKA KARENGE
When: Saturday March 26
Where: Elliot Hall in Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Middlesex HA5 4EA
What: Concert with full band, headlined by talented singer Anila Gohil, which will be a musical tribute to legends of the Indian music industry.
www.harrowarts.com
KHIYO
Khiyo
When: Saturday March 26
Where: Grand Junction, Rowington Close, London W2 5TF
What: The London-based Bengali fusion band will deliver a musically rich concert that draws upon diverse influences, as part of this year’s Women In The Arts festival.
www.grandjunction.org.uk
NITIN SAWHNEY
When: Sunday March 27
Where: The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH
What: The critically acclaimed composer and musician will deliver his greatest hits, including songs from his latest album Immigrants.
www.roundhouse.org.uk
SEVENS
When: Wednesday March 30
Where: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH
What: An ensemble cast of UK-based Indian classical dancers and musicians share the stage in this triple bill show conceptualised by award-winning Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer Nina Rajarani MBE, which explores the sacred, and sometimes sinful, significance of the number seven.
www.macbirmingham.co.uk
SAMPAD ASIAN SPRING 2022
When: Sunday April 10
Where: Town Hall, Victoria Square, Birmingham B3 3DQ
What: After a hugely successful digital version of the event in 2021, the celebration of dance diversity returns, featuring styles such as Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Bollywood and raas garba.
www.bmusic.co.uk
THEATRE
LIFE OF PI
When: Until Sunday July 24
Where: Wyndham’s Theatre, 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
What: Theatre play based on Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, which revolves around the sole human survivor of a shipwreck stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, as they battle to survive an epic voyage across the ocean.
www.londontheatre.co.uk
ABIGAIL’S PARTY
When: Until Saturday April 2
Where: Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1JZ
What: A new adaptation of the classic Mike Leigh play directed by Pravesh Kumar set against the backdrop of an evolving Britain of the 1970s. The cast of the comedy about marriage and class includes Goldy Notay.
www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk
BROKEN WINGS
When: Until Saturday March 26
Where: Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NL
What: New theatre production based on Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, which takes audiences on a musical voyage, exploring issues of gender equality, immigration, the freedom to love who we love, and what ‘home’ really means.
www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk
QUEEN OF HEARTS
When: Friday March 25 – Monday March 28
Where: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH
What: Story of a fading Bollywood actress struggling to reconcile how she sees herself versus how the world perceives her.
www.macbirmingham.co.uk
JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED
When: Saturday April 2 – Saturday April 9
Where: Curve Theatre, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB
What: Akram Khan’s new dance-theatre production based on Rudyard Kipling’s family classic, with Mowgli reinvented through the eyes of a climate refugee. The show includes an original score, 10 international dancers and state-of-the-art animation and visuals.
www.curveonline.co.uk
MRS KAPOOR’S DAUGHTER’S WEDDING (REBOOT)
When: Sunday April 17 and Saturday April 30
Where: Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2UE
What: The acclaimed stage comedy continues the tour of its reboot and invites audiences into an Asian household preparing for a wedding, but this time with social distancing, Zoom events and adapting to the new normal.
www.becktheatre.org.uk
EXHIBITION
INDIAN SUN: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RAVI SHANKAR ARCHIVE
When: Until Sunday May 15
Where: Archive Studio, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
What: A free exhibition exploring the life and legacy of a global musical icon Pandit Ravi Shankar through the lens of his family archives. The display includes rare archive pieces, film footage and an installation of paper flowers.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
COMEDY
NISH KUMAR - YOUR POWER, YOUR CONTROL
When: Sunday March 27 and Thursday March 31
Where: The Anvil, Churchill Way E, Basingstoke RG21 7QR and Theatre Severn, Frankwell Quay, Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8FT
What: The popular stand-up comedian embarks on a brand-new stand-up show that tackles important subjects like political upheaval, Covid, current uncertainty and why he is taking it personally. Check website for tour dates.
www.nishkumar.co.uk
PAUL CHOWDHRY - FAMILYFRIENDLY COMEDIAN
When: Sunday March 27 and Wednesday March 30
Where: Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EA and Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA
What: The funny man returns with a brand-new stand-up show about UK’s handling of the pandemic, why the rules of six only worked for white people, fame, England football fans and Tom Cruise landing his helicopter in someone’s garden.
www.paulchowdhry.com
THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING
When: Sunday March 27
Where: Monkey Barrel Comedy, 9-12 Blair Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QR and The Glee Club, 11 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G2 3AB
What: Two comedy shows on one day in different cities featuring top standup talents delivering their own brand of unique humour.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
DESI CENTRAL COMEDY SHOW
When: Sunday March 27
Where: The Glee Club, Bullingdon House, 162 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE
What: Comedy show featuring acclaimed talents Jay Sodagar, Sukh Ojla, Nabil Abdulrashid and Imran Yusuf.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
CLASSES
FREE BHARATNATYAM CLASSES
When: Wednesday March 30 and Thursday 31
Where: Gamgee House, 2 Darnley Road, Birmingham B16 8TE
What: The Consulate General of India in Birmingham is organising regular free weekly dance classes on its premises. Participants need to register beforehand and will be allocated places on first come first serve basis.
www.eventbrite.com
ANGLO INDIAN COOKERY MASTERCLASS
When: Sunday March 27
Where: Memsahib Gin and Tea Bar, 47- 49 Promenade, Cheltenham GL50 1PJ
What: Culinary masterclass to learn how to make delicious Anglo-Indian cuisine at home, followed by a delicious sweet and savoury afternoon tea, inspired by the British Raj period.
www.eventbrite.com
FULL DAY SIMPLE INDIAN COOKERY COURSE
When: Saturday April 23
Where: Hounslow, London
What: A trip to the local Indian shop to learn about ingredients will be followed by a practical hands-on cooking course learning how to make a variety of Indian dishes, along with learning how to use spices to add a depth of flavour.
www.cookingwithmonisha.com
Sandhya Suri poses during a photocall for the film "Santosh" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 21, 2024. 