East is East, Ayub Khan Din’s play about growing up in multiracial England, is to return to the London stage after 17 years.
The play was memorably turned into a film which starred Om Puri and Linda Bassett as Pakistani chip-shop owner George Khan and his British wife Ella and spawned a sequel, West is West.
For the new stage run Jane Horrocks takes on the role of Ella with Khan Din playing George.
The production forms part of Trafalgar Transformed – a season of political and socially conscious theatre at the iconic Trafalgar Studios on Whitehall.
George – “Genghis” to his kids – is determined to give his children a strict Muslim upbringing against the unforgiving backdrop of 1970s Salford. Household tension reaches breaking point as their long-suffering English mother, Ella, gets caught in the cross fire – her loyalties divided between her marriage and the free will of her children.
Directed by Sam Yates, East is East follows Richard III in Jamie Lloyd’s second season for Trafalgar Transformed and runs from 4 October 2014 to 3 January 2015.
Jamie Lloyd, Artistic Director of Trafalgar Transformed, said, “I am overjoyed to welcome the incredibly talented Jane Horrocks, who will star in Ayub Khan Din’s modern classic, and am excited that Ayub himself has agreed to play George.
“This will add even more weight and authenticity to this major revival of his semi-autobiographical play.”
Khan Din added, “It’s fantastic that East is East is having its first major London revival, as part of the exciting new season at Trafalgar Transformed.
“East is East will always remain a special piece for me because of its autobiographical nature and the fact that it continues to find relevance with each generation of young people that see it. I look forward to revisiting it with a new company, not just as the writer, but as an actor as well.”
