Practitioner focus: Tamasha theatre

Tamasha is a world-leading theatre company born from a mission ‘to bring contemporary work of South Asian influence to the British stage’. They stage stories that, in their words, ‘celebrate the world in which we live’. Currently under the artistic direction of Pooja Ghai, the group was founded in 1989 by director Kristine Landon-Smith and actor/writer Sudha Bhuchar. Expanding their early focus, the company now champion artists from across the Global Majority.

Tamasha's early productions adapted novels by Indian authors, spotlighting stories about marginalised people and complexities within Asian culture. In 1996 their production of East is East (with the Birmingham Rep and Royal Court) toured, had a West End run and was subsequently turned in a much-loved film.