Director and artistic director of Tara Theatre, Jatinder Verma is teaming up with actor, comedia, novelist and playwright Nigel Planer, in a brand-new adaptation of Marivaux's classic French Farce. Transporting the story of a betrothal in 1730s France to twenty-first century England, The Game of Love and Chai revolves around a marriage between two modern day Asian families combining familiar French farce with contemporary comedy and Bollywood song and dance.
Kamala wants her daughter Rani to marry successful but emotionally awkward businessman Raj. Rani bristles at going down the conventional route and arranges a test for Raj. She convinces her cousin Sita to swap places and pretend to be the suitable bride – unaware that Raj has come up with the same scheme with his driver, Nitin!
Jatinder Verma was awarded an MBE for services to diversity in the arts in 2017. Jatinder is one of the co-founders of Tara, and was the first Asian or Black to direct at the National Theatre, with his own adaptation of Moliere'sTartuffe. His previous productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Black Album at the National Theatre and Macbeth, the first tour for Black Theatre Live.
Jatinder Verma said, “Nigel Planer’s version of Marivaux’s classic farce brings to the fore my abiding interest in connecting the worlds of East and West - connections that have enriched the theatrical cultures of both halves of the planet. Nigel’s new play brilliantly re-imagines Marivaux for today’s multicultural audiences, bringing a touch of India to this comic clash of passion and class.”
Nigel Planer added,“I’ve been hooked on Indian cinema since 1973. I love its range, its daring and its ridiculous sense of fun. So when I came across Marivaux’s play - a mistaken identity comedy about the foolish things we do when we fall in love - the connection seemed obvious. With Marivaux, as with so-called ‘Bollywood’, the main thing is to completely abandon oneself and let foolishness and love take over.”
Tara Arts will be touring the UK from March to May with their new production. @Tara_Arts | #LoveandChai | www.tara-arts.com
