The Husbands
by Sharmila Chauhan
10 February - 17 March 2014
Plymouth | Birmingham | Leicester | Shrewsbury | Wolverhampton | Tewkesbury | Ludlow | London
‘In my world women marry only once. Not here, brother, not here.’
An explosive play about love, jealousy and a woman’s right to choose. It’s Aya’s wedding day. Her third. Her current two husbands aren’t too fussed. In a society in which there are few women, that’s just what happens. But as the household prepares for the wedding feast, a stranger arrives — one who threatens to challenge everything they believe in. Against a backdrop of modern rural India, The Husbands weaves an extraordinary tale of love and wonder. From the preparation of luxury food and the sacrifice of the lamb to the dressing of the bride and the dance to end all dances, this is an exuberant, joyful and challenging piece of theatre.
Cast
Syreeta Kumar as Aya
Rhik Samadder as Sem
Mark Theodore as Omar
Phillip Edgerley as Jerome
Production
Director — Janet Steel
Creative Advisor — Elizabeth Freestone
Designer — Jean Chan
Lighting — Prema Mehta
Music — Arun Ghosh
Movement — Shobna Gulati
Production Manager — Luke Child
Company Stage Manager — Sarah Julia Pujol
Technical Stage Manager — Sam Eccles
Syreeta Kumar as Aya and Rhik Samadder as Sem — Image credit: Robert Day
Mark Theodore as Omar, Syreeta Kumar as Aya, Rhik Samadder as Sem and Phillip Edgerley as Jerome — Image credit: Robert Day
Rhik Samadder as Sem and Syreeta Kumar as Aya — Image credit: Robert Day
Syreeta Kumar as Aya — Image credit: Robert Day
Mark Theodore as Omar — Image credit: Robert Day
Rhik Samadder as Sem and Mark Theodore as Omar — Image credit: Robert Day
Syreeta Kumar as Aya — Image credit: Robert Day
Syreeta Kumar as Aya and Mark Theodore as Omar — Image credit: Robert Day
“This is a play that challenges its audiences and isn’t afraid of tackling bigger issues about the role of women’s lives and equality.”
— The Asian Writer