FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY'S PRODUCTION OF TARTUFFE
Issued: 8 June 2018
TARTUFFE
By Molière, in a new version by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto
Directed by Iqbal Khan
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 7 September 2018 – 23 February 2019
Press night: Tuesday 18 September, 7pm
Box Office: 01789 403493, www.rsc.org.uk
Full casting is announced for Tartuffe which plays in repertoire in the Swan Theatre from 7 September.
This brand new version of Molière’s provocative French classic comedy is created by BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning writers Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto (The Office, Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.42, Boomers).
Set in the Pakistani Muslim community in Birmingham, Tartuffe tells the story of charismatic chameleon, Tahir Taufiq Arsuf, a Rasputin for the 21st Century armed with a Twitter handle and the gift of the gab. The production is directed by Birmingham-born Iqbal Khan, following his recent RSC productions of Othello and Antony and Cleopatra.
The title role (or,as he is known in this production, Tahir Taufiq Arsuf) is played by Asif Khan, who returns to the RSC having played Captain Jack in the sell-out production of Richard Bean’s The Hypocrite, produced with Hull Truck as part of their year as 2017 City of Culture. Asif’s other theatre credits include: A Passage To India (Simple8/Royal & Derngate/Park Theatre); Love, Bombs & Apples (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, International Tour); and Handbagged (UK Tour 2015, Tricycle Theatre/Eleanor Lloyd Productions). His TV credits include Diana & I (BBC2), Love Type D (Feature film to be released soon) and Spooks (Series 10).
The cast also includes Salman Akhtar (Waqaas), Raj Bajaj (Damee Pervaiz), James Clyde (Khalil), Sasha Behar (Amira Pervaiz), Michelle Bonnard (Darina), Zainab Hasan (Mariam Pervaiz), Naveed Khan (PC Raj Kumar), Simon Nagra (Imran Pervaiz), Sam Pay (Policeman), Riad L Richie (Usman), Vivienne Smith (Policewoman), Yasmin Taheri (Pippa) and Amina Zia (Dadimaa Pervaiz),
Iqbal Khan, the production’s director, said:
“I am excited by the potency of setting the play in a modern Islamic family and in a community under pressure, where religion is so problematically the thing that identifies them. This great play retains its relevance and satiric bite when the religious context is acute. Tartuffe is the archetypal confidence trickster, someone who preys on the vulnerability of others. He is the deft manipulator, branding himself and the truth. In a world that is increasingly complex there is great consolation in those who provide concrete and simple solutions, the entrepreneurial iconoclasts! I’m a Brummie and born into a Pakistani Islamic family, so this feels like a very personal journey to undertake.”
Tartuffe is designed by Bretta Gerecke, and the music for the production is composed by Sarah Sayeed. Lighting is by Richard Howell with sound by Jeremy Dunn, and movement by Shelley Maxwell.
Notes to Editors:
For further information, please contact Philippa.harland@rsc.org.uk 020 7845 0512
For press tickets please contact dean.asker@rsc.org.uk 01789 412660
To book tickets call 01789 403493 or online at www.rsc.org.uk
https://www.rsc.org.uk/tamburlaine/about-the-play/who-was-christopher-marlowe
The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION
The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST
BP £5 tickets and BP Shakespeare Pass for 16-25s
The BP £5 tickets and BP Shakespeare Pass for 16 – 25 year olds gives access to £5 tickets for all RSC productions whether we are performing in Stratford-upon-Avon, London or on tour. The pass enables 16-25 year olds to see five shows in Stratford-upon-Avon for £20 – the cheapest way to enjoy shows at the RSC. Tickets can be booked in advance on the phone, online or in person with some available for sale on the day of the performance. The scheme is supported by Project Partner, BP.
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