RIFCO STUDIO PRESENTS
PYAR ACTUALLY
AT THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST
By Sukh Ojla
Writer: Sukh Ojla
Director: Pravesh Kumar
Designer: Rebecca Brower
Lighting Designer: Jack Weir
Sound Designer: Matt Eaton
Following a sold out tour in 2017, Sukh Ojla’s comedy drama Pyar Actually (Love Actually), returns to the main stage at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tuesday 15th May to Saturday 19th May 2018.
The play follows thirty-something Polly whose picture perfect life is interrupted when her first love Bali gets in touch 20 years later. Sukh developed the play, which explores themes of duty, love and missed opportunities, through a series of community workshops, readings and peer-to-peer mentorship as part of the Rifco Associates programme.
Sukh Ojla is a writer, actress and stand up comedian. Pyar Actually is her first full-length play. She won Monologue Slam with her self-penned monologue Settling, has written and performed stand up comedy for the Alchemy Festival, won the Make The Cut competition at the St James Theatre and performed at BBC Asian Network’s Big Comedy Night.
Rifco Associates is a two-year rolling programme for artists and creatives both early in their career and mid-career, supporting them to create a new piece of work or develop a new concept. This structured programme is about opening up access to a wider range of people working in theatre and celebrating the voices of British Asian contemporary artists both on the stage and behind the scenes.
Rifco Studio is Rifco theatre on a smaller scale. Offering the opportunity for new writing and developing artists to present their work. The productions are shorter, with fewer cast members and minimal stage setting, but with the same quality, vibrancy and contemporary British Asian storytelling that audiences have come to expect from Rifco Theatre Company.
Theatre Royal Stratford East, London
Tue 15 May – Sat 19 May 2018
Evenings 7.30pm, Sat 4pm & 7.30pm
0208 534 0310
www.stratfordeast.com
RIFCO THEATRE COMPANY
Artistic Director, Pravesh Kumar founded Rifco Theatre Company in 1999 in Slough and since 2011, Rifco has been Resident Company at Watford Palace Theatre.
Rifco develops and produces new plays and musicals, touring nationally to some of the UK’s most prestigious regional theatres. Our work celebrates and reflects contemporary British Asian experiences, culture and society. We present theatre of scale and spectacle that is authentic, topical, thought-provoking, rich and entertaining.
Our success lies in understanding our audience. A vital part of creating new work is through listening and working alongside British Asian communities. Kumar’s work is ‘homegrown’ and he believes in gently challenging perceptions and warmly reflecting the communities he knows.
We are committed to diversifying the kind of work seen in our British theatres. We do this by commissioning British Asian playwrights and working with as many diverse actors, designers, directors that we can find. We also provide opportunities for British South Asian talent to develop their ideas and careers through our Rifco Associates and Rifco Studio strands.
Rifco Theatre Company is a charity, a company limited by guarantee and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.